The Elephants Tour England Read online

  The children all dressed in their school uniforms. They rode the lift down to the hotel café.

  “And now, children,” said Mademoiselle Linnet. “We will taste the Full English Breakfast we have read about.”

  “Yay!” cried the children as their breakfasts were served.

  Harold and Penelope were both pleased to see everything on their plates. There were sausages, eggs, bacon, tomatoes, mushrooms, baked beans, and black pudding.

  “I wonder where Mummy and Daddy are,” said Penelope. She stirred milk and sugar into her tea. “Breakfast without them is not the same.”

  “You are right,” said Harold. “I wonder why they have not found us yet.” He sounded a little worried.

  After breakfast, Mademoiselle Linnet took the children back to their room. The French students packed their suitcases. Mademoiselle Linnet took Harold and Penelope aside.

  “Your parents must be having some trouble finding us,” she said. “But I have thought of a plan. We will leave a note for your parents. I will tell them exactly where we are going next.”

  “Our tour will pass through London before we return to Paris. We will drop you off there. If your parents do not catch up with us. I will tell your parents this in the note. And I will tell them not to worry,” she added.

  Harold and Penelope had been sad to not find their parents. But now they both felt cheered up.

  They could spend more time with their new friends. And they would soon find their parents.

  King Arthur’s Court

  Harold and Penelope climbed aboard the coach with the other students. Penelope sat with her new friends Marie and Thérèse-Anne.

  Harold sat with his new friends Jean-Claude and Pierre. Pierre shared sweets with Harold and Jean-Claude. Harold had to remember to call them “les bon-bons.”

  Here we are at the ruins of Glastonbury Abbey,” said Mademoiselle Linnet. “This was once the greatest church in the middle ages. Please remember to show your respect.”

  The children were all happy to see the Abbey ruins. “Wow,” said Harold. “There is the grave of King Arthur and Queen Guinevere!”

  “People say that Glastonbury was really Avalon,” said Penelope. “I wonder where Camelot is?”

  “Do you think they still have King Arthur’s round table?” asked Harold

  “Can you imagine what this looked like centuries ago?” asked Penelope.

  “Can you believe these walls have not fallen down?” said Harold.

  Marie-Claire added, “Mademoiselle Linnet says that the Holy Grail is buried nearby.”

  “Penelope is going to be an archaeologist,” said Harold. “She could find the Holy Grail.”

  “Well,” said Penelope, “I might look for it. But only if there were dinosaur bones to dig up, too.”

  They visited the Abbot’s kitchen. A man dressed as a monk told them about cooking at the abbey.

  “The monks were vegetarians. They ate very simple meals,” he said. “But the Abbot and his guests ate meat and drank wine.” He showed them models of how the food would have been cooked.

  Harold groaned and rubbed his tummy. “Why does all the food have to be pretend? I am hungry for real food!”

  Mademoiselle Linnet took everyone to a nice pub for lunch. They all ate more fish and chips for lunch.

  “I must ask my mother to cook fish and chips,” said Jean-Claude.

  Harold and Penelope were pleased that their meals were served with peas. Because (as all good students know) elephants are very fond of peas.

  The tour coach then took them to Avebury. This stone circle was so big that most of the village was inside it.

  The children were very happy they could walk around the stone circle. They could even touch the stones.

  “Wow,” said Penelope. “This stone circle is even older than Stonehenge.”

  “And it is so much bigger!” said Harold

  “I like this much better than Stonehenge,” added Penelope. She and Harold climbed on a low stone. “All I remember of Stonehenge is how my tummy hurt.”

  “I wonder if we can see Mummy and Daddy from here,” added Harold. He had begun to worry about their parents.

  “I am certain they will find us,” said Penelope. “Mademoiselle Linnet left a note with really good directions.”

  Harold and Penelope held hands as they looked at the large stones. They both hoped to see their parents soon.

  Mrs. Elephant’s Idea

  Mr. and Mrs. Elephant woke up in their hotel. They immediately thought about finding Harold and Penelope. They dressed quickly, putting on their raincoats over their clothes. With their disguises, no one would guess that they were elephants.

