You Are Too Big

It was a sunny spring morning. Owen the elephant walked slowly through the zoo, swinging his long trunk from side to side. He waved at Trudy the giraffe as she stretched her neck high to reach some leaves. Owen envied all the tall animals.

“I wish I was not so big,” grumbled Owen. His giant feet always made loud thuds that scared the smaller creatures when he walked by.

Just then, Owen spotted his best friend Lucy speaking to Clyde the chimpanzee through the bars of his habitat.

“Please let me inside to visit,” begged Lucy. But Clyde shook his furry head no.

“I am sorry Lucy, but you are too big to fit in my home,” said Clyde.

This made Owen feel sadder. His enormous elephant size kept him separated from his pals at the zoo.

Soon Owen overheard Gigi the goose honking loudly. She was fluttering her wings at Sammy the snake’s pit habitat.

“Goose feathers make my nose itch!” hissed Sammy. “And I do not like loud honks. You cannot come in, Gigi. You are too big!”

Owen trumpeted in frustration. He turned to lumber back to his quiet elephant barn alone. All the animals at the zoo seemed scared of Owen’s giant body.

“Being the only elephant here is lonely,” Owen thought. “Oh, how I wish I was smaller!”

When Owen returned to his barn, he saw his zookeeper, Marley, hanging a new tire swing from the rafters.

“I have a fun new toy, big friend!” said Marley. “I know how you wish you could play with the other animals. So I brought you this instead!”

Owen did not feel cheered up by the swing. He blew his trunk sadly as Marley left the barn. Owen decided that tomorrow he would set off on a journey to find where the other elephants lived.

The next morning, Owen quietly snuck out of the zoo before sunrise. The shy lion cub rowing in the grass blinked sleepily to see such a huge creature treading past.

Soon Owen heard a tiny whistle behind him. When he turned his giant gray head, Owen saw the little lion cub chasing him!

“Hello! I am Leo!” said the cub in a squeaky voice. “Where are you going so early, big elephant?”

Owen sighed. “Please little Leo, do not follow me. All the animals say I am too enormous!”

But Leo kept trotting after Owen on his wobbly legs.

“I think you are fun size! Will you be my friend on your walk?” asked Leo hopefully.

Owen smiled. At last, somebody wanted his big elephant company! “Alright, Leo. You are small enough to travel with me,” Owen decided.

As Owen and little Leo walked down the dusty path, the morning sun rose bright and warm. They trekked out of the city and into the countryside filled with green meadows and farms.

Owen was careful where he placed his giant feet so as not to crush any flowers. Leo scampered around exploring with his tiny pink nose.

Soon Leo and Owen arrived at a rushing river. On the other side, Owen could see tall trees stretching up beyond high hills.

“That must be where the wild elephants roam!” Owen said. He swung his trunk with joy. Finally, animals of his own size for friends!

Owen stepped into the rushing water, but quickly jumped back onto shore. The strong current was too swift for Owen’s wide feet.

“Oh no! Now what will I do?” Owen cried. “The other elephants are so close, but I cannot cross this huge river!”

Just then, Owen and Leo noticed a kind farmer plowing his cornfield nearby with an old tractor.

The friendly farmer drove over when he saw Owen’s sad face.

“Say pal, you look too big to cross that wild river alone. Need a lift to the other side?” asked the farmer.

Owen nodded gently. “Oh yes, please! I must find the other elephants on that far hill,” he said.

So the nice farmer carried Owen on his sturdy tractor to carefully cross the tricky river. Leo bounced merrily along behind them.

When they arrived on the other side, Owen trumpeted with happiness. He could see a whole herd of gray elephants grazing together on the distant green hills.

Owen turned to thank the kind farmer for his help.

But much to Owen’s surprise, the little lion cub Leo looked worried. His ears drooped low.

“Is something wrong, Leo?” Owen asked, surprised.

Leo scuffed his paw in the dirt. “I know you want elephant friends, Owen. But then I will have no friends back at the zoo,” he mewed.

Owen’s heart sank as he realized little Leo spoke the truth. All the big zoo animals had been frightened of Owen’s giant size. But Leo saw Owen differently.

Owen leaned down to nuzzle Leo’s fuzzy head with affection.

“Come, little friend. Let us go back to our true home together,” Owen said gently.

So Owen carried Leo across the river atop his broad head. Safely on the other side, Leo licked Owen’s long trunk in thanks.

As the sun set orange and gold, Owen and little Leo walked back through the countryside hand in hand. They talked of all the adventures to come as best friends forever.

When Owen and Leo arrived back at the zoo, Marley clapped happily that his precious elephant had returned safe and sound.

From then on, every zoo creature saw that Owen the elephant had a tiny, fearless friend named Leo. And no animal was afraid to visit Owen’s habitat anymore to play silly games and share stories late into the night.

Owen still dreamed of his far-off fellow elephant herd grazing on the green hills. But he knew now that the best place for a very big elephant is wherever he is most loved. And for Owen, that was Leo’s tiny heart which held enough happiness for the biggest creatures in the whole wide world.