Every now and then, a story comes along that warms our hearts! Or does it??
By James72
@James72 (26790)
Australia
March 20, 2009 4:18am CST
In 1986, Steve Fish was on holiday in Kenya after graduating from University .
On a hike through the bush, he came across a young bull elephant standing with one leg raised in the air. The elephant seemed distressed, so Peter approached it very carefully. He got down on one knee, inspected the elephants foot, and found a large piece of wood deeply embedded in it. As carefully and as gently as he could, Peter worked the wood out with his knife, after which the elephant gingerly put down its foot. The elephant turned to face the man, and with a rather curious look on its face, stared at him for several tense moments. Steve stood frozen, thinking of nothing else but being trampled. Eventually the elephant trumpeted loudly, turned, and walked away.
Steve never forgot that elephant or the events of that day.
Twenty years later, Steve was walking through the London Zoo with his teenaged son.
As they approached the elephant enclosure, one of the creatures turned and walked over to near where Steve and his son were standing. The large bull elephant stared at Steve, lifted its front foot off the ground, then put it down. The elephant did that several times then trumpeted loudly, all the while staring at the man.
Remembering the encounter in 1986, Steve could not help wondering if this was the same elephant. Steve summoned up his courage, climbed over the railing, and made his way into the enclosure. He walked right up to the elephant and stared back in wonder. The elephant trumpeted again, wrapped its trunk around one of Steve's legs
and slammed him against the railing, rendering him unconscious instantly. The elephant then sauntered away, very content with his violent act.
Probably wasn't the same elephant! 
Isn't it nice to have a story without the predictable happy ending for a change? I'm not sure what comments anyone can make here, but I wanted to share the story anyways. Maybe you can let me know if you also enjoy the occasional negative twist as well, rather than the standard endings we always seem to get with stories and movies and such.....
Isn't it nice to have a story without the predictable happy ending for a change? I'm not sure what comments anyone can make here, but I wanted to share the story anyways. Maybe you can let me know if you also enjoy the occasional negative twist as well, rather than the standard endings we always seem to get with stories and movies and such.....8 people like this
14 responses
@mtdewgurl74 (18151)
• United States
7 Apr 09
Well, it is decisive to say that it is never a good idea even if it had been the same elephant since animals do change in 20 years. It could have been beaten or treated bad since the incident where he taken the wood out. So I guess it is always best to stay on the other side of any cage. Otherwise the animal just might knock some sense into you.
1 person likes this
@mtdewgurl74 (18151)
• United States
7 Apr 09
Yep,gotta be careful of those menopausal woman..umm I mean elephants. They can be moody as all hell sometimes and can b hot and cold at the same time. Loving you one minute,yelling their heads off at you the next..
I guess it never hurts once in awhile to bang our heads.. it gets our marbles rolling again.
I guess it never hurts once in awhile to bang our heads.. it gets our marbles rolling again.1 person likes this
@James72 (26790)
• Australia
7 Apr 09
Maybe it was a menopausal elephant? 
lol. I'm not really sure if it was a male or female actually? We should definitely stay outside of the cage too. Even though I do think that there are people in this world that could probably do with a bit of sense being knocked into them!
lol. I'm not really sure if it was a male or female actually? We should definitely stay outside of the cage too. Even though I do think that there are people in this world that could probably do with a bit of sense being knocked into them! 
@makingpots (11915)
• United States
21 Mar 09
Well, now see..... with "or does it??" in the title and being that it was YOU, I almost expected this. Hmm, so I don't know what could have made this better for me. Maybe if the elephant had tossed Steve into the Panda cage? Lol
1 person likes this
@James72 (26790)
• Australia
21 Mar 09
Don't tell me that after all this hullabaloo about surprise endings, that I'VE become predictable myself! I never even considered Steve being thrown into a panda enclosure! Maybe I'm losing my grip on insanity and inanity??? Nah..... It'll NEVER happen!
I never even considered Steve being thrown into a panda enclosure! Maybe I'm losing my grip on insanity and inanity??? Nah..... It'll NEVER happen! @makingpots (11915)
• United States
21 Mar 09
;high fives Irish!