  Mr. and Mrs. Elephant checked out of their hotel without eating breakfast. Which shows how worried they were about Harold and Penelope. Both Mr. and Mrs. Elephant were quite fond of Full English Breakfasts.

  Mr. Elephant said, “We must hurry. We have so many hotels to check. We do not want to miss Harold and Penelope again.”

  “Wait, dear,” said Mrs. Elephant. “I have an idea. If we keep driving around, they may leave before we get there.”

  “Let’s ring the coach company,” continued Mrs. Elephant. “They can tell us where the French students are staying.”

  “That is an excellent idea, my dear!” said Mr. Elephant. “That will save us a lot of time.”

  Mrs. Elephant telephoned the coach company. She learned where the French students were staying.

  Mr. and Mrs. Elephant climbed into the Mini Cooper. They drove to the hotel and rushed inside.

  Mr. Elephant rushed up to the desk clerk. “Is there a group of French students here?” he asked.

  The desk clerk said, “Ah, yes. You must be Mr. and Mrs. Elefant. What an unusual name. Is it French?”

  “No,” said Mr. Elephant. “Are our children here?”

  “No, I am afraid that they left earlier this morning. With the French tour group,” said the desk clerk.

  “Oh, no! We are too late again!” cried Mrs. Elephant.

  “Do not worry Mrs. Elefant,” said the desk clerk. “The teacher left a note for you. She wrote down the stops the tour will make. And the addresses of all their hotels.”

  Mr. and Mrs. Elephant thanked the desk clerk. They went to the sitting room to read the note.

  “Their next stop is the ruins of Glastonbury Abbey,” said Mr. Elephant. He looked at his watch. “We must hurry. Then we can catch them before they leave.”

  “No, dear,” said Mrs. Elephant. “I have a better idea. If we go to Glastonbury, we might miss them again. Let’s go to the hotel where they will be staying tonight.”

  “An excellent idea, my dear!” said Mr. Elephant. “We will be waiting for them when they arrive.”

  “Let’s see,” said Mrs. Elephant. “They spend tonight at a hotel in Woodstock. And visit Blenheim Palace tomorrow.”

  Mr. and Mrs. Elephant squeezed back into the Mini Cooper. They drove to the village of Woodstock. They found the hotel where the French students would be staying. Then they sat down to wait in the hotel lobby.

  While they waited, Mrs. Elephant said, “This is a lovely place. We should take Harold and Penelope to visit Blenheim Palace tomorrow.”

  “The home of Winston Churchill,” said Mr. Elephant. “I have always wanted to go there.”

  “Another great diplomat, just like my wonderful husband,” said Mrs. Elephant. She leaned over and kissed his cheek.

  “Oh, I am not a great diplomat,” said Mr. Elephant. He blushed a little. But he was very proud that she felt that way.

  Bangers and Mash

  The coach parked in front of the hotel in Woodstock. Harold and Penelope were very sad that they had not found their parents yet. Harold said, “What if we never see Mummy and Daddy again? Will we have to go to school in Par
is?”

  “Don’t be silly,” said Penelope. “Mademoiselle Linnet left a note for them. She told them exactly where we will be. And she said she would drop us off in London. If Mummy and Daddy do not catch up with us.”

  “Well, that is good,” said Harold, with a sigh. “I don’t know if I can ever learn when to use le or la.”

  “Look, look!” cried Penelope. “There are Mummy and Daddy. They are waving their umbrellas at us!”

  Harold and Penelope rushed into the arms of their parents. Mr. and Mrs. Elephant hugged them both tightly.

  “Oh, Daddy, please do not be cross with us,” said Harold.

  “We got on the wrong coach by mistake,” said Penelope.

  “We were so worried you would not find us. And we would have to go live in Paris. And learn French. And Mummy, I just don’t know when to use le or la!” Harold said this all in one big breath.

  “Do not worry,” said Mr. Elephant with a laugh. “Your mother knew exactly how to find you. It just took us a little longer than we thought.”

  “Come meet our new friends, and Mademoiselle Linnet,” said Penelope. “She was very nice to us.”

  “Thank you so much, Mademoiselle Linnet,” said Mr. and Mrs. Elephant. “For taking such good care of our children. And for your excellent directions to the hotel. We do not know how else we would have found you.”

