Little Star
In their private carriage Mrs Jumbo fusses over her son. Dumbo tilts his head from side to side as she bathes him. He trembles with excitement as the soapy water cascades down the back of his ears. Mrs Jumbo's trunk reaches to pull Dumbo from the tub when he wraps his trunk around hers.
He rests his head against her trunk and stares up at her adoringly. Mrs Jumbo kneels down and caresses his face. His eyes shine with a sudden brightness that startles her momentarily. His eyes sparkle like unblemished gems and the stars that were so bright that sad, sad night not too long ago.
He giggles and shakes with quiet laughter. His front legs reach up as if pleading to be taken out. She obliges and removes him from the tub. He races to nudge her leg affectionately and she strokes his back. Dumbo lavishes in the attention he's given: paying no heed to his mother's anxiousness.
Warily, she glances around the carriage. There are no cruel little humans to condemn her as mad. No one is going to separate her from her son. She relaxes and returns her full attention to Dumbo. He wriggles out from under her trunk and trumpets contentedly as he skips around.
On his short little journey he pauses to pull playfully on his mother's tail. As he begins his second circle around Mrs Jumbo tugs teasingly on his. He flaps his oversized ears and she pulls him close. Her trunk winds around his plump little face gently as she coos adoringly.
No one will dare to separate the circus' biggest star from his mother, but to her, he has always been a special little star that has always deserved this love and fame.
Author's Note: I love elephants. I once had the pleasure of befriending Ning Nong: a Thai elephant. I'm so happy that she was involved with saving people during the 2006 tsunami! She was just a baby when I met her. I was about three years old at the time and she used to have these adorable little bows in her hair and I would feed her, sit on her back and watch her play out at sea… We're coming up to eleven years since we moved away from China so I haven't seen her for so long. Then, after watching Echo the elephant for years she died and I haven't been able to watch or write anything much to do with elephants since, but how I love them so! I'm even crying right now: that's how much of a sentimental sap I am. I hate sappy little fluffy pieces but I just couldn't leave this out. This is for all the things that mean something to me and anything with elephants just means the absolute world to me. I'm so happy to have been able to write this. Thank you, thank you all who read this piece. I truly hope that you've enjoyed yourself and I apologise because I could never do elephants the justice they deserve.
Part of the Revival Collection.