In the dry hot desert there lived a great elephant. He lived in an oasis that was the only place of refuge for all life in the fiery heat of the desert. He was lovable and kind. No one ever had anything bad to say about this grand elephant. He was always happy and jolly. He was often seen singing and swaying to his own tunes. The other animals were always mesmerized by his grandness.

One day the grand elephant was singing through the oasis and snacking on fallen fruit. Then he heard, with his mighty ears, a cry. "This can't be the cry of an animal here. It sounds like the cry of a human." The great elephant took off running in the direction of the cries. The other animals have never seen the elephant run with such ferocity. The elephant could tell form the cries that these people needed his help.

After running for awhile the elephant came across the people producing the cries. It was a group of men who looked tired and weary. "Why are you in the middle of this desert?" exclaimed the elephant. The leader of the group gathered as much strength as he could to explain, "We have been exiled by our king for practicing our faith that was different than his."

An image of a grand elephant 

The great elephant was overwhelmed with sadness and heartbreak. For the first time in his life the elephant's eyes welled with tears. The group of people were composed of men, women, and children. There were babies and elders. They all could not make it another day without water or food. The elephant felt for these people. He came up with a plan. "There is a hill in the distance, about 100 yards from where you are. Take the strongest people in this group and go to that hill. There is a body of an elephant there that you can eat and nearby there is a stream with water. Go there and re-energize yourself. Then carry the rest of your people to the food and water. After you feel strong enough to travel again head east and you will see a small town where you can seek refuge." The people had no options so they listened to the elephant.

The elephant took off in an opposite direction so that the group would not see him. Then he turned around and went towards the hill that he told the people about. He ran up the hill with great speed. When he reached the top the elephant jumped off the hill. He fell to his death. The elephant sacrificed himself so that the group could live.

The group came to the hill and saw that it was their kind great elephant who was at the bottom of the hill. The group could not come to eat this elephant. However, one individual said that the sacrifice of the elephant can not be in vain. The group followed the direction of the great elephant. They gained some strength and headed east. They went to the town and got settled. These people never stopped telling the story of the great elephant and his ultimate sacrifice.


Author's Note-
I liked retelling children's stories. So I retold the Great Elephant and just added more detail. I kept most of the original story. The elephant was known for being happy and lived in an oasis. He was a hermit. He did make a sacrifice for the group.
I just added more detail to the story.


The Great Elephant


Twenty Jātaka tales, retold by Noor Inayat