The Elephants Visit London Read online

  The Elephants Visit London

  ISBN13: 978-1-932926-07-1

  Copyright © 2007 by Beverly Eschberger.

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  Kinkajou Press

  9 Mockingbird Hill Rd

  Tijeras, New Mexico 87059

  [email protected]

  www.kinkajoupress.com

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Eschberger, Beverly Sue, 1968-

  The Elephants visit London / by Beverly Eschberger ; illustrated by Jim Gower.

  p. cm. -- (An Elephant family adventure)

  Summary: Mr. and Mrs. Elephant, along with their son and daughter, travel from Africa to London, where they wear disguises so the locals do not become alarmed at

  seeing elephants in their midst, and tour the sights.

  ISBN-13: 978-1-932926-30-9 (pbk.)

  ISBN-10: 1-932926-30-5 (pbk.)

  [1. Elephants--Fiction. 2. London (England)--Fiction.] I. Gower, Jim, ill. II.

  Title.

  PZ7.E74465El 2007

  [E]--dc22

  An Elephant Family Adventure:

  The Elephants Visit London

  By

  Beverly Eschberger

  Illustrated By

  Jim Gower

  Kinkajou Press

  Tijeras, New Mexico

  To my parents, who did not think that I was too crazy when I said that I wanted to be a writer.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1: The Elephants of Elephas

  Chapter 2: A Holiday in London

  Chapter 3: Disguises

  Chapter 4: Riding the Underground

  Chapter 5: Sightseeing in London

  Chapter 6: The Museum of Natural History

  Chapter 7: New Friends

  Chapter 8: Calling Scotland Yard

  Chapter 9: Number 10 Downing Street

  What the Elephants Saw in London

  What the Elephants Ate in London

  The Elephants’ Guide to British Terms

  The Elephants’ Guide to British Food

  About the Author

  The Elephants of Elephas

  Once upon a time, there was a family of Elephants. They lived in Africa, in the small country of Elephas.

  Mr. Elephant worked for the Department of Foreign Affairs. He was responsible for keeping good connections between Elephas and other countries.

  Mrs. Elephant was an artist. She loved to paint and make sculptures. She was very well known in Elephas for her artwork. She made beautiful paintings and sculptures.

  Mrs. Elephant also taught art classes at the Elephas University. She was an excellent teacher. And her classes were very popular with the students.

  Mr. and Mrs. Elephant had two children named Harold and Penelope. Harold and Penelope were twins and were ten years old.

  Harold and Penelope went to school in Elephas. Penelope was the smartest student in their class. She planned to be a paleontologist when she grew up.

  Penelope loved to read books about dinosaurs and other extinct animals. But she did not just like to read books about dinosaurs. She loved to read any book about any subject.

  Harold was not as good a student as Penelope. He preferred to spend his time playing games with his friends. His favorite games were the games that he made up to play with his toy soldiers.

  Harold had a large collection of toy soldiers. He was always careful to save his pocket money. Then he could add new soldiers to his collection.

  Harold wanted to be an astronaut when he grew up. Mr. and Mrs. Elephant often reminded him, “Now, Harold. You must study harder if you want to travel into space. You will have to get better grades in your math and science classes.”

  One day, Mr. Elephant came home from the Department of Foreign Affairs. He gathered his family around him.

  “I have some good news,” said Mr. Elephant. “As you all know, Elephas has kept an Embassy in London. Ever since our country became independent many years ago. The Ambassador to London is ready to retire. And the Prime Minister of Elephas has asked me to be the new Ambassador.”

  Mrs. Elephant clapped her hands with joy. “Oh, my wonderful husband,” she cried. “What a delightful opportunity for you!”

  Harold and Penelope jumped up and down in joy. “Yay!” cried Harold.

  “Yippee!” squealed Penelope. “That’s great, Daddy!”

  Mrs. Elephant then paused to think. “Would this mean that you would have to move to London?”

  Mr. Elephant took her hands in his.

  “Yes, my dear. We would all move to London and live in the Elephas Embassy.”

  Harold and Penelope stopped jumping up and down. “But what about all of our friends here?” Harold asked.

  “And what about our school?” asked Penelope. “We are supposed to study dinosaurs in science class next school term.”

  Mr. Elephant lovingly patted her head. “Do not worry, sweetie,” he said. “There are plenty of good schools in London near the Elephas Embassy. I am certain we can find one where you can study dinosaurs.”

  Mr. Elephant then turned to Harold and patted his shoulder. “We can also return to Elephas and visit our friends and family here.”

  Mrs. Elephant said, “But what about my students? What about my artwork?”

  Mr. Elephant replied, “This will also be a great chance for you. You are always saying that you do not have enough time for your art. You can spend more time on your artwork in London.”

  Mrs. Elephant considered that. “Yes, you are right, my darling. I would like to take a school term off from teaching for my artwork.”

