By Martha Hughes
By Martha Hughes
Deep in the Congo rainforest of Africa lived a happy herd of elephants: Mama Elephant, Papa Elephant, Sister Elephant, Stompy, and her baby brother, Little Elephant.
Stompy loved her jungle life. She went to school every day, played hide and seek with her friends, swam in the waterfall, and helped Mama Elephant bake cakes. She enjoyed picking fresh berries for breakfast and especially loved when Lola read her bedtime stories. But what she loved most of all was when Mama Elephant tucked her in at night.
Stompy enjoyed doing things with her family, but there was one thing that made her sad. Papa Elephant was always away on long fishing trips for work, and Stompy missed him very much.
One morning, Stompy asked, “Mama, when is Papa coming back from his fishing trip? I really miss him. He’s missing out on all the fun we have as a family.”
Mama Elephant sighed softly and said, “Papa is very busy helping Uncle Bob, his older brother. You see, Uncle Bob is a fisherman, and he needs Papa’s help to catch the fish and clean them. That way, when Uncle Bob takes the fish to the market, they are ready for all the animals to cook.”
Stompy frowned. “But why does Papa have to go all the time? Can’t Uncle Bob do it on his own?”
Mama Elephant smiled gently. “Papa helps Uncle Bob because family helps each other. It’s important work. But don’t worry, Stompy, Papa will be home soon, and when he is, we’ll have a special family day together.”
That made Stompy feel a little better, but she still missed Papa Elephant very much.
Every day after school, Stompy would sit on the staircase, hoping to catch a glimpse of Papa coming home. Each day, she would sigh and say, “He’s not coming today.” Then, Stompy would head inside to join Mama Elephant, Sister Elephant, and her baby brother for dinner. Afterward, Mama would lead worship, read a Bible story, and Stompy would pray:
“Dear God, please keep Papa Elephant and Uncle Bob safe on their fishing trip. I miss Papa so much. Please watch over us here in the jungle, and help me be a good helper to Mama and take care of my little brother. I love You, God. Amen.”
One afternoon after school, Stompy ran excitedly to the staircase, eager to wait for Papa Elephant’s return. It was getting late, and the sky was turning a soft orange as dinner time approached. Just as Stompy began to wonder when Papa would arrive, she spotted him in the distance. Her heart leaped with joy.
Trumpeting loudly, Stompy bolted down the stairs and dashed toward Papa Elephant. When she reached him, she wrapped her trunk around him in a big, warm hug, tears of happiness streaming down her cheeks. She had missed Papa so much.
Papa Elephant smiled and held her close. “I missed you too, Stompy,” he said with a gentle chuckle.
As they walked back together, Mama Elephant greeted them with a warm smile. “Just in time for dinner,” she said.
Stompy beamed and added, “I helped Mama bake a chocolate cake so we can celebrate your return!”
During dinner, Stompy couldn’t stop talking and asking Papa Elephant endless questions about his fishing trip.
“Slow down, Stompy,” Papa Elephant said with a smile. “We’ve got all night to tell you about my fishing trip.”
Stompy chuckled and replied, “Sorry, Papa. I just want to know everything!”
During worship, Papa Elephant told everyone about his recent fishing trip with Uncle Bob. He said it was exhausting, but they did everything, including helping Uncle Bob sell the fish at the market. “We had a great sale,” Papa Elephant explained, “and everything was gone within a few hours.”
“Wow!” said Stompy, his eyes wide with excitement. “I wish I could go on a fishing trip!”
“Well, I’ve got good news for you, Stompy,” Papa Elephant said with a smile. “Uncle Bob has invited you to come and spend a weekend with us, helping out at the market!”
“WHAT?” Stompy exclaimed, bouncing up and down. “I’d love to go! Mama, can I go, please?” she asked eagerly.
“Of course, Stompy,” Mama Elephant replied, smiling warmly. “It would be nice for you to spend time with Uncle Bob. We haven’t seen him in years.”
Stompy trumpeted with joy, still jumping in excitement. Papa Elephant chuckled and said, “We’ll leave in three weeks, so start getting ready! You’ll need a change of clothes because we get very wet from the waves splashing on the boat.”
Three weeks flew by, and the day finally came for Stompy and Papa Elephant to join Uncle Bob on the fishing trip. They left their home early in the morning, well before dawn, when the sun had yet to rise. The air was cool, and Mama Elephant waved goodbye as they disappeared into the jungle.
