Ellie the Elephant Learns About Empathy
By Bill Conley
America’s Favorite Children’s Storyteller
Moral
of the Story:
Empathy means seeing the world
through another person’s eyes. When we feel what others feel, our hearts grow
bigger and kinder. Kindness begins when we take time to understand, not to
judge. Every person you meet carries a story that you cannot see. Empathy
builds friendships that last longer than words. A caring heart can lift someone
who feels small and unseen. True strength is not in power but in compassion. When
we walk beside others in their struggles, we bring healing to the world.
In the golden grasslands of Savannah
Valley, where the sun painted the horizon in warm orange light, lived a gentle
young elephant named Ellie. She was cheerful and curious, with bright eyes that
sparkled like morning dew. Ellie loved spending time with her animal friends,
especially Leo the Lion Cub, Zara the Zebra, and Tiko the Tiny Tortoise.
Every day, the group met near the
watering hole to play. They splashed, laughed, and told stories. Ellie loved to
lead the games, and everyone followed her, because she was strong, fun, and
full of ideas. But sometimes, Ellie was so focused on having fun that she
forgot to notice how others were feeling.
One sunny morning, Zara the Zebra
arrived looking sad. Her black and white stripes drooped, and she barely
smiled.
“Come on, Zara!” Ellie trumpeted.
“Let’s play tag by the river!”
Zara shook her head. “I do not feel
like playing today. I lost my favorite flower crown last night in the storm.”
Ellie laughed. “It’s just a crown,
Zara. You can make another one.”
Zara looked down. “It was not just a
crown. My mother helped me make it.”
Ellie’s smile faded, but she didn’t
know what to say. “Oh… well, maybe you can make one with her again,” she said
quickly, then trotted away to start the game.
Zara stayed behind, feeling even
sadder than before.
Later that afternoon, Tiko the
Tortoise tripped over a small rock and tumbled into the mud. Everyone laughed,
and Ellie laughed too.
“Look at Tiko!” she giggled. “He
looks like a muddy coconut!”
Tiko blinked, embarrassed, his
little shell covered in brown splatters. “That hurt my leg,” he said softly.
Ellie stopped laughing. “Oh, sorry,”
she said, but she didn’t really mean it. She went back to splashing in the
river, pretending not to notice that Tiko was still sitting quietly at the
edge.
As the sun began to set, Mrs.
Elephant called her daughter home. “Ellie,” she said gently, “did you notice
that Zara and Tiko were both upset today?”
Ellie shrugged. “Maybe, but they
will be fine. Zara lost her crown, and Tiko just fell. It was no big deal.”
Mrs. Elephant looked at her kindly.
“Sometimes what feels small to us can feel very big to someone else. That is
why we must listen with our hearts as well as our ears. That is called
empathy.”
Ellie tilted her head. “Empathy?”
“Yes,” said Mrs. Elephant. “It means
trying to understand how someone else feels. You cannot see inside their heart,
but you can care enough to imagine what it might be like. That is how love
grows.”
Ellie thought about this as the
stars began to twinkle in the dark sky. “Maybe I should talk to Zara and Tiko
tomorrow,” she said softly.
Mrs. Elephant smiled. “That would be
a wonderful start.”
The next morning, Ellie found Zara
near the watering hole, still looking sad. “Good morning, Zara,” Ellie said
gently. “I thought about your flower crown last night. I am sorry I laughed. It
must have been very special if your mother helped you make it.”
Zara’s eyes brightened just a
little. “It was. She said the flowers would remind me that I am loved.”
Ellie smiled. “Let’s find new
flowers together and make another crown. I will help you this time.”
Zara’s smile grew wide. “Really? You
would do that for me?”
“Of course,” said Ellie. “That is
what friends do.”
Together they searched the field for
the prettiest blooms. Ellie used her long trunk to reach the tallest flowers
that Zara could not reach. By the time they finished, Zara’s new crown was even
more beautiful than the old one.
When Tiko arrived, his leg was still
sore from his fall. He moved slowly and carefully. Ellie felt a wave of guilt.
She remembered how she had laughed at him.
“Tiko,” she said softly, “I should
not have laughed when you fell yesterday. I hurt your feelings, and I am
sorry.”
Tiko smiled weakly. “It’s okay,
Ellie. I know you didn’t mean to.”
“But I should have cared more,”
Ellie said. “Can I help you clean your shell?”
Tiko nodded, and Ellie used her
trunk to scoop cool water over him until the mud washed away. Then she helped
him find smooth stones to sit on so his leg could rest.
By the time the sun was high, both
Zara and Tiko were laughing again. They splashed in the water, grateful for
Ellie’s kindness.
Leo the Lion Cub, who had been
watching from nearby, smiled. “You are different today, Ellie,” he said.
Ellie chuckled. “Maybe I am learning
something new.”
That evening, as the golden sun sank
below the horizon, Ellie sat beside her mother and told her everything that had
happened.
“I felt bad for how I treated my
friends,” she said. “But when I helped them, something inside me felt warm and
light.”
Mrs. Elephant smiled proudly. “That
warm feeling is empathy. When we care about others, our hearts grow stronger.”
Ellie looked at the stars and
whispered, “I think I want to live that way every day.”
From then on, Ellie became known as
the kindest elephant in Savannah Valley. Whenever an animal felt sad, lonely,
or afraid, Ellie would listen, comfort, and help. She realized that empathy was
not something you just talked about. It was something you did.
The other animals began to follow
her example, and soon Savannah Valley became a gentler and happier place. Zara
made new flower crowns for everyone. Tiko told jokes that made the others laugh
with kindness, not at anyone’s expense. And Leo learned that bravery was not
just about roaring loudly, but about standing beside a friend when they needed
support.
As for Ellie, she never forgot what
her mother taught her: that empathy is one of the greatest gifts a heart can
give.
And whenever someone asked how she
became so caring, Ellie would smile and say, “It all began the day I learned to
listen with my heart.”
Poem:
When hearts can see what eyes
cannot,
We feel the love that’s never forgotten.
To walk with friends through joy or pain,
Brings sunshine after every rain.
Kindness blooms where empathy grows,
It warms the heart and softly glows.
To understand, to care, to see,
Is the truest way to live lovingly.
Questions
for Discussion:
1.
What did Ellie learn about empathy, and how did it change her?
2.
How did Ellie show kindness to Zara
and Tiko after realizing her mistakes?
3.
How can you show empathy to someone
in your life today?
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