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Prunella The Elephant
Reader Star Rating: 
Ana Zambrano
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"I want to be special; I want to be sweet,
I want to look different, unique, and petite."
Prunella the Elephant saw her mirror and frowned,
"Instead I am big, wide, and gray all around."
"My trunk is too big and my ears are too long,
My tail is not curly, and I can't sing a song."
"If I had stripes like a tiger or wings like a bee,
I would be the best elephant you ever did see."
"I want a mane like a lion, a beak like a bird,
I want to hop like a frog and make myself heard."
"You are the best you are already," said the giraffe to her friend,
"You are Prunella the Elephant, that's the best in the end."
But Prunella wouldn't listen, Prunella didn't care,
She was sure if she changed, she would be the best elephant there.
She grabbed her friend's neck and gave it a tug,
Then stuck it on hard and fast with a hug.
"I have a long neck," said Prunella with glee,
"Now everyone come and admire what's me."
She ran past the mirror and into the street
She called out to all to come, see, and meet.
As the animals came and stared at her look,
Prunella grabbed what she wanted, stole and just took.
She took the frog's hop; she took the bird's beak,
She took the bee's wings, lion's mane and physique.
"You don't need what's hers, what's mine, or what's his.
You're already the best that you were, will be, or are."
But Prunella wouldn't listen to her friend the giraffe,
She hopped down the road with a big hearty laugh.
"Give it all back," the animals shouted,
"You took all our best, we can't live without it."
Said her friend the giraffe, "Give the neck back to me.
I need my long neck to eat leaves on a tree."
"And I need my beak," said the bird in dismay,
Without it how will I ever eat seeds every day?"
"And I need my hop," said the frog with a shout,
"Without it how will I jump through the pond in and out?"
"And I want my mane," the lion then roared,
"How else will the animals know I am king and their lord?"
But Prunella wouldn't listen, Prunella didn't care.
She hopped down the road and fluffed up her hair.
"I want stripes like a tiger, and claws like a bear."
But the bear and the tiger were not ready to share.
They lunged at Prunella and bared their big teeth,
And Prunella was frightened and ran off like a thief.
She hopped up a tree and looked all around,
She was very high up and far off the ground.
The tree caught Prunella, the branches held tight,
Prunella was crying and sobbed out in fright.
"What have I done," said Prunella in fear,
"How will I ever get down from here?"
"My wings are too little to let me fly high.
My mane will not help me get down from the sky."
"My hop got me up, but it won't get me down.
My neck is too long and is tangled around."
"If only I'd listened. They were right, I was wrong.
If I had stayed as I was, I would be safe, big and strong."
"Prunella, my dear," said her friend the giraffe,
You look silly up there," and the animals laughed.
"Please take back your neck, I don't want it, you see.
It has me all tangled and caught in this tree."
"And take back your wings," she said to the bee
"They are too tiny and little for an elephant like me."
The frog got his hop; the bird got her beak,
Prunella looked down and tried to look meek.
The lion was angry, the lion was mad,
"I am going to eat you Prunella, what you did was bad."
"Please take your mane back," Prunella did say,
"Though it made me look pretty when I wore it today."
The great lion frowned, then grabbed at his hair,
He plucked it back on and stomped out of there.
Prunella was crying as she had a great fall,
"I am sorry I did what I did to you all."
The animals circled, they grabbed and they held,
Prunella was safe in their arms as she fell.
Her friend the giraffe, her neck back in place, said,
"Prunella, you have an elephant's charm and its grace."
"You are the best there is, or ever will be.
Prunella the Elephant, you are the best you can be."
Prunella had learned, Prunella now knew
If you want to be happy, then it is best to be you.
The End
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