When they reached the ocean, Stompy spotted Uncle Bob waiting for them near the shore. She trumpeted with excitement and ran to give him a big hug.
“Hi, Uncle Bob!” Stompy said, grinning from ear to ear.
“Hello, Kiddo!” Uncle Bob replied, laughing. “Look at you! The last time I saw you, you were just a tiny baby. Are you ready for the big trip? Do you get seasick?”
“I don’t think so,” said Stompy, feeling both excited and a little nervous. “I’ve never been on a boat before. This is my first time!”
“Well, you’re in for a treat!” Uncle Bob said with a wink. “You’re going to love it!”
Once in the boat, the waves were calm, and Stompy stared in awe and admiration of the vast sea. She had never been so close, surrounded by the endless ocean. As they sailed further, she spotted a few dolphins swimming by and trumpeted with joy.
Suddenly, the boat began rocking from side to side. Stompy, Uncle Bob, and Papa Elephant quickly grabbed onto a thick rope with their trunks to keep from being thrown overboard. The rocking grew stronger, and poor Stompy started feeling seasick. She sobbed, scared, and called out for Papa Elephant to help her.
Uncle Bob chuckled and said, “Hey, Kiddo, this is normal! I’m used to the rocking of the boat.”
“But… but…,” Stompy tried to speak, but the boat kept swaying, and she couldn’t steady herself.
Papa Elephant gently pulled Stompy close and said, “Let me tell you a Bible story, Stompy. Did you know that once, Jesus commanded the sea to be quiet?”
“Really?” Stompy replied, wide-eyed.
“Yes! We can find this story in the book of Matthew, chapter 8, verses 23-27. It was a day when Jesus had been teaching and healing people all day long. He was tired and wanted to go somewhere quiet to rest. But the people didn’t want to leave—they loved being with Jesus and listening to His stories. So, when Jesus and His disciples got into a boat to sail across the lake, the disciples followed Him.
It was evening, and the sky was getting dark. Jesus, exhausted, lay down in the boat to sleep. Suddenly, a fierce storm arose. Black clouds filled the sky, and the wind howled fiercely. The once calm lake turned into a raging, dangerous sea. Huge waves crashed against the little boat, tossing it side to side. Even though the disciples were experienced fishermen, they were terrified. They had never seen the lake so wild. Water poured into the boat, and they feared they would sink.
Then they remembered—Jesus was with them, sleeping! They shouted above the storm, ‘Jesus, save us! We’re going to perish!’
Jesus woke up, stood, and looked out at the dark, angry sky. He calmly said to the wind and the waves, ‘Be quiet! Be still!’ And just like that, the storm stopped. The waves settled, and the lake became calm again, as quickly as the storm had come.
‘Why were you afraid?’ Jesus asked them. ‘Do you still have so little faith?’ The disciples were amazed and said to one another, ‘Who is this man, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?’”
“Wow!” Stompy exclaimed, her trunk raised in excitement. “Can we pray so Jesus can stop the wind?”
It was late into the night when Papa Elephant prayed, and Stompy was so tired that she fell asleep. When she woke up, it was morning. The sun was shining, and the sea was peaceful and calm. Stompy didn’t feel seasick anymore and was happily trumpeting at the calm waters.
“Good morning, kiddo!” Uncle Bob greeted her. “Did you sleep well?”
“Yes!” said Stompy, stretching. “Did I miss anything?”
“Not much,” Uncle Bob chuckled. “Just a family of dolphins jumping over the water.”
Later, when they reached land, Stompy, Papa Elephant, and Uncle Bob headed to the market to sell the fish they had caught. Stompy’s eyes grew wide in wonder as she looked around. The market was big, colorful, and bustling with life.
“I’m really hungry. Can I eat breakfast now?” Stompy asked.
Uncle Bob smiled and handed her a fish. “Here you go!”
“Eww, no thank you!” Stompy giggled, and Papa Elephant and Uncle Bob laughed along with her.
On their way home to the jungle, Stompy was trumpeting happily. She was excited to tell Mama Elephant all about her fishing trip. She had enjoyed the adventure so much that she couldn’t wait to go again. Uncle Bob even mentioned that next time, he wanted the whole family to come!
PICTURE CREDIT: depositphotos