  “It was a pleasure to have them with us,” said Mademoiselle Linnet. “They have helped my students to practice their English. And Harold has told us so much about English food. We would love you to join us at dinner tonight. I have read that the café here serves delicious Bangers and Mash.”

  “We would love to have dinner with you. And meet Harold and Penelope’s new friends,” said Mr. Elephant.

  Everyone sat down for an excellent dinner of Bangers and Mash. Harold explained that he had not yet been served firecrackers. But he kept hoping that someday he would.

  The Elephants were pleased that their food was served with peas. Because (as everyone in England knows) elephants are very fond of les petits pois.

  What the Elephants Saw in England

  City of Bath

  Roman Baths

  Bath Abbey

  Pulteney Bridge

  Stonehenge Monument

  Salisbury Cathedral

  Glastonbury Abbey Ruins

  Stone Circle at Avebury

  What the Elephants Ate in England

  Fish and chips

  Shepherd’s Pie

  Cornish Pasty

  Bangers and Mash

  Tea with milk and sugar

  Bath buns

  Sally Lunn buns

  Spa water at the Pump House in the Roman Baths

  Cider

  Full English Breakfast: eggs, sausages, bacon, baked beans, tomatoes, mushrooms, and black pudding

  …and, of course, peas! Because (as everyone in England knows) elephants are very fond of peas.

  The Elephants’ Guide to British Terms:

  pocket money = allowance

  holiday = vacation

  coach = a bus that travels to different cities

  Union flag = sometimes called the Union Jack, the national flag of the United Kingdom

  sweet = candy

  lift = elevator

  chemist = pharmacy

  petrol = gasoline

  coach center = bus station

  to hire a car = to rent a car

  to ring = to call on the telephone

  The Elephants’ Guide to British Food:

  Fish and chips = fried fish and French fries

  Bath bun = small, round bun that is very sweet

  Sally Lunn bun = a type of tea cake, it can be eaten with sweet or savory toppings

  Spa Water = water from the hot springs in the Roman baths

  Shepherd’s pie = a lamb stew cooked in a piecrust with mashed potatoes on top

  Cornish pasty = beef and potatoes in a piecrust that is eaten without a fork

  Bangers and mash = sausages and mashed potatoes

  Black pudding = a sausage made with beef blood and other fillings

  The Elephants’ Guide to Speaking French:

  Bonjour = hello

  Parlez-vous français? = Do you speak French?

  non = no

  oui = yes

  Je m’appelle ____ = My name is _____

  Et vous êtes elephants = And you are elephants

  Nous ne sommes pas éléphants = We are not elephants

  aussi = also

  pourquoi? = why?

  Et c’est ma soeur = And this is my sister

  Il est très stupide = He is very stupid

  autobus = bus, coach

  Mademoiselle = Miss

  Mon dieu! = My goodness!

  immediatement = immediately

  Comment dit-on en français ice cream? = How do you say in French ice cream?

  la crème glacée = ice cream

  Bon matin, mes amis! = Good morning, my friends!

  les bon-bons = candy, sweets

  les petits pois = peas

  About the Author

  Beverly Eschberger enjoys writing books she would have liked to read as a child. These books include The Elephant Family series, and several other books soon to be published.

  Ms. Eschberger lives in New Mexico, with her husband Geoff and son Christopher, as well as two cats. When she does not have her nose buried in a book, she enjoys writing about paleontology, nature, and travel.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1: Holiday Plans

  Chapter 2: The Roman Baths

  Chapter 3: Bath Abbey

  Chapter 4: Stonehenge

  Chapter 5: Missing!

  Chapter 6: Parlez-vous français?

  Chapter 7: Salisbury Cathedral

  Chapter 8: “Do you have a convertible?”

  Chapter 9: Bristol

  Chapter 10: Mademoiselle Linnet’s Plan

  Chapter 11: King Arthur’s Court

  Chapter 12: Mrs. Elephant’s Idea

  Chapter 13: Bangers and Mash6

  What the Elephants Saw in England

  What the Elephants Ate in England

  The Elephants’ Guide to British Terms:

  The Elephants’ Guide to British Food:

  The Elephants’ Guide to Speaking French:

  About the Author