The Saggy Baggy Elephant
This isn’t just any copy of The Saggy Baggy Elephant…
This is my childhood copy of The Saggy Baggy Elephant, procured not all that long ago from the few items that remain in my great aunt’s house.
If you haven’t read The Saggy Baggy Elephant, this is your spoiler alert. I’m about to give away the entire plot, so if you don’t want to know how it comes out, you best avert your eyes.
So, what happens is this – the little elephant goes about the jungle, getting made fun of by the other animals because of his funny nose, his big ears and his saggy, baggy skin. Being a sensitive little elephant, this gets him all down in the dumps and he starts thinking that he really is an ugly little thing and runs to hide in a dark cave where no one has to look at him. Then a lion comes and plans to eat him up, but a herd of elephants rush to the rescue and the baggy little elephant thinks they all look beautiful and powerful and realizes that he looks like them. And, at that, he dances.
I’ve always thought that this was a wonderful story with a great moral. Don’t let the haters get you down, because when you find where you fit in you’ll realize that you are perfect just the way you are.
Of course, it also teaches the moral that if you’re an elephant you only look good to other elephants, but I don’t think that was the author’s intent.
Funny, that exact Golden Book (well, not that exact copy, of course) was in the short pile of books my daughter picked out last night at bedtime. She said I could choose which one I wanted to read to her, and Saggy Baggy was actually my choice. But when this kid says she wants you to pick for her, she actually means she wants you to pick the one she already has in mind, which in this case was The Three Little Pigs. Sorry, Saggy Baggy. Maybe tonight. 🙂
I should have known that your girls would have exceptional taste 😉 So cool how the classics survive generations.