Oh, no! The elephant’s trunk came closer and closer. It looked like a big snake. It almost grabbed me. He thought I was something to eat. Save me, Grandpa!
I thought I would like elephants. I’m a jungle monkey — or at least real monkeys who are like me live in the jungle. Lots of elephants live here in Thailand and I have been telling Grandma and Grandpa for a long time that we should go and see some. They have been very busy, though. They haven’t done any of the fun things people come to Thailand to do.
“We aren’t here on vacation, Linkee,” Grandpa said. “We have work to do, serving Jesus.”
But finally it was time for a little vacation. Grandma and Grandpa brought me with them to a place called Pai.
“Pie!” I said. “I like pie! Do they bake lots of pies there? I like banana cream pie best.”
Grandma laughed. “No, Linkee,” she said. “It sounds like “pie,” but it is a Thai word, “Pai” and they don’t make pies there. There are lots of things to do here, though. I think you will like it.”
And I do! We are staying in a little cabin in the country. The owners of the cabins are nice and suggested lots of things for Grandma and Grandpa to do. Here is a picture of me with my new friend, Noi.
She told Grandma and Grandpa they should go to ride the elephants. I always wanted to ride an elephant!
“I don’t know, Linkee,” Grandma said. “I’m afraid you might get hurt.”
“Monkeys ride elephants all the time,” I said indignantly.
“But those are real monkeys,” she said. “We have to take special care of you because you are a stuffed monkey.”
I pouted. I wanted to do everything a real monkey can do. I wanted to ride an elephant.
When we got to the place the elephants lived, I saw something I liked, right away. Bananas!
“Linkee,” Grandpa said. “Those aren’t for you. They are for the elephants.”
“Well, they don’t need to eat all of them,” I said. “Look how many there are.”
Grandpa picked me up, anyway. The elephant came over to see us.
He was so BIG! He was way bigger than me. He was way bigger than Grandpa! He was bigger than a car. He was HUGE! His snaky trunk came right up to me and sniffed.
“That smells like a banana,” he said. “It doesn’t look like a banana, but I will eat it anyway.”
Oh, no! I didn’t want to go in that elephants big mouth and get crushed by those giant teeth.
“Help, Grandpa,” I yelled. “Get me away from the elephant.”
Grandpa did. “I don’t want to ride the elephant after all,” I said. “I don’t think you should ride it, either. It’s too big and it might eat you.”
“I don’t think he will eat us,” Grandpa said. “And if you hadn’t been eating his food, he wouldn’t have thought you were a banana and tried to eat you.”
Maybe not, but I still didn’t want to get close to that big guy.
“May I take pictures with your camera instead of riding?” I asked.
“That’s a good idea!” Grandma said. “You can ride with the elephant’s owner on her motorcycle.”
First Grandma and Grandpa climbed up on a tall platform. The elephant came by and they climbed on. It looked scary!
Grandma looked a little nervous. She held on tight! They were up so high. They were up near the power lines. The cars went by way below.
The elephant went down to the river. Hang on, Grandma and Grandpa!
The elephant carried them down into the river.
Then, do you know what it did? It dumped them in the water!
I was glad that I wasn’t riding it, too. I don’t know how to swim. They do, though, and soon scrambled back on top of the elephant.
Then it rolled over and dumped them in the water again.
“I think I will ride back on the motorcycle with you, Linkee,” Grandma said. Grandpa wanted to ride back on the elephant. The driver let him ride the elephant all by himself. He wasn’t scared at all.
Grandma and Grandpa had fun. Maybe I will ride an elephant next time. But I won’t eat the elephant’s bananas again.
Your friend,
Linkee
Hi kids!
Do you like people who take your things without asking? That’s not a good way to make friends. Linkee should have stayed out of the elephant’s food. Then they would have been friends and Linkee could have had a nice ride. He probably wouldn’t have liked getting wet, though.
Jesus said, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” (Matt. 7:12) If you treat people as you would like to be treated, you will probably make lots of friends. At least, no one will want to eat you!
I miss all of you lots and lots. When you come to see us, maybe we will take you on an elephant ride, too.
I love you!
Grandma