Adventure Book:
Effie Longnostril |
|
Effie Longnostril lay on the floor, flat as a pancake. The other critters had all been stuffed with poly-fil® and were rolling about getting used to the feel of being real.
So Lily picked Effie up and began to stuff her with her stuffing tool. First she used small pieces of stuffing in the out-of-the-way places, like her trunk and the
bottoms of her feet, and then bigger pieces for her larger middle parts, until she was round and “elephant-like.”
Then she closed her up.
|
“Imagine,” said Lily to her Uncle Dave, “imagine a real elephant, in a real jungle, who wanted to be a dancer, just like me.”
“And imagine,” said Lily, “that a very important reporter came with her camera, just like mine, to take pictures.”
“Now that would take a very big
imagination,” smiled Uncle Dave
“Just like mine,” grinned Lily.
And Uncle Dave grinned too, because
he knew it was true.
|
|
|
Lily slung her camera over her shoulder and walked out into the jungle which looked a bit like her own backyard. Effie followed.
"Now," she said, "we're going to have a talent show!"
"And I shall dance," said Effie. "I shall dance Elephant Lake. What will you do Sam?"
Sam the zebra thought a moment.
|
|
““In my fabulous striped shirt, I shall juggle mangos, a most exotic fruit,” said Sam. “I shall dazzle you with my agility.”
Lily smiled because she knew that when you are agile you are fast on your feet and that you feel clever when you know big words.
|
“I shall walk on stilts, dressed as a leafie tree,” whispered Winifred the Giraffe. She was soft-spoken.
“You already walk on stilts and when you walk through trees you look just like them,” protested the other animals.
“Well... ” whispered Winifred, “a performer should stick to what they do best.”
“HUMPH,” said her friends because they were not convinced.
|
|
|
“And what will you do?” Effie asked Daniel.
“I shall roar and then, when the
audience is really frightened, I shall eat one of them for an encore.”
“How dreadful!” said Effie. “No one will come if you try to eat a member of the audience. I will pretend you are an easy chair and I will sit on you, so you must behave.”
Daniel sniffed but he was silent, because he didn't like the idea of being Effie’s easy chair at all.
|
All day long the animals practiced their acts, breaking only for lunch and afternoon cookies and milk.
Lily photographed each of them in rehearsal. Sam juggled and as a consequence a lot of mangos lay squashed on the ground. Winifred walked on stilts among the trees very gracefully, but she did that all the time so no one was impressed. And Daniel roared, keeping everyone a little on edge.
As for Effie Longnostril, she practiced most of all.
|
|
|
First she sewed herself a tutu. Effie loved to sew.
Then she put her slippers on her back feet and did a pirouette.
Snap went Lily’s camera. “What grace,
what charm,” said Lily.
|
Effie took first, then second, then third position. “Delightful,” said Lily and she took another picture.
Snap!!
|
|
|
Then for her finale in Elephant Lake— she sprayed water into the air, creating a lovely fountain.
Snap, snap, snap went Lily with her
camera.
Won’t the readers be amazed? Won’t the editors be pleased? A great camera person gets her story. It will be in all the papers!
|
It will surprise no one when I tell you that on the evening of the talent show the audience liked Effie Longnostril’s performance best.
Uncle Dave and Mother served refreshments to guests and performers alike and all Lily’s photographs covered the refrigerator, which was as good as a newspaper any day.
|
|
| Written and illustrated by elinor peace bailey |
