Fun Animal Stories for Children 4-8 Year Old : Adventures with Amazing Animals, Treasure Hunters, Explorers and an Old Locomotive

Tamara Fonteyn

Description

These five tales are absolutely perfect as bedtime stories, as well as stand-alone books for young children taking their first solo steps in the world of reading. From an old but very kindhearted train to flying cows, from an elegant and very ambitious elephant to some surprising cauliflowers, these tales really have it all.
Imaginative, amusing, charming and fun. This five-tale collection is perfect for children of almost any age and not a few adults, too!

Sujets

• 0-6 ans
• Belles histoires
• Belles histoires
• 6-12 ans
• Toute la fiction jeunesse
• Jeunesse Animaux
• Premières lectures
• Histoires du soir
• Animal Stories
• Fairy tale
• Bedtime Stories

Informations

• Publié par: Tom eMusic
• Date de parution: 14 septembre 2021
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781623210465
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

The Stunning Career of Hefty the Elephant


Hefty the elephant was very bored with the company of the other animals.
“I’m fed up with them,” he said bitterly, wrinkling his trunk. “All they ever think of is fun and games. Robert the ram is always bleating. All Billy the goat ever does is chew grass and play silly jokes on his friends. The hen sisters, Harriet and Hetty, do nothing but cluck, over and over and over! Speedy the hare just runs about all the time. Fearful Plucky the ostrich is always scared and spends his days hiding his head in the sand. The crayfish twins endlessly glug red wine while the Nippers, that dreadful mosquito family, are always trying to bite everyone. Even the owls are extremely irritating. Wise they may be, but so, so boring. All they do is read books and philosophise. “What is the meaning of life?” they ask, going on and on and on. “They really are insufferable!”
“You’re such a misery guts! Always complaining about everything and everyone!” replied Harriet the hen in anger.
“Well, I might be a little happier if you clucked a little less!” trumpeted Hefty. “Don’t you think that we’re all wasting our time a bit? Surely there must be more to life than this!”
“Wasting our time?” Colin the crayfish bridled at the suggestion. “But we are really enjoying ourselves over some excellent French wine. You really must try some – it’s an excellent vintage!”

“Well, all I can say is that it’s not very wise what you’re doing. You really have to change your ways. Work hard: with an honest day’s work comes a feeling of satisfaction and wellbeing; that’s what an honest animal needs. I’m sorry to have to tell you, but I’ve had enough of your company. I am heading for the big city!”
So, Hefty hit the road, heading north to the city. Once there, he set about finding a job. First he called at the bricklayer’s.
“I am looking for a job,” he began. “Perhaps I could work as your apprentice?”
“Well, on the one hand, you look like a strong fellow,” said the bricklayer approvingly, “but on the other, your trunk is just too long! Unless you were very careful, you would knock against everything. You might even knock the whole scaffolding down! That wouldn’t do at all. I’ll tell you what: you’d better look in at the bakery. I think you’d do much better there.”
Besides , thought the bricklayer, a building site is no place for a naked elephant – far too dangerous!
So Hefty called at the bakery. The baker took one look at him and laughed.
“You want to bake bread, with a nose like that? You’ve got to be joking! Suppose you blew your trunk – we’d have flour flying all about the place. I dread to think what would happen if you sneezed! No, no, and no! I really can’t take the risk. Besides, I don’t think I’ve got an apron big enough for you. You’d better look in at the shoemaker’s. I think you might prove useful there.”
Poor Hefty did as he was told and asked the shoemaker if he could help him make shoes, or at least just learn to repair them.
“Oh no!” the shoemaker said, shaking his head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea at all! Just imagine your trunk hanging down to the ground! It would always be in the way between the hammer and the heels – potentially very dangerous! I can’t have you here, howling in pain all day. Try your luck at the tailor’s. He can certainly help you,” said the shoemaker, glancing disapprovingly at the naked elephant.
But the tailor also saw Hefty’s trunk as a major obstacle.
“What? With this enormous nose of yours, you want to sew using thread and a needle?! On top of that, you can’t walk around naked like that. You’re not in the forest now! What would all the customers say? Oh no! I simply can’t have a naked elephant in the shop. You’d better go to the blacksmith’s; maybe he’ll have a job for you. But for heaven’s sake, put some clothes on!”

On his way to the blacksmith’s shop, Hefty had a very good idea.
“I know!” he called out happily. “I’ll buy some clothes and tie my trunk into a knot. That way, nobody can complain that I’m naked and my trunk is too long.”
With all the money he had, Hefty bought himself an elegant suit. It was quite a struggle to find anything large enough. But as soon as he found himself in the ‘Extra Large Double Size Very Good’ clothing emporium, he knew he was in the right place. Wearing his brand new ‘Extra Very Big XXX Large’ suit, he looked quite the dashing elephant about town. He tied his trunk in a knot and walked round to the blacksmith’s.
“I am looking for employment,” he began solemnly. “Would you have anything for me?”
“Of course, I would. In fact not only would I, as a matter of fact I do!” answered Bobby the blacksmith, eyeing the elephant from head to toe and curling up his moustache as a sign of approval.
“In fact you may start right away, with immediate effect! Come on, hurry up! Put on these overalls; we can’t have you getting that lovely suit all dirty! Take a bucket in your strong…err…hands and start cleaning the bellows and the hearth.”

Hefty did not need to be told twice. With vigour he threw himself into his task. What he lacked in experience and skill, he more than made for in enthusiasm and industry. He worked all day, until long after dusk. The following day, he appeared at the crack of dawn and worked even harder. On the third day, he worked even harder, if that is possible! His enthusiasm for work was like a raging inferno – it could not be dampened! After a week, Bobby called him into his office, curled up his moustache and patted him vigorously on the back.
“Well done, very well done!” he smiled. “I’ve never seen such a diligent worker. I’ve decided to promote you to a more responsible position. No more cleaning for you! From now on, you shall forge horseshoes and sharpen knives.”
“But what about my pay? Will it increase?”
“Will it increase?”
Bobby the blacksmith began to look shifty, and his moustache started to curl even more nervously than usual.
“Well, when I said diligent, what I meant was quite good. Actually, more like okay, middling. In truth, to be quite frank, I’d say your work is adequate.”
Hefty looked at him sadly; he was quite crestfallen. He really thought he’d been doing very well.
Bobby the blacksmith looked at him, his eyes twinkling with mirth.
“Of course, you’ll get a pay raise – you’re the best worker I’ve ever had!”
Bobby kept his word; Hefty received a handsome raise. In return, he worked harder than ever, performing more and more ambitious tasks.
“I should open a bank account to save money for a flat of my own,” said Hefty to himself.
This was a very wise decision since up until now Hefty had been living in a hostel with some iguanas, gorillas and mice. It was certainly not ideal, and while Hefty hated to admit it, the mice gave him the creeps!
Soon Hefty, through sheer hard work, managed to buy a cosy house in which to live. The only small problem was that a family of mice lived there, too. Well, he would see about that!
Now that he had a house, he needed a comfortable, but above all, very strong bed. Once he had found a suitable bed from the ‘Extra Heavy Duty Tough ’n Comfy Bed Warehouse’, he put money aside to buy a refrigerator. After the refrigerator was delivered, he bought a washing machine, followed by a dishwasher. As a special treat, he purchased some luxury furniture, which included a purple velvet sofa.
“So soft and so pleasing to the eye,” he whispered with satisfaction every time he entered his new house.

He would often sit on the floor and gaze at the sofa lovingly, not daring to even sit on it.
But despite all these wonderful things, something was missing in his life.
“Of course!” he slapped the table with his trunk. “All I need now is a car! I’ll save up to buy one!”
So, he saved up enough money and found himself in the ‘Super Ace Extra Wide Auto Centre’. So now in front of his house stood a gleaming red pickup truck; of course, it had a specially reinforced steel floor! But he still felt that something was missing.
Hmm… he mused. Do I have everything I need? What is still missing? Of course! I’m all alone. I need someone to share life’s ups and downs with me.
Hefty wasted no time and soon found himself some new friends. In fact they were doing even better than him. Flappy was a television announcer with JTN (Jumbo Television Network), Doctor Dull was a scientist and Professor Erudite, a professor at the university. Hefty was greatly impressed by the social status of all three. This was exactly the type of world he wanted to become a part of – he could see himself discussing lofty subjects over canapés and white wine at exclusive cocktail parties. These new friends certainly had a strong influence on Hefty.
“Give up this job with the blacksmith,” advised Flappy. “It really won’t do your career prospects any good at all.”
“So what should I do?” asked Hefty. “What trade should I try my hand at?”
“Listen, Hefty,” said Professor Erudite, “you are as strong as an ox, as courageous as…someone very courageous. You’re an all-round good fellow. If I were you, I’d join the army. You might even become a general, and I’m sure the army would love to have you.”
“Hefty, we all have a wife and kids,” Doctor Dull droned in a patronizing tone. “But look at yourself: you’re a bachelor. It’s a wife and kids you need, my friend – a wife and kids! I’ll tell you what: I’ll introduce you to my niece, Dottie. Take her out, go on a date, you never know!”

In no time at all, Hefty became a respected and trusted pillar of the community. He enlisted in the army and soon began to scale the heights of promotion and rank. From private he was promoted to corporal and from corporal to lieutenant. Before you could say ‘elephant in a smart green uniform’, he was a colonel! Having risen to such dizzying heights in his professional life, he decided to get married. He offered Dottie his trunk in marriage and she accepted. Very soon, they had a fine young baby elephant named Barth