Once, there lived an elephant in a forest. The elephant was very scared of everything–water, wind, rain, other animals, and even smaller creatures like mice and worms. He thought water might drown him, wind might blow him away, rain might make him fall ill and other animals might kill him. His friends and relatives were very worried about him. “Behave like an elephant!” his friends advised him. But he did not know how to do so! He was unable to live a free and happy life. He always used to hide behind huge trees. He was not like the other members of his family. One day, a wise old cheetah said, “If you do not want to go near any animal, then don’t! At least stop being afraid of everything. If you show your weakness, no one will respect you.” From then on, the elephant started talking to other animals and roamed in the forest freely. He was finally happy.
The Frightened Elephant