  Mr. Elephant hugged her, “That’s the spirit. You will enjoy having the time for your art.”

  Mr. Elephant then turned to Harold and Penelope. “The Department of Foreign Affairs wants us to take a holiday there first. Then we can decide if we really want to move to London.”

  “It will be good for us to see what it is like there. Then we can make our decision,” said Mrs. Elephant.

  Mr. Elephant suddenly became thoughtful. “There are a few things that we must talk about before our trip. In Elephas, humans and elephants have always lived together.”

  “But things are very different in London. Elephants are not very common there. People might be afraid if they see an elephant walking around London.”

  “So we must be careful to always wear disguises in London. I have already picked out some costumes. We can blend in with everyone else while we are there. We will look just like an ordinary English family.”

  A Holiday in London

  On the day of their flight to London, the Elephants packed their suitcases. All of their friends and family came to their house. They held a big bon voyage party.

  Harold and Penelope hugged their friends goodbye, “We will
be back soon,” said Penelope. “And can tell you all about our trip to London.”

  “And Daddy says that we do not have to move there. Not if we do not want to,” added Harold. “I hope that we can stay in Elephas.”

  “But Harold,” interrupted Penelope. “Just think of all of the fun things to do in London. And Daddy says we can come back to Elephas to see everyone.”

  “I know,” said Harold. “But we have never been to London before. And I do not know what to expect there.”

  A taxi arrived to take the Elephant family to the airport. The taxi driver put their suitcases into the taxi boot. The Elephants all squeezed into the taxi.

  Their friends and family all gathered to wave good-bye. “Bon voyage!” they called out. “Have a nice trip!” “Come back soon and tell us about your holiday!”

  At the airport, a porter loaded their suitcases onto a cart. He led the Elephants to the airline desk. Mr. Elephant said, “I have tickets for four. The name is Elefant. E-L-E-F-A-N-T.”

  Penelope tugged at Mrs. Elephant’s jacket. She started to say something. But Mrs. Elephant shushed her.

  “Yes, Mr. Elefant,” said the desk clerk. “I have your tickets right here. I hope that you have a wonderful time in London.”

  “Thank you,” said Mr. Elephant. “I am certain that we will.”

  Mr. Elephant led his family to their airplane. They all squeezed into the first class area.

  When they were all settled, Penelope turned to her father. She was almost bursting. “Daddy,” she said. “Why did you spell our name Elefant with an F? Instead of with a PH?”

  “Yes,” said Harold, “I may not be a good speller like Penelope. But I do know how to spell our name!”

  “Quiet, children,” said Mr. Elephant with a laugh. “That is all part of our disguise. What do you think that people might guess if they met a family named Elephant?”

  Penelope and Harold considered this. “I guess you are right about that, Daddy,” said Penelope.

  “I hope I can remember how to spell it that way.” Harold frowned.

  “I am certain that you will both remember,” said Mr. Elephant. “Now, it is almost time for our airplane to take off. Your mother has brought some books about London. There are so many interesting things we can see and do.”

  The Elephants’ airplane soon took off. Harold and Penelope watched as Elephas disappeared beneath them. Harold was very sad. “I hope we can come home and see our friends.”

  Penelope looked out the airplane window. Her favorite doll was in her arms. “Do not worry so much, Harold. Mummy and Daddy said we will come back after our holiday. Just think of the fun we will have in London.”

  Harold saw that Penelope hugged her doll tightly as she looked out the window. Maybe she was as worried about the trip as he was?

  Harold leaned back in his seat with a sigh. “I sure hope so,” he said. “I know that I will miss our home while we are gone.” He hunted about in his pockets for his favorite toy soldiers. He felt better knowing they were with him.

  Disguises

  The Elephants’ airplane landed at Heathrow Airport. Mr. Elephant gathered his family around him again.

  “Remember what I told you back in Elephas,” said Mr. Elephant. “We must always wear disguises while we are here. We must change into our costumes now. Before we go into the city.”

  Mr. Elephant wore a gray suit with a blue tie. He also wore a hat. Mrs. Elephant wore a nice dress colored a light green. She had a pretty blue scarf tied around her neck.

  Both Mr. and Mrs. Elephant put on raincoats over their clothes. They picked up umbrellas to complete their costumes.

  Harold and Penelope Elephant changed into school uniforms. Their uniforms were white shirts, blue ties, and a blue jacket.

  Harold wore blue shorts and a blue cap. Penelope wore a blue knee-length skirt. It had a pretty green and red plaid pattern.

  With their disguises, they looked like an ordinary English family.

  The Elephant family walked through the airport. Harold and Penelope walked behind their parents. They saw that the human adults did not notice there were elephants in Heathrow Airport. One man even bumped into Mr. Elephant.

  The man raised his hat. “Excuse me, sir,” he said.

