Cover
The Elephant Family’s Exciting Trip
Image description: Cover of The Elephant Family’s Exciting Trip
Page 2
A baby elephant who lives in the city has a big body and can draw water up the trunk and spray it out. Soft, soft grass is the favorite. Today is a very special day.
Image description: A baby elephant walking a Gangnam-daero crosswalk
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“Family trip!” Dad said. Mom packed kimbap; Baby Elephant shouldered a bag. The train went chug-chug, and the scenery outside raced by.
Image description: The elephant family by a train window
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At the meadow the whole world was green. Baby Elephant munched grass and tumbled-tumbled. “Trips are the best!”
Image description: Baby Elephant rolling in a green meadow
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But at midday the sun blazed, so so hot. Sweat beaded on Dad’s brow; Mom fanned herself wearily. “Hot, so hot….” Everyone wilted.
Image description: The elephant family wilted under fierce sun
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They moved to tree shade. But the shade was still steamy-hot. No matter how hard they fanned, only hot wind came out.
Image description: The family huddled in thin shade, still fanning and sweating
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“Let’s go to the ice-cream shop!” But the shop was ten hills away. Baby Elephant’s legs went wobbly-wobbly. “Too far….” Everyone sighed.
Image description: The family sighing at a tiny shop far beyond many hills
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Baby Elephant thought hard. ‘What am I good at? A big body, and… a water-spraying trunk!’
Image description: Baby Elephant thinking, then lighting up with an idea
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There — a sparkling stream! Baby Elephant dadada ran to the bank and plunged the trunk deep. Gurgle-gurgle, a trunkful of water.
Image description: Baby Elephant drawing water with the trunk in a stream
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“Pwoo~!” But wait — mud water from the trunk! Shallow mud had been sucked up too. Mud drops dotted every face. “Hahaha!” Still, laughter burst out.
Image description: The family laughing, speckled with mud from a muddy spray
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“It’s okay — one more time!” Baby Elephant found a deep clear pool and dipped the trunk deeper, more carefully. This time, a trunkful of clear water!
Image description: Baby Elephant with trunk deep in a clear pool; the family cheering
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Then toward the sky — pwoo~! Water shot up like a fountain. Droplets sparkled and fell as cool rain.
Image description: Baby Elephant spraying water high into the sky
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“Wow, so cool!” Mom and Dad smiled wide. A rainbow rose through the droplets. Splash-splash went the whole family; the heat melted away.
Image description: The family playing under the spray with a little rainbow
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A passing sparrow and a heat-weary puppy gathered too. “Cool me off too!” Pwoo~ pwoo~ Baby Elephant’s fountain became everyone’s fountain.
Image description: A sparrow and puppy joining under the water spray
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Cool again, the family set off happily once more. They climbed hills, saw the sea, and ate lunