An Elephant Family Adventure:
The Elephants Tour England
By
Beverly Eschberger
ISBN13: 978-1-932926-16-3
Copyright © 2009 by Beverly Eschberger.
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Kinkajou Press
9 Mockingbird Hill Rd
Tijeras, New Mexico 87059
[email protected]
www.kinkajoupress.com
An Elephant Family Adventure:
The Elephants Tour England
By
Beverly Eschberger
Illustrated By
Jim Gower
Kinkajou Press
Albuquerque, New Mexico
www.kinkajoupress.com
To my husband Geoff, who has always supported me in everything that I have wanted to do.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Holiday Plans
Chapter 2: The Roman Baths
Chapter 3: Bath Abbey
Chapter 4: Stonehenge
Chapter 5: Missing!
Chapter 6: Parlez-vous français?
Chapter 7: Salisbury Cathedral
Chapter 8: “Do you have a convertible?”
Chapter 9: Bristol
Chapter 10: Mademoiselle Linnet’s Plan
Chapter 11: King Arthur’s Court
Chapter 12: Mrs. Elephant’s Idea
Chapter 13: Bangers and Mash
What the Elephants Saw in England
What the Elephants Ate in England
The Elephants’ Guide to British Terms
The Elephants’ Guide to British Food
The Elephants’ Guide to Speaking French
About the Author
Holiday Plans
Once upon a time, a family of elephants lived in London. They had just moved to London from Elephas. Which is a small country in Africa.
Mr. Elephant had been named as an Ambassador to England. Mrs. Elephant helped her husband to be the Ambassador. She was also an artist who loved to paint and make statues.
Mr. and Mrs. Elephant had two children named Harold and Penelope. Harold and Penelope were twins and were ten years old. They went to school in London, where they had many friends.
Penelope was the smartest student in their class. She planned to be a paleontologist when she grew up.
Penelope loved to read books about dinosaurs and other extinct animals. But she did not just like books about dinosaurs. She loved to read any book about any subject.
Harold was not as good a student as Penelope. He liked to spend his time playing games with his friends. His favorite games were those he made up with his toy soldiers.
Harold had a large collection of toy soldiers. He was always careful to save his pocket money. Then he could add new soldiers to his collection.
Harold wanted to be an astronaut when he grew up. Harold and Penelope’s teacher was named Miss Wren. She often reminded Harold, “Now, Harold. You must study harder if you want to travel into space. You will need better grades in math and science.”
Before they had moved to London, Mr. Elephant gathered his family together. He warned them, “In Elephas, it is not unusual to see elephants. But elephants are not very common in London”
“People might become afraid if they see an elephant in London. So we must always wear disguises while we are there,” he added.
Mr. and Mrs. Elephant wore raincoats and carried umbrellas. Harold and Penelope wore school uniforms. When they wore their costumes, they looked like an ordinary English family.
The Elephant family had lived in London for a short time. Mr. and Mrs. Elephant wanted to take a short holiday.
Mrs. Elephant telephoned a travel agency. She booked four tickets on a three-day trip. They would see famous sites in southern England.
Early Friday morning, the Elephants left the Elephas Embassy. They squeezed into a taxicab that took them to Victoria Coach Station.
Mrs. Elephant led her family to their tour coach. She said to the coach driver, “I have tickets for four. The name is Elefant. E-L-E-F-A-N-T.”
When Harold and Penelope had first heard this spelling, they were confused. Penelope had asked her father, “Daddy,” she had said. “Why did you spell our name Elefant with an F? Instead of with a PH?”
Her father had replied, “This is part of our disguise. What would people guess if they met a family named Elephant?”
Now, Harold and Penelope found it funny when their parents used this false spelling. It kept people from becoming suspicious that there were elephants around. They began to giggle, but Mrs. Elephant shushed them.
“Good morning, Mrs. Elefant. My name is Colin,” said the coach driver. He looked at his clipboard. “I have your family listed right here. Hmmm, Elefant… Elefant… That is an unusual name…Is it French?” asked Colin.
“No,” said Mrs. Elephant. She and her family squeezed into the coach. They were very careful to tiptoe. The Elephants took seats in the back of the coach. They wore their disguises. None of the other passengers realized there were elephants on the coach.
The Roman Baths
The tour coach set off for the city of Bath. A tall lady who wore her hair in a bun stood up.
“My name is Miss Abigail,” she said. “And I will be your tour guide during this trip. You can always find me by looking for my flag.”
She held up a small Union Flag. She began to tell them the history of the city of Bath.
“The city of Bath was founded almost 3000 years ago. It was built around five natural hot springs,” began Miss Abigail. “The area was a holy site for the Celtic people. They worshipped a goddess named Sulis.”
