The Elephant's Child by Rudyard Kipling

A very curious young elephant, always asking questions the elders find impertinent, wanders off to the great grey-green, greasy Limpopo River where a crocodile grabs his nose; after a fierce tug the nose is stretched into a long, flexible trunk that he learns to use for drinking, uprooting trees, and play, returning home wiser and proud of his new appendage.

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