MR. ELEPHANT
by Carolyn Sherwin Bailey
Mr. Elephant and Mr. Frog's Fun Ride
Mr. Elephant and Mr. Frog lived in forest. They were good friends!
Mr. Elephant was very big. Mr. Frog was very small. They were good friends. They walked together every day. Mr. Elephant walked. Tramp, tramp, tramp. Mr. Frog hopped. Hop, hop, hop.
One day, Mr. Hare saw them. Mr. Fox, Mr. Tiger, Mr. Lion were there too. Mr. Hare ran to Mr. Elephant. He said, "Mr. Frog says you are his horse!" Friends said, "Oho! Mr. Elephant is his horse!"
Mr. Elephant turned to Mr. Frog. He asked, "Did you say that, friend?" Mr. Frog said, "No, I did not!" But Mr. Frog thought of a fun game.
The next day, they walked a long way. Mr. Frog felt very tired. He said, "Oh, I am so tired, Mr. Elephant!" He asked, "Can I ride on your back?"
Mr. Elephant was kind. He said, "Yes, friend!" Trunk went down. Mr. Frog climbed onto his big back. Mr. Frog sat on top. He asked, "Can I have long strings? I need them to hold on tight!" Mr. Elephant found strings. Mr. Frog took them. He held them like reins. Then Mr. Frog asked, "Can I have a small stick? I need it to wave away bugs!" Mr. Elephant gave him a stick. Mr. Frog held it like a little whip.
They walked home. Other friends saw them. Mr. Frog was on Mr. Elephant's back! He held the strings and the stick. Friends shouted, "Look! Mr. Elephant is Mr. Frog's horse!" Mr. Elephant heard them. He understood Mr. Frog's fun game. He smiled a big, kind smile. Mr. Frog jumped down. He was very happy. He laughed a little frog laugh. He was so clever!
Original Story
MR. ELEPHANT
AND MR. FROG.
---
Once upon a time, when Mr. Elephant and Mr. Frog lived together in the same wood with Mr. Fox and Mr. Tiger and Mr. Hare and Mr. Lion, the animals were all very good friends.
Mr. Elephant was very, very big, and Mr. Frog was very, very little, but every day they went walking together, Mr. Elephant going in front, tramp, tramp, tramp; and Mr. Frog going on behind, hop, hop, hop.
One night when they came home, Mr. Hare, who was a saucy little fellow, ran to meet them, and he said:
“Oho, Mr. Frog says Mr. Elephant is his horse.”
Then Mr. Fox and Mr. Tiger and Mr. Lion all followed after Mr. Hare, crying:
“Oho, oho, Mr. Elephant is Mr. Frog’s horse.”
Mr. Elephant turned around, and he said in a very gruff voice to Mr. Frog:
“Did you tell them, grandson, that I was your horse?”
And Mr. Frog said in a high, squeaky voice:
“No, no, grandfather.”
But all the time Mr. Frog was thinking of a trick to play on Mr. Elephant.
The next day, Mr. Elephant and Mr. Frog started off for a long walk. Mr. Frog had heard of a place where the swamps were deep and muddy. Mr. Elephant knew a place where the bananas grew ripe and thick. And they spent a pleasant day. On the way home Mr. Frog hopped up close to Mr. Elephant, and he said in his high, squeaky voice:
“Grandfather, I have no strength to walk. Let me get up on your back.”
“Climb up, my grandson,” said Mr. Elephant.
*And just then they came toward home.*
He put his trunk down for a ladder, and Mr. Frog climbed up. They had not gone very far when Mr. Frog hopped up close to Mr. Elephant’s ear, and he said:
“I am going to fall, grandfather. Give me some small cords from the roadside that I may bind your mouth, and hold myself upon your back.”
“I will, grandson,” said Mr. Elephant.
So Mr. Elephant stripped some small cords from a birch tree by the roadside, and handed them to Mr. Frog. Then Mr. Frog bound Mr. Elephant’s mouth, and they went on a little farther. It was not long, though, before Mr. Frog spoke again to Mr. Elephant.
“Grandfather,” he said, “find me a small, green twig that I may fan the mosquitoes from your ears.”
“I will, grandson,” said Mr. Elephant, so he broke a small, green twig from the birch tree, and reached it up to Mr. Frog; and just then they came toward home.
“See Mr. Elephant,” cried Mr. Hare.
“See Mr. Elephant,” cried Mr. Tiger.
“See Mr. Elephant,” cried Mr. Lion and all the others, “Mr. Elephant is Mr. Frog’s horse.”
Mr. Elephant turned himself about, and he saw Mr. Frog on his back, holding the reins and the whip.
“Why, so I am, grandson,” said Mr. Elephant.
Then Mr. Frog jumped down to the ground, and he laughed and he laughed until he nearly split his coat, because he had played a trick on Mr. Elephant.
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Moral of the Story
Even the smallest and weakest can outsmart the largest and strongest.
Characters
Mr. Elephant ★ protagonist
Enormous, towering grey elephant with thick, wrinkled skin, large floppy ears, and sturdy, pillar-like legs. His tusks are not explicitly mentioned but are implied by his species. He moves with a heavy, deliberate 'tramp, tramp, tramp'.
Attire: None, as he is an animal.
Wants: To live peacefully and enjoy the company of his friends, especially Mr. Frog, whom he treats as family.
Flaw: His trusting nature and affection for Mr. Frog make him susceptible to being tricked. He is slow to realize he's being manipulated.
