RECOMMENDED AGE GROUP
Second Year Primary Education (7-8 years old)
CHARACTERS
Little Elephant.
Crocodile.
Ostrich.
Giraffe.
Bird
Snake.
Some more elephants.
SYNOPSIS (simple story outline)
This story is based on a famous story by Rudyard Kipling.
A long long time ago the elephant had no trunk. After asking many animals what the crocodile had for dinner, a little elephant went in search of a crocodile to have his doubts solved.
When he eventually found one, he asked the question again. The little elephant came closer and closer with each whisper from the crocodile. As soon as the elephant got his face close enough, the crocodile snapped at the elephant's nose. Then, the elephant pulled away, but his nose was still trapped in the sharp jaws of the crocodile. A snake told the little elephant that the crocodile was trying to eat him and suggested pulling back. The more he pulled the more his nose was stretched. Finally, the crocodile lost his grip. At first, the little elephant was ridiculed for his new nose, but soon he found that it had many advantages and all the elephants made their way to the shore for the crocodile to work his magic.
CHARACTER OBJECTIVES –
What does each character want?
The little elephant is a naive and curious creature whose questions get him into a lot of trouble with the other animals in the jungle. He wants to find out what the crocodile has for dinner.
The crocodile is very cunning. He is hungry and thinks the elephant child is a good option for dinner time.
SCENE BREAKDOWN
Where? When? What happens?
Scene 1 (in Africa, in the grasslands): The little elephant asks the ostrich why her tail feathers grow that way and the giraffe why she has spots. They both order him to go away.
Scene 2: The little elephant asks a bird what the crocodile has for dinner. The bird is so tired of listening to his questions that tells him to go to the river to find out for himself.
The little elephant has never seen a crocodile before, but he goes to find one.
Scene 3 (by the river): The little elephant aks the crocodile what he has for dinner and he asks him to come closer and closer. When the little elephant is close enough, the elephant snaps at the elephant nose.
Scene 4: A snake sees that the little elephant has got himself into a mess and suggests pulling hard so that the crocodile can’t drag him into the river and eat him.
Scene 5: The little elephant pulls back as hard as he can. He pulls so hard that his nose begins to strech. The harder he pulls, the longer his nose becomes.
Scene 6: The crocodile gives up. The little elephant’s nose is much longer than before and it doesn’t shrink.
Scene 7 (back in the grasslands): At first he is sad, but soon he discovers many ways to use his new nose and tells his friends where he has had that long nose from.
Scene 8: Although they laugh at first, when all the elephants see how useful the little elephant’s trunk is, all of them want one and go to the river to get a new nose from the crocodile.