Harold and Penelope were both sleepy from waking up early. They both fell asleep during the drive. Mr. and Mrs. Elephant listened carefully to Miss Abigail’s stories about Bath.
Colin parked the coach at the Roman Baths. Mrs. Elephant woke up Harold and Penelope. They went into the Baths and out onto the terrace. They could see Bath Abbey close by.
There were statues on the terrace above the large bath. When Harold and Penelope saw the statues, they cried out in joy.
“Look, look, at his sword and helmet,” cried Harold.
“Look at her funny hair!” laughed Penelope.
“Look at the water,” Harold pointed. “It’s green! What is wrong with it?”
“It’s from the natural minerals in the water,” said Miss Abigail. “Different minerals give it different colors.”
“Well, it is still pretty weird,” said Harold.
Mr. Elephant was interested in the history of the baths. Mrs. Elephant was interested in the statues and wall carvings.
“I have so many ideas for artwork. I can hardly wait to work on them,” said Mrs. Elephant.
Miss Abigail held up her Union Flag so everyone could find h
er. She led them around the Baths and told them about the Romans.
Harold and Penelope enjoyed listening to Miss Abigail. And seeing the ancient things that had been discovered.
There was a model that Harold really liked. It showed what the Baths would have looked like during Roman times. Harold decided to build a model when he returned to London. It would be great for his toy soldiers.
Harold asked Penelope, “Are you certain you want to become a paleontologist? Maybe it would be more fun to be an archaeologist. Then you could study all these ancient artifacts. Instead of some dusty old bones. And you can build models, too!”
Penelope replied, “Maybe I can be both. I could be a paleontologist and an archaeologist. Then I could study mummies and other neat things. As well as dinosaurs.”
One of the rooms was called a caldarium. Miss Abigail explained that the Romans kept fires burning under the stone floors. This made the room very hot for people who were taking baths.
“How interesting!” said Mrs. Elephant. “How clever of the Romans to think of that idea!”
“Hmmmph,” said Mr. Elephant. “I am certain elephants thought of that well before the Romans. Elephants have always been much smarter than humans.”
After they toured the baths, the Elephants visited the Gift Shop. There were Roman bath salts, oil, and soap that smelled like lavender. Mrs. Elephant bought some for herself and Penelope.
Harold used his pocket money to buy Roman toy soldiers. They would be fun to add to his collection.
It was time for a traditional English lunch. The tour group went to a local pub. Everyone ordered fish and chips. And cups of tea with milk and sugar.
The Elephants were very pleased that their meals were served with peas. Because (as you may have heard before) elephants are very fond of peas.
Bath Abbey
After their lunch, the tour group walked to Bath Abbey. They walked around the church looking at the stone carvings and stained glass. Miss Abigail talked about the history of the Abbey.
There were wooden carvings on the choir pews. Harold pointed at a carving. “Miss Abigail,” he said, “That looks like a dragon.”
“You are right, Harold,” said Miss Abigail. “We will see lots of carvings on church choir pews. We will see dragons, griffins, dogs, and other animals.”
“Wow,” said Harold. “I can hardly wait to see more dragons!”
Penelope was excited to see ruins of an ancient church. It was a thousand years old! Bath Abbey had been built on top of it.
After they visited the Abbey, it was time for tea. Miss Abigail took them to the Pump House in the Baths.
Everyone ordered Bath Buns and Sally Lunn buns. And cups of tea with milk and sugar.
The waiter offered everyone a drink called Spa Water. It was water that came from the spring in the Baths.
He told them, “The Victorians liked to drink it. They thought it was good for their health.”
Mr. and Mrs. Elephant and Harold all tasted the Spa Water. But Penelope refused to drink any.
“It smells funny, Daddy,” said Penelope. She wrinkled her trunk.
Then Miss Abigail led them through the city of Bath. She held her Union Flag high.
“During the 18th century, Bath became well known,” said Miss Abigail. “People who lived in London liked to spend their holidays here. We will see some famous places that were built at this time.”
They visited a market. Mrs. Elephant bought a bag of black currant tea. She planned to serve it at the Elephas Embassy.
Harold and Penelope bought some sweets for themselves. And to share with their friends back at school.
Miss Abigail led them through the Parade Gardens and across Pulteney Bridge. There were shops along the bridge. Harold and Penelope bought some old maps in one shop.
“I want to hang this map in my bedroom,” said Harold. He held up an old map of England. “Now I will know where famous battles were fought.”
They saw many beautiful old buildings in Bath. After all the walking, everyone was very hungry. Miss Abigail took them to a nice pub for dinner.
Mr. Elephant ordered fish and chips. Mrs. Elephant ordered Shepherd’s Pie. Penelope ordered Cornish pasty.
And Harold ordered Bangers and Mash. (He knew that they were not really firecrackers. But he kept hoping that maybe, someday…)
The Elephants were pleased that their meals were served with peas. Because (as it is well known) elephants are very fond of peas.
Mrs. Elephant, Harold, and Penelope drank tea with milk and sugar. Mr. Elephant drank a glass of cider. It made him feel a little sleepy.
Luckily, they were staying in a hotel next to the pub. So they did not have too far to walk.
The Elephants rode the lift to their room on the top floor. Mr. Elephant said, “Remember we are on the top floor. So we must be very careful to always tiptoe. Otherwise, people might guess elephants are in the hotel.”
The Elephants each took a bath. They changed into their pajamas, and brushed their teeth. Mr. and Mrs. Elephant tucked Harold and Penelope into their beds. And kissed them both goodnight.
The Elephants all went to sleep.Mr. Elephant dreamed about elephants building the Roman Baths. Mrs. Elephant dreamed about making Roman sculptures.
Penelope dreamed about finding dinosaur skeletons in Roman ruins. This pleased Penelope. She was able to enjoy both paleontology and archaeology at the same time.
Harold dreamed that he was a Roman soldier. He was in the ancient city of Bath. He got to wear armor and a helmet. And carry a spear and sword. This made Harold very happy.
Stonehenge
The next morning, Mrs. Elephant woke up Harold and Penelope. “It is time to get dressed in your school uniforms. We are visiting Stonehenge today.
“Mummy,” said Penelope. “I don’t feel very good. My tummy hurts.”
“Oh, my poor baby,” said Mrs. Elephant. She remembered the sweets that Harold and Penelope had bought. “Did you eat too many sweets last night before bed?”
“I only ate a few,” said Penelope. She knew she had eaten more candy than she should have.
“Well, get dressed,” said Mrs. Elephant. She patted Penelope’s head. “We will go downstairs to the hotel café for breakfast. Maybe you will feel better after some tea and toast.
So Penelope drank a cup of tea. The rest of the Elephant family ordered Full English Breakfasts. The Elephants were very fond of Full English Breakfasts.
They were very happy to see everything on their plates. There were eggs, sausages, bacon, baked beans, tomatoes, mushrooms, and black pudding.
The Elephants squeezed into the tour coach with the rest of the group. Harold and Penelope took a nap as the coach drove to Salisbury Plain.
Miss Abigail told stories about what they would see at Stonehenge. And in the city of Salisbury.
The tour coach parked at Stonehenge. Mrs. Elephant woke up Harold and Penelope. “It is time to wake up, children. Do you feel better now, Penelope?”
Penelope sat up and rubbed her eyes. “Mummy, my tummy still hurts,” said Penelope.
Harold sat up and rubbed his eyes, too. “My tummy hurts, too, Mummy,” said Harold.
“Oh, my poor babies,” said Mrs. Elephant. “You two must have caught something at school.”
“They have been cooped up in this coach too long,” said Mr. Elephant. “Maybe a walk in the fresh air will make them feel better.”
“Perhaps it will,” said Mrs. Elephant. She was still very worried about her children’s health.
The Elephants got off the coach with Miss Abigail and the others. They walked through the tunnel to the Stonehenge monument.
Mrs. Elephant clapped her hands. “Oh, it is so beautiful!” she cried out. “I am so glad that I have my sketchbook!”
“Hmmph,” said Mr. Elephant. “It is not
as big as I expected.”
Miss Abigail told them about the history of Stonehenge. “First there was a wood circle here. The stone circle was built between 2500 and 1100 B.C.E. That is over 3,000 years ago! Parts of it are even older than the Egyptian Pyramids.”
“Some of the stones came from as far away as Wales! This was over 250 miles away. This tells us how important it was to the people who built it.”
“Now, if you will all follow me,” continued Miss Abigail. “We will walk around the monument.” She held her Union Flag high and waved it.
Mrs. Elephant looked at her children. Harold and Penelope were walking slowly and rubbing their tummies. “My poor babies,” said Mrs. Elephant. “Do you both still feel sick?”
Harold and Penelope both nodded.
“Why don’t you lie down in the coach?” asked Mrs. Elephant. She felt their foreheads for a fever.
“When the tour is finished, we will ask the driver to stop. Then we can buy some tummy medicine,” said Mrs. Elephant.
“Okay,” said Harold and Penelope quietly. They both walked slowly back to the parking lot. And climbed the steps of the empty tour coach. They went to the back of the bus. They lay down, and quickly fell asleep again.
Missing!
Mr. and Mrs. Elephant walked back to the parking lot. They carried the gifts they had bought at the gift shop. They talked about the things they had learned during their tour.
“I am certain it was built by elephants,” said Mr. Elephant. “Only elephants could have been strong enough to move those heavy stones.”
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