  “Quite alright,” said Mr. Elephant. He tipped his own hat in return.

  “You were right about these disguises,” said Mrs. Elephant. She pressed her husband’s hand. She watched the man as he hurried away.

  “Yes,” said Mr. Elephant. “He never noticed that he was speaking to an elephant.”

  A porter collected the Elephant’s luggage. He then called a taxi for them. The entire family squeezed into it. Mr. Elephant gave the taxi driver the address of their hotel. And off sped the taxi.

  The Elephant family looked out the taxi windows. They pointed to all of the interesting sights.

  “Look, look!” called out Harold. “There’s Buckingham Palace! I want to see the Changing of the Guard there. It would be just like my toy soldiers!”

  “Look, look!” cried Penelope. “There’s Westminster Palace! I want to hear Big Ben!”

  “There is Westminster Abbey next to it,” said Mrs. Elephant. “I want to see the famous people buried there.”

  “Look over there,” said Mr. Elephant. “There is the famous London Eye. We can ride on that, and see everything in London.”

  Riding the Underground

  The Elephant family soon arrived at their hotel. They squeezed out of the taxi. The taxi driver took their suitcases out of the car boot. Mr. Elephant paid their fare and gave the driver a tip.

  The porter took their bags to the front desk. The desk clerk greeted them.

  “I have a reservation for four,” said Mr. Elephant. “The name is Elefant. E-L-E-F-A-N-T.”

  Harold and Penelope began to giggle. But Mrs. Elephant shushed them.

  “Yes, yes, Mr. Elefant,” said the desk clerk. “I have your reservation right here. Will you please fill out this form?”

  Mr. Elephant began filling out the form. The desk clerk continued to speak. “Hmmm, Elefant…Elefant… That is a very unusual name…” The entire Elephant family froze in fear. “Is it French, maybe?” asked the desk clerk.

  The Elephant family relaxed. “No,” said Mr. Elephant. He gave the form back to the desk clerk.

  “Very good, sir,” said the desk clerk. “Nigel the bellboy will show you to your room.”

  Nigel the bellboy picked up the Elephant family’s suitcases. He led them to the lift. They rode to the top floor of the hotel.

  Nigel the bellboy brought their suitcases into their room. Mr. Elephant thanked him and gave him a tip.

  Mr. Elephant again gathered his family around him. “We must be very careful to be quiet. We must only tiptoe around. Or else people might guess that there are elephants here.”

  The Elephants very carefully tiptoed to the windows and looked out.

  “Look, look!” cried Harold. “I can see the Tower Bridge and the Tower of London! I want to see where King Henry had all those people beheaded.”

  “Oh, Harold,” said Mrs. Elephant. “Please do not say such horrible things! Look, I can see St. Paul’s Cathedral. What a lovely place.”

  “Where is the Museum of Natural History, Daddy?” asked Penelope. “I want to see all the dinosaurs there.”

  “It is in the other direction,” said Mr. Elephant. It is close to Hyde Park. Do not worry, my dear. We will have time to see many interesting things here in London.”

  Mrs. Elephant looked at her watch. “It is almost ten o’clock. Let’s go see the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace. Then we can have a nice lunch.”

  The Elephants rode the lift down to the hotel lobby. They were very careful to tiptoe. So no one would realize that there were elephants staying in the hotel.

&n
bsp; As they tiptoed through the lobby, Penelope caught her foot on a rug. She tripped and bumped into Harold. The two of them tumbled to the floor in a loud crash.

  Harold had just taken his toy soldiers from his pocket. Half a dozen metal soldiers scattered loudly across the lobby floor.

  The Elephant family froze in their tracks. Everyone had to notice their noisy entrance.

  Instead, Nigel the bellboy ran over to them. He helped Harold and Penelope to their feet. And he helped Harold pick up his toy soldiers.

  “I am so sorry, Miss!” said Nigel the bellboy. “I promise that we will have that rug fixed. So you will not trip on it again.”

  In fact, only one person seemed to mind the noise. She was a gray-haired lady who was wrapped in fur coats. She led a little dog on a long leash.

  Harold and Penelope crept past her with their heads down. “Children today!” she said. Her dog barked sharply at them.

  The Elephants stood on the street outside their hotel. They all laughed loudly at what had happened.

  The doorman opened the door of a taxicab for them. But Harold spoke up. “Daddy, I want to ride on the Under-ground!” he said.

  Mr. Elephant thought for a moment. Then he said, “Yes, that will be fun.” So off they went to Temple Underground Station.

  Mr. Elephant bought Travelcards for his family. And they all went through the turnstile. Mr. Elephant got stuck in the turnstile for a minute. But the nice attendant pushed him from behind.

  The Elephant family then squeezed into the subway car. They rode the Underground to the St. James’s Park Station. Mr. Elephant got stuck in the turnstile again as they were leaving. But another nice attendant pushed him from behind.