James, IMO you own insanity and inanity.... we bow to the master around here.
James, IMO you own insanity and inanity.... we bow to the master around here.1 person likes this
@alokn99 (5717)
• India
20 Mar 09
I was wondering why the story did not end in the first instance,when the elephant decided to let Peter work out the peice of wood. It could have trampled him then. Negative twists in the end normally leave a very akward and sad feeling. Then there is also a moral which comes out of it. Maybe it was the same elephant and as much as elephants are supposed to have a good memory, this one had amnesia. Maybe it wanted the peice of wood stuck in it's leg like we humans decide to pierce ourselves with earings... and was taking revenge on Peter.
All said and done James it was a surprise ending and most would have expected a nice sombre, teary eyed reunion between the elephant and Peter.
@James72 (26790)
• Australia
20 Mar 09
Dagnabbit, I forget to change one of the "Peter's" to Steve! 
lol. Maybe it WAS the same elephant, yes. He was having a bad day I suppose, or had just had an argument with his Missus..... Maybe it was the very removal of the wood in his foot that led to his capture and subsequent placement in the London Zoo? I guess we'll never know! Steve sure as heck ain't talking!
lol. Maybe it WAS the same elephant, yes. He was having a bad day I suppose, or had just had an argument with his Missus..... Maybe it was the very removal of the wood in his foot that led to his capture and subsequent placement in the London Zoo? I guess we'll never know! Steve sure as heck ain't talking! 1 person likes this
@stella1989 (2274)
• India
5 Apr 09
You know what I really like ..no love your sense of humor!!
Its witty!!
One of the reasons why I like most of your discussions in here!!
I was babbling in my mind right from the first line of your discussion.. that oh its that same old story.. I have read it like million times.
One with an elephant and one with a Lion as well, all over same story but of course not the same ending like you have here..
Did you edit the last part of it or what..?
I must say then you are really creative James!
I actually laughed when I imagined the part where the elephant wrapped its trunk around one of Steve's legs and slammed him against the railing, rendering him unconscious instantly.. ha ha ha .. funny
I would love to see that scene in a cartoon serial!!
Have you seen that show called "Scrubs" ..
I love the Dr. cox and his wife, janitor and J.D.
Dr. cox is really quick and witty.
Did you edit the last part of it or what..?
I must say then you are really creative James!
I actually laughed when I imagined the part where the elephant wrapped its trunk around one of Steve's legs and slammed him against the railing, rendering him unconscious instantly.. ha ha ha .. funny
I would love to see that scene in a cartoon serial!!
Have you seen that show called "Scrubs" ..
I love the Dr. cox and his wife, janitor and J.D.
Dr. cox is really quick and witty.
@James72 (26790)
• Australia
5 Apr 09
I have to be honest here Stella and admit that no, I didn't create this entire story on my own at all. It came about from an email I received and I changed a few things here and there to suit my purposes. I'm glad to hear that the ending was not what you expected though, because this was my intention! It can get a bit monotonous having to see and read the same old stuff over and over again, so even a negative twist can be a nice change! lol. We may end up with a few kids in tears if this became a cartoon too I think!
And yes, I do know Scrubs and it's a very funny show. Dr Cox is an absolute classic and the ongoing battle between JD and the Janitor is hilarious. Cox is not just witty, he's also unbelievably sarcastic and I love sarcasm!
I'm glad to hear that the ending was not what you expected though, because this was my intention! It can get a bit monotonous having to see and read the same old stuff over and over again, so even a negative twist can be a nice change! lol. We may end up with a few kids in tears if this became a cartoon too I think!
And yes, I do know Scrubs and it's a very funny show. Dr Cox is an absolute classic and the ongoing battle between JD and the Janitor is hilarious. Cox is not just witty, he's also unbelievably sarcastic and I love sarcasm! 1 person likes this
@stella1989 (2274)
• India
5 Apr 09
Oh yes ...
Dr.cox's sarcasm is really .. what should I say yummy!!..
It has become kind of a food for me .. I have to watch the show every morning Like a ritual..
Now I am collecting all its seasons as well.
One should have collection of such great works with themselves!!
Just to increase my knowledge I sometimes try to memories his dialogues as well....
They are too long though.. sometimes
..
They are too long though.. sometimes
1 person likes this
@p1kef1sh (45681)
•
20 Mar 09
Several years ago, whilst working as an elephant keeper at London Zoo we had a most distressing occurrence. A young man climbed into the enclosure and walked up to one of the elephants. The elephant was clearly distressed by this and retreated back into the elephant house. Using superelephant powers he managed to call his agent and discovered that the intruder was indeed the man that had been circulating a story around the world in which he claimed to have removed a piece of wood from the elephant's foot. The agent explained that he had many times tried to get royalties from the man, but to no avail. He said that perhaps the elephant might have more luck by using a more direct approach. Elephants are not known for their subtle powers of persuasion.........
1 person likes this
@James72 (26790)
• Australia
20 Mar 09
I KNEW there'd be an alternative side to all of this! As per usual there's always three sides to the story. The man's recollection, the elephants perspective; and the TRUTH. Damn elephants and their convoluted methods. They can't even JUMP! Can you believe that??? Never trust an animal that can't jump. As for the man, well he's probably sitting pretty on the money earned from selling the story for all these years and I bet he's flogged the movie rights too. It's a shame Marlon Brando's passed on as he could've played the elephant. (He did beef up in his later years!)
@James72 (26790)
• Australia
20 Mar 09
Well, when you consider what elese fleas have to do in order to survive, I guess they had to have SOME extra-special traits to compensate? It's kind of like God said "Fleas..... You spend your life sucking blood from a dog's butt, so here, I shall make you able to jump like no other!" Ain't life funny like that!
@James72 (26790)
• Australia
1 Apr 09
Smartass! Yep, I didn't proof read it properly myself either before posting it..... Maybe I should have made out that they were conjoined twins? I could have gotten away with both the names then. And aren't I lucky to have so many people concerned with my typing! lol.
Yep, I didn't proof read it properly myself either before posting it..... Maybe I should have made out that they were conjoined twins? I could have gotten away with both the names then. And aren't I lucky to have so many people concerned with my typing! lol.@James72 (26790)
• Australia
1 Apr 09
Living in a glasshouse certainly has it's drawbacks, sure. But you should see the birds smacking into it! Anyways, my writing for work has to be 100% accurate and involves a lot of proofing because of it, so I sure as heck aren't gonna be as serious about it here as well! It's all good fun to get teased about it too.
Anyways, my writing for work has to be 100% accurate and involves a lot of proofing because of it, so I sure as heck aren't gonna be as serious about it here as well! It's all good fun to get teased about it too. @savak03 (6684)
• United States
1 Apr 09
I have always ascribed to the proverb that people who live in glass houses should not throw stones. I make plenty of spelling and typo errors myself so I don't go out of my way very often to point out the errors of others unless they ask me to.
1 person likes this
@KrauseHome (36447)
• United States
4 Apr 09
Interesting story, and thanks for sharing. Just goes to show that sometimes stories do not always end as you hope with a Happy ending as well. But in reality who would climb over into an Elephant cage like this without having a Trainer or someone with them, to not spook the Elephants as well. This is really a Crazy thing to do even if you think it is safe as well.
1 person likes this
@James72 (26790)
• Australia
4 Apr 09
This guy was certainly no rocket scientist in the common sense department that's for sure! Every now and then a cpmpletely unexpected twist can make all the difference I reckon. I've always loved movies for example, that have me at the end saying to myself - "Wow, I didn't expect THAT!"
Every now and then a cpmpletely unexpected twist can make all the difference I reckon. I've always loved movies for example, that have me at the end saying to myself - "Wow, I didn't expect THAT!" 
@cyberfluf (4996)
• Netherlands
20 Mar 09
You misschievous little devil, you! 
.
But I have to admit I enjoy stories with an unpredictable ending, allthough I do feel sorry for the man in the story (whether it's a true story or not).
I remember having a Tom & Jerry cartoon book as a child in which Tom finally managed to capture the annoying little mouse and trap him in a jar. If Jerry would even think about popping out the cork a mechanism would be put to work and shoot the little guy. Pretty darn evil if you ask me, and it was a childrens book!
It does illustrate that I do enjoy uncommon endings .
.
But I have to admit I enjoy stories with an unpredictable ending, allthough I do feel sorry for the man in the story (whether it's a true story or not).
I remember having a Tom & Jerry cartoon book as a child in which Tom finally managed to capture the annoying little mouse and trap him in a jar. If Jerry would even think about popping out the cork a mechanism would be put to work and shoot the little guy. Pretty darn evil if you ask me, and it was a childrens book!
It does illustrate that I do enjoy uncommon endings .1 person likes this
@James72 (26790)
• Australia
20 Mar 09
You had a Tom and Jerry book where Tom actually CAUGHT the mouse??? I thought that was a myth! I've been waiting my whole life to see Tom actually EAT Jerry, but alas, I don't think this scenario will ever present itself. 
Give me an unpredictable ending any day of the week! I realize that certain formula's get bums on seats, but it's a nice change to be caught unawares once in a while. And no, it's not a true story. It's mostly made up. In the real account, the man escaped and then returned and shot the elephant. The elephant's foot is now used as his umbrella stand!
I've been waiting my whole life to see Tom actually EAT Jerry, but alas, I don't think this scenario will ever present itself. Give me an unpredictable ending any day of the week! I realize that certain formula's get bums on seats, but it's a nice change to be caught unawares once in a while. And no, it's not a true story. It's mostly made up. In the real account, the man escaped and then returned and shot the elephant. The elephant's foot is now used as his umbrella stand! 1 person likes this
@riyasam (16556)
• India
20 Mar 09
thats a sad ending.you might be meaning those romantic mushy movies with predictable endings!!my mother used to tell us stories when we were children.one of them was that animals have very sharp memory and then she told the folloeing story of a elephant who asked for a bananna to a tailor who was eating bananna in his shop.the tailor in jest pricked the trunk of the elephant with his needle.some years later(tailor had become very sucessful by then),the same elephant passed by,saw the tailor(remembered the previous incident),filled his trunk with muddy water and sprayed all over the place in tailors shop.(ofcourse,there are lot of fallacies in this story but as kids this was very fascinating to us)
1 person likes this
@James72 (26790)
• Australia
20 Mar 09
I've heard a similar story myself and the elephant was passing the man during a parade! lol. I say good for the elephant and they've always said they have long memories! Personally I quite like it when endings are not like what we expect them to be. You know, man spends whole life wanting to be with a woman, decades go by and they finally meet up and realize they were always meant to be together..... They start to plan their remaining years as one..... And then an out of control passenger jet falls from the sky and crushes them both! Now THAT'S an unpredictable ending and we need more of 'em!
@miamilady (4910)
• United States
2 Apr 09
Just the fact that it was YOUR post gave me a clue that it would not have the expected ending! lol So, did you make this one up or did you find it somewhere.
It does have the potential to be a true story, but I'm not sure if it is or it isn't.
A little off topic. There is a radio station down here than used to play a game where they would read unbelievable headlines and the caller would have to guess which ones were true and which once weren't. They'd read stuff from the enquirer and such. You're story reminded me of that.
It gave me a chuckle. Yeah, it's good to have an unexpected twist at the end.
1 person likes this
@James72 (26790)
• Australia
2 Apr 09
This was actually created out of sections of an email my Mother sent me a while back. I changed a few bits and pieces to make it more "panda spankerish" is all. I've seen something similar to this game you mention as it was on a TV show I once saw on cable. It wasn't just headlines, but they used song titles as well. It was very funny and in many instances, the one you LEAST expected to be the real one, ended up being it! lol. I enjoy an unexpected ending too because churning out the same old stuff over and over again gets a bit boring after a while. Take E.T for example, if the Air Force had of nuked his spaceship as he was leaving and after all those kids went to ALL that trouble to get him there, then THAT would have been totally unexpected!
I've seen something similar to this game you mention as it was on a TV show I once saw on cable. It wasn't just headlines, but they used song titles as well. It was very funny and in many instances, the one you LEAST expected to be the real one, ended up being it! lol. I enjoy an unexpected ending too because churning out the same old stuff over and over again gets a bit boring after a while. Take E.T for example, if the Air Force had of nuked his spaceship as he was leaving and after all those kids went to ALL that trouble to get him there, then THAT would have been totally unexpected! 
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
6 Apr 09
As long as I'm not the poor fool getting stomped...
@thebohemianheart (8827)
• United States
21 Mar 09
It might have been the same elephant. He could have been saying, Yeah, thanks alot, ya sumbich! If ya hadn't done whatcha did, I wouldn't have ended up in this closed in craphole! So, here's my thank you!
1 person likes this
@James72 (26790)
• Australia
21 Mar 09
This is Panda Spanking, Diddly! You can say whatever the heck ya like and it's perfectly fine! Answering or not answering a question's neither here nor there really..... You may be right about the elephant's motives here. Piece of wood comes out of foot, elephant ambles off into the jungle, gets captured, get's imprisoned..... Jeez, I'd be pissed too I reckon! lol. Damn you Steve! Why'dya do that to this poor elephant??? 
You may be right about the elephant's motives here. Piece of wood comes out of foot, elephant ambles off into the jungle, gets captured, get's imprisoned..... Jeez, I'd be pissed too I reckon! lol. Damn you Steve! Why'dya do that to this poor elephant??? @thebohemianheart (8827)
• United States
21 Mar 09
Oh, I didn't really answer the question, did I?*L*
I like stories that don't necessarily end the way one would expect. I like twisted endings.
1 person likes this
@Margarit (3676)
• Philippines
22 Mar 09
Wow, this is a very good story, i can sleep while reading it... I am having trouble of sleeping this day, and i cant sleep early that is why im back posting here. I think you should also change elephant to panda just to make more interesting like peter to steve.
I am having trouble of sleeping this day, and i cant sleep early that is why im back posting here. I think you should also change elephant to panda just to make more interesting like peter to steve. @James72 (26790)
• Australia
22 Mar 09
Ah, so ANOTHER person that's noticed my error with the Steve/Peter references! I truly AM the chosen one! I'm happy to be able to assist you with your sleeping Margarit, that's what friends are for! A panda may have been too predictable I'm afraid, so I chose to go with the elephant. You may have become too excited and not slept at all if I'd gone with the panda! See how I'm always thinking of my friends!
I'm happy to be able to assist you with your sleeping Margarit, that's what friends are for! A panda may have been too predictable I'm afraid, so I chose to go with the elephant. You may have become too excited and not slept at all if I'd gone with the panda! See how I'm always thinking of my friends! 
@abcnadz (457)
• India
2 Apr 09
this a real sad story. i should have ended with the first part. hmmm.. it expected it to be the same elephant. i also imagined things like the elephant giving peter a hug with it's trunk.. (how stupid am i !!! ) . and it is really disheartening to listen to stories that end witha twist like this. ..
have a nice day dear :)
. and it is really disheartening to listen to stories that end witha twist like this. ..
have a nice day dear :) 1 person likes this
@James72 (26790)
• Australia
2 Apr 09
Oh, so we have another recruit for the typo Police! Yeah, I messed up with my typing and used two different names..... The elephant giving a hug with his trunk is just too nice and predictable I reckon. I guess it IS kinda sad to read endings such as the hypothetical one I came up with, but life's like that! lol. You have a wonderful day yourself abcnadz and make sure you keep away from elephants.
Yeah, I messed up with my typing and used two different names..... The elephant giving a hug with his trunk is just too nice and predictable I reckon. I guess it IS kinda sad to read endings such as the hypothetical one I came up with, but life's like that! lol. You have a wonderful day yourself abcnadz and make sure you keep away from elephants. 
ooopss !!! guess i messed up with the name... itz steve .. and i said peter..
btw.. there is peter mentioned in your post ..