Read Online Tua and the Elephant by R. P. Harris - Free Book Online
Authors: R. P. Harris
Tags: Ages 8 & Up
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and offering them refuge. “And, if it isn’t asking too much,” she added, “please help us find a place where Pohn-Pohn can be safe.” Then she bowed three more times and withdrew from the temple.
Pohn-Pohn and the boy monks were across the courtyard and standing in front of a life-size statue of an ancient monk meditating on a platform. As Tua drew near, the statue opened its eyes andclapped its hands, sending the boys back to their chores, studies, and devotions.
Tua stopped in her tracks and bowed a wai to the head monk of the temple.
“Welcome,” he said, after Tua had sat herself cross-legged on the ground in front of Pohn-Pohn.
“
Khawp khun kha,
” she thanked him.
“Tell me, why have you come?”
Tua began telling their story, from the moment she and Pohn-Pohn met at the fountain until they arrived outside the
wat.
Pohn-Pohn’s trunk stayed draped over her shoulder the entire time.
The monk listened patiently, scarcely moving a muscle. When Tua came to the end, he blinked his eyes three times.
“What is it you wish to do?”
“Find Pohn-Pohn a home where she’ll be safe.”
The monk nodded. “And do you know of such a place?”
Tua thought a moment, then looked up at Pohn-Pohn for help. Pohn-Pohn flapped her ears.
“No,” she said, turning back to the monk. “We don’t know of a place.”
The monk smiled down at this devoted pair. “There is a sanctuary in the forest not far from here,” he said at last. “It is run by a woman called Mae Noi, the little mother. They have elephants there, I am told. It is a place for the sick, injured, abandoned, and abused.”
Tua bolted upright. “How do we get there?”
“If it is your wish, I will arrange to have a truck take you there tomorrow morning.”
Tua looked up into Pohn-Pohn’s eyes and hugged her trunk.
“Yes, please,” she answered for them both.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Outside the Walls
Meanwhile, a ten-wheeled truck skidded to a halt outside the
wat
walls, sputtered, shivered, and groaned. The driver cut the engine, hopped out of the cab, and waved to a waitress at the outdoor restaurant across the street.
“What’s going on at the temple?” a customer asked the waitress.
“They’ve got an elephant over there,” she blurted, as if revealing a secret.
“You don’t say. Did you hear that, Nang? They’ve got an elephant at the temple.”
“That’s nice.” Nang belched. “Can I get another beer?”
Once evening fell, two bent shapes stepped out of the shadows under the cover of night and crept along until they stood in front of the ten-wheeled truck. While one held open the hood, the other climbed on the bumper, peered inside at the engine, and began tugging at a hose.
An old dog crawled out from under the truck and sniffed at the legs on the ground.
“Go away. Shoo,” Nang whispered.
The dog raised its mangy head and smiled.
Where had Nang seen that face before? As he bent over for a better look, the dog took hold of his pant leg and began to tug and pull.
“Be still, Nang.” Nak pulled his head out from under the hood. “And stop that growling, or you’ll wake the driver.”
The old dog stopped growling on command, released the pant leg, yawned, lifted his leg, and took aim.
“Oh no,” Nang said. “Don’t …”
“Got it.” Nak yanked the hose free. Then he slipped it loosely back in place and declared: “That should come off nicely.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Leaving the
Wat
In the early morning calm, before the roosters crowed and the monks went out on their alms rounds, the ten-wheeled truck pulled into the courtyard with its headlights and taillights blazing. Tua yawned, rolled out of the hammock at Pohn-Pohn’s feet, rubbed her sleepy eyes, and pulled a sarong around her shoulders against the chill.
“Look, Pohn-Pohn. That’s the truck that’s going to take us to the sanctuary.”
Pohn-Pohn was looking at the truck. And she didn’t like what she saw. The bed of the truck,
Pohn-Pohn and the boy monks were across the courtyard and standing in front of a life-size statue of an ancient monk meditating on a platform. As Tua drew near, the statue opened its eyes andclapped its hands, sending the boys back to their chores, studies, and devotions.
Tua stopped in her tracks and bowed a wai to the head monk of the temple.
“Welcome,” he said, after Tua had sat herself cross-legged on the ground in front of Pohn-Pohn.
“
Khawp khun kha,
” she thanked him.
“Tell me, why have you come?”
Tua began telling their story, from the moment she and Pohn-Pohn met at the fountain until they arrived outside the
wat.
Pohn-Pohn’s trunk stayed draped over her shoulder the entire time.
The monk listened patiently, scarcely moving a muscle. When Tua came to the end, he blinked his eyes three times.
“What is it you wish to do?”
“Find Pohn-Pohn a home where she’ll be safe.”
The monk nodded. “And do you know of such a place?”
Tua thought a moment, then looked up at Pohn-Pohn for help. Pohn-Pohn flapped her ears.
“No,” she said, turning back to the monk. “We don’t know of a place.”
The monk smiled down at this devoted pair. “There is a sanctuary in the forest not far from here,” he said at last. “It is run by a woman called Mae Noi, the little mother. They have elephants there, I am told. It is a place for the sick, injured, abandoned, and abused.”
Tua bolted upright. “How do we get there?”
“If it is your wish, I will arrange to have a truck take you there tomorrow morning.”
Tua looked up into Pohn-Pohn’s eyes and hugged her trunk.
“Yes, please,” she answered for them both.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Outside the Walls
Meanwhile, a ten-wheeled truck skidded to a halt outside the
wat
walls, sputtered, shivered, and groaned. The driver cut the engine, hopped out of the cab, and waved to a waitress at the outdoor restaurant across the street.
“What’s going on at the temple?” a customer asked the waitress.
“They’ve got an elephant over there,” she blurted, as if revealing a secret.
“You don’t say. Did you hear that, Nang? They’ve got an elephant at the temple.”
“That’s nice.” Nang belched. “Can I get another beer?”
Once evening fell, two bent shapes stepped out of the shadows under the cover of night and crept along until they stood in front of the ten-wheeled truck. While one held open the hood, the other climbed on the bumper, peered inside at the engine, and began tugging at a hose.
An old dog crawled out from under the truck and sniffed at the legs on the ground.
“Go away. Shoo,” Nang whispered.
The dog raised its mangy head and smiled.
Where had Nang seen that face before? As he bent over for a better look, the dog took hold of his pant leg and began to tug and pull.
“Be still, Nang.” Nak pulled his head out from under the hood. “And stop that growling, or you’ll wake the driver.”
The old dog stopped growling on command, released the pant leg, yawned, lifted his leg, and took aim.
“Oh no,” Nang said. “Don’t …”
“Got it.” Nak yanked the hose free. Then he slipped it loosely back in place and declared: “That should come off nicely.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Leaving the
Wat
In the early morning calm, before the roosters crowed and the monks went out on their alms rounds, the ten-wheeled truck pulled into the courtyard with its headlights and taillights blazing. Tua yawned, rolled out of the hammock at Pohn-Pohn’s feet, rubbed her sleepy eyes, and pulled a sarong around her shoulders against the chill.
“Look, Pohn-Pohn. That’s the truck that’s going to take us to the sanctuary.”
Pohn-Pohn was looking at the truck. And she didn’t like what she saw. The bed of the truck,
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