Ellie the Elephant and the Perfect Present - A Children's Story

Ellie the Elephant and the Perfect Present

By Bill Conley
America’s Favorite Children’s Storyteller

Moral to the Story

The best gifts can’t be bought—they come from the heart. True love shines brighter than gold or silver. Kindness is the most beautiful present you can give.
When you think of others before yourself, joy fills your soul. The thought behind a gift matters more than the gift itself. Love doesn’t come wrapped in paper; it comes through caring. When we give with open hearts, we make the world righter. Every act of love is a gift that never fades.

Under the bright African sun, where the acacia trees stretched tall and the grass shimmered like gold, lived a cheerful young elephant named Ellie. She had big floppy ears, a curious trunk, and a heart full of love.

The annual Savanna Celebration was only two days away, a day when every animal exchanged gifts with their loved ones. Ellie was so excited she could hardly sleep. This year, she wanted to give her parents something extra special.

“I want it to be perfect,” she said, twirling her trunk. “Something that shows how much I love them.”

Her best friends, Tara the Tortoise and Zippy the Zebra, nodded eagerly.

“You could give them something shiny,” suggested Zippy. “Everyone loves shiny things.”

“Or something useful,” said Tara wisely. “Like a new water scoop!”

Ellie thought about it. “Maybe I’ll find something that’s both shiny and useful!”

The next morning, Ellie woke up early and wandered to the riverbank. The sun sparkled on the surface of the water, and smooth stones glimmered below. “These are perfect!” she said. “I’ll collect the prettiest ones and make a gift!”

She picked up three round, shiny stones and stacked them carefully in her trunk. But as she turned to leave, she heard a faint chirp.

“Help! My nest fell!” cried a little bird, fluttering near the water.

Ellie gasped. “Oh no!” She hurried over and saw the nest lying near the river’s edge, with two tiny eggs inside. The bird flapped in distress.

Without hesitation, Ellie gently placed her stones down and used her trunk to lift the nest back into the tree. She carefully tucked it between the branches and smiled. “There! All safe again.”

The little bird chirped with joy. “Thank you, Ellie! You’re a hero!”

Ellie felt warm inside, but when she looked down, her shiny stones had rolled into the river.

She sighed softly. “Oh well,” she said, smiling. “Helping you was more important.”

The next day, Ellie tried again. This time, she decided to gather flowers from the tall meadow. She found golden sunbursts, red blossoms, and delicate purple petals. She tied them into a big, beautiful bundle with a vine. “Mama will love these!” she said proudly.

But as she started home, she noticed a group of monkeys nearby, looking sad. “What’s wrong?” asked Ellie.

“Our little one is sick,” said one monkey, holding a droopy baby. “We wanted to make her a flower bed to rest on, but we can’t reach enough blossoms.”

Ellie looked at her bouquet and then at the tiny monkey. Without a second thought, she smiled. “You can have mine.”

The monkeys cheered and wrapped the flowers around the baby gently. The little one smiled for the first time all day.

Ellie felt her heart grow warm again. “That’s even better than keeping them,” she whispered.

Now, it was the night before the celebration, and Ellie still didn’t have a gift. She sat under the stars, feeling a little sad. “I gave everything away,” she sighed.

Just then, her mother and father came to sit beside her. “What’s wrong, sweetheart?” her father asked.

“I wanted to give you both the perfect present,” said Ellie softly, “but everything I tried to make, I ended up giving to someone else.”

Her mother smiled gently and wrapped her trunk around Ellie. “Oh, my darling girl,” she said, “you already gave the greatest gift of all.”

“I did?” asked Ellie, blinking.

“Yes,” her father said proudly. “You gave kindness. You gave love. You made others happy, and that’s what truly matters.”

Ellie’s eyes sparkled. “So… that’s the perfect present?”

Her mother nodded. “It always is.”

The next morning, all the animals gathered at the watering hole for the Savanna Celebration. The lions roared cheerful greetings, the zebras danced, and the elephants trumpeted with joy.

When it was Ellie’s turn, she stepped forward shyly. “I don’t have a fancy gift,” she said, “but I do have something from my heart.”

She looked around at all the animals she had helped—the bird, the monkeys, even Tara and Zippy. They smiled and called out, “Ellie helped us! Ellie shared her love!”

The crowd began to cheer.

Her parents’ eyes filled with happy tears. “That’s our Ellie,” said her father proudly. “The elephant with the biggest heart in the savanna.”

That night, under a sky full of stars, Ellie snuggled close to her parents and whispered, “I think I finally understand what the perfect present is.”

Her mother smiled softly. “And what’s that, my love?”

Ellie smiled. “It’s love.”

Poem: The Perfect Present

A gift of love is soft and true,
It lives in hearts and shines right through.
Not bought in stores, nor wrapped in twine,
But found in hearts that choose to shine.

The hands that help, the smiles that share,
Love is found when others care.
So give your best through heart and deed,
For love’s the only gift we need.

Questions for Reflection

1.     What did Ellie learn about what makes a gift truly special?

2.     Why did helping others make Ellie feel happy, even when she gave away her presents?

3.     What’s one way you can give from your heart today?