In ancient times, the elephant looked completely different from what it does now: it had huge eyes, ears stood straight up on its head, and beautiful horns grew between them.
When people appeared on earth, the lion said to the elephant:
- My friend, there are too many people divorced everywhere! Probably, soon they will get to you and me, they will force you to work! We need to go to new places! “I’m so huge, who dares to touch me?” - the elephant objected importantly. - Why should I run somewhere?
He was so majestic and proud that he did not pay attention to anyone around him.
One day a sparrow came down to earth for a walk with its chicks. At this time an elephant passed by.
- Carefully! Don't go! Here are my chicks! - the sparrow shouted.
But the elephant, who did not even pay attention to people, did not want to listen to the sparrow.
“What do I care about someone’s chicks?” I need to pass, and I will definitely pass! - he said arrogantly.
Waddled heavily, the elephant moved forward and trampled the poor little sparrows!
The sparrow screamed, his wife cried, but what could they do? They were too small to handle the elephant.
The sparrow flew to the crow for help. The crow croaked and set off to catch up with the elephant. She caught up and began scratching his eyes with her claws and gouging him with her beak.
And the sparrow went to the flies for help. The biggest flies also flew after the elephant, settled on his scratched eyes and began to bite.
The elephant did not see the light. Stumbling, like a blind man, he ran through the forest.
He felt hot, thirsty, and began looking for water.
Meanwhile, the sparrow turned to the frogs for help. The frogs jumped out of the water and went to protect the sparrow.
The elephant rushed without making out the road. He blindly rushed up the mountain for water. The frogs saw this, jumped to the top of the mountain and began to croak there. The elephant thought that the water was somewhere nearby, ran croaking and wanted to run into the water, but instead hit a stone and rolled down. He somersaulted over his head three times and broke both horns. He somersaulted two more times - he crushed his long ears, and they became like two fans glued to his head.
The elephant was lucky that he didn’t crash to death! And all the animals, looking at him, said:
- On earth we are all equal. Is it possible to be so proud and not notice others?!
Since then, the elephant's eyes have become small and narrow, the horns have disappeared, and the ears have been pressed to the head. And the elephant became attentive and careful. When he walks along the road or plucks grass in the field, he always looks out so as not to crush some small worm.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru