Animal Activities #76

Here is my entry

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Sometimes, the smallest step forward is the beginning of a great journey. Deep in the heart of a vast African forest there lived a young elephant named Kofi. Unlike the other elephants in his herd, Kofi was smaller and weaker than all other elephants. While the other calves could easily keep up with the group during long walks, Kofi often lagged behind and this made others to laugh and looked down of him. And they will say boastfully

"You'll never be strong enough to lead the herd"

Their words hurt Kofi, but he never responded. Instead, he continued trying his best every day to strengthen himself. One dry season, the forest faced a severe drought. Rivers and ponds dried up, plant in the forest all died because there was no rain to fall on the crops and food became scarce. The herd wandered for days in search of water and food. The older elephants searched everywhere they knew, but every waterhole they found was empty and all sources of food died off.

As the days passed, the animals grew weak and desperate for food and water. One evening, while everyone rested beneath a large tree, Kofi remembered something his grandmother had once told him when she was alive.

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"When I was young," she had said, "there was a hidden spring beyond the hills of Salem but few animals know about it."

The hills were far away and difficult to cross on foot. The adult elephants doubted there would be anything there.

"It's too risky," some said.

But Kofi believed it was worth trying. So the next morning, he began walking toward the hills of salem. Curious, a few elephants followed him behind. The journey was indeed exhausting. They climbed steep paths, squeezed through narrow passages, and crossed dry land that seemed impossible to cross and just as many were ready to turn back, Kofi noticed a patch of green grass growing between the rocks on the hills.

"Water must be nearby!" he shouted.

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The animals rushed toward kofi and some moments later, they discovered a spring of water flowing from the hillside and fruitful plant and trees around the springs and they were amazed and thanked their creator for such a great adventure. The elephants shouted for joy and for weeks the spring provided enough water for the elephant and many other animals in the forest. And the same young elephants who once mocked Kofi now looked at him with admiration and said.

"You saved us kofi,"

Kofi smiled not with pride but because he had learned something important. He learned that being small did not mean being weak, and being different did not mean being less valuable and from that day forward, Kofi became a symbol of courage and determination to all other young elephants and whenever young elephants doubted themselves, they remembered the little elephant who refused to give up.