He starts as a trusting friend and ends up being tricked into fulfilling the very role he initially denied, but he takes it with good humor, showing his forgiving nature.
Kind, trusting, gentle, somewhat naive, and patient. He is easily tricked due to his good nature and affection for Mr. Frog.
Mr. Frog ⚔ antagonist
Very, very little green frog, small enough to ride on an elephant's back. He moves with a 'hop, hop, hop'.
Attire: A coat, which he nearly splits from laughing. Implies a small, tailored garment, likely green or brown to match his natural coloring, perhaps made of a simple fabric like felt or wool.
Wants: To prove his cleverness and perhaps to gain status or amusement by outsmarting the much larger Mr. Elephant.
Flaw: His pride in his cleverness and his desire to play tricks can lead him to be disrespectful or manipulative.
Starts as a character accused of a boast and successfully executes a trick to make that boast a reality, ending triumphant and amused by his own cleverness.
Mischievous, clever, cunning, and a trickster. He enjoys playing pranks and proving himself superior through wit.
Mr. Hare ◆ supporting
A small, saucy hare, likely agile and quick. His fur would be typical brown or grey for a hare.
Attire: None, as he is an animal.
Wants: To spread news and stir up excitement or amusement among the other animals.
Flaw: His tendency to gossip and instigate can cause trouble.
Remains consistent as the messenger and instigator of the initial conflict.
Saucy, gossipy, attention-seeking, and easily amused by others' predicaments.
Mr. Fox ○ minor
A sleek, reddish-brown fox, likely with a bushy tail and keen eyes.
Attire: None, as he is an animal.
Wants: To be part of the social dynamics of the wood, to witness and comment on events.
Flaw: Not a leader, easily swayed by the actions of others like Mr. Hare.
Remains a background character, part of the chorus.
Observant, follows the crowd, enjoys a good spectacle.
Mr. Tiger ○ minor
A large, powerful tiger with distinctive black stripes on an orange coat.
Attire: None, as he is an animal.
Wants: To be part of the social dynamics of the wood, to witness and comment on events.
Flaw: Not a leader, easily swayed by the actions of others like Mr. Hare.
Remains a background character, part of the chorus.
Observant, follows the crowd, enjoys a good spectacle.
Mr. Lion ○ minor
A majestic lion with a large, impressive mane and powerful build.
Attire: None, as he is an animal.
Wants: To be part of the social dynamics of the wood, to witness and comment on events.
Flaw: Not a leader in this context, easily swayed by the actions of others like Mr. Hare.
Remains a background character, part of the chorus.
Observant, follows the crowd, enjoys a good spectacle.
Locations
The Wood
A shared forest environment where various animals live, characterized by pathways and the presence of birch trees along the roadside.
Mood: Initially friendly and communal, later becoming a stage for mischief and observation.
The general setting for the animals' lives and where Mr. Hare first spreads the rumor; also where Mr. Elephant and Mr. Frog return to after their walks.
Deep Muddy Swamps
A specific, distant location known for its deep, thick mud and swampy conditions, visited by Mr. Frog.
Mood: Mysterious and somewhat remote, a place of specific interest to Mr. Frog.
Mr. Frog visits this place, implying it's a natural habitat for him, before the trick on Mr. Elephant begins on the way home.
Banana Grove
A place where bananas grow ripe and thick, known to Mr. Elephant.
Mood: Abundant and pleasant, a source of sustenance and enjoyment.
Mr. Elephant visits this place, implying it's a natural habitat or feeding ground for him, before the trick on Mr. Elephant begins on the way home.
Story DNA
Moral
Even the smallest and weakest can outsmart the largest and strongest.
Plot Summary
Mr. Elephant and Mr. Frog are friends, but after other animals tease Mr. Elephant about being Mr. Frog's horse, Mr. Frog secretly decides to make it true. Feigning exhaustion, Mr. Frog asks Mr. Elephant for a ride. Once on his back, Mr. Frog cleverly requests cords to 'hold on' (which become reins) and a twig to 'fan mosquitoes' (which becomes a whip). As they return home, the other animals see Mr. Elephant carrying Mr. Frog, who is holding the 'reins' and 'whip', confirming the initial taunt. Mr. Elephant realizes he's been tricked, and Mr. Frog celebrates his cleverness.
Themes
Emotional Arc
innocence to mischievous triumph
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Carolyn Sherwin Bailey was an American author known for her children's stories and folk tale retellings, often drawing from various traditions.
Plot Beats (11)
- Mr. Elephant and Mr. Frog are unlikely friends who walk together daily.
- Mr. Hare and other animals tease Mr. Elephant, claiming Mr. Frog calls him his horse.
- Mr. Elephant confronts Mr. Frog, who denies the claim but secretly resolves to play a trick.
- The next day, after a long walk, Mr. Frog feigns weakness and asks Mr. Elephant for a ride.
- Mr. Elephant agrees and helps Mr. Frog climb onto his back.
- Mr. Frog asks Mr. Elephant for cords to bind his mouth, claiming he needs them to hold on.
- Mr. Elephant provides the cords, which Mr. Frog uses as reins.
- Mr. Frog then asks Mr. Elephant for a small twig to fan mosquitoes, which he uses as a whip.
- As they approach home, the other animals see Mr. Elephant with Mr. Frog on his back, holding the 'reins' and 'whip', and exclaim that Mr. Elephant is Mr. Frog's horse.
- Mr. Elephant realizes he has been tricked and acknowledges it.
- Mr. Frog jumps down, laughing at his successful prank.
