9.28.2007

AN ELEPHANT STORY....

I know that I'm a softy but even if you are NOT........this story will touch you!
Thank you, Courtney, for this heart warming moment!
In 1986, Dan Harrison (see picture above) was on holiday in Kenya after graduating from Northwestern University . On a hike through the bush, he came across a young bull elephant standing with one leg raised in the air. The elephant seemed distressed, so Dan approached it very carefully. He got down on one knee and inspected the elephant's foot and found a large piece of wood deeply embedded in it. As carefully and as gently as he could, Dan worked the wood out with his hunting knife, after which the elephant gingerly put down its foot. The elephant turned to face the man, and with a rather curious look on its face, stared at him for several tense moments. Dan stood frozen, thinking of nothing else but being trampled. Eventually the elephant trumpeted loudly, turned , and walked away. Dan never forgot that elephant or the events of that day. Twenty years later, Dan was walking through the Chicago Zoo with his teenaged son. As they approached the elephant enclosure, one of the creatures turned and walked over to near where Dan and his son Dan Jr. were standing. The large bull elephant stared at Dan, lifted its front foot off the ground, and then put it down. The elephant did that several times then trumpeted loudly, all the while staring at the man. Remembering the encounter in 1986, Dan couldn't help wondering if this was the same elephant. Dan summoned up his courage, climbed over the railing and made his way into the enclosure. He walked right up to the elephant and stared back in wonder. The elephant trumpeted again, wrapped its trunk around one of Dan's legs and slammed him against the railing, killing him instantly.
Probably wasn't the same elephant.

10 comments:

Unknown said...

OK, you had me!! LOL that was the funniest story I've ever read....

Cliff said...

You know, I really hate it when that happens.

Rick said...

Hey! Thanks for stopping by! Feel free to spread Dan, uh, I mean, the word around.

rdl said...

damn you, you got me.

Bella said...

OMG!

You had ME going there!

Liquid said...

Hysterical, right? Yeah, my girlfriend, Courtney, really got me with this one too! I just could NOT resist sharing it here. lol

Mary Sheehan Winn said...

Oh Suzanne you really had me going with the elephant never forgets thingy :D
I did look up Mantis's on Wikipedia and the females do eat the males when they mate. Ewwwww

Stylin said...

Hi Liquid,
Thankfully i had read this tory before but I was getting ready with the tissues when I came here !!
Its funny the second time around!!

Pilgrim said...

I passed over this several times because of the intro because I am King Schmultz. Finally on WIXY's recommendation I clicked through.

Thanks to you both, my Sunday has been made complete.

Linda Jones Malonson said...

You had me going there for a minute ... elephants have long memories, could be Dan knicked him a bit getting that wood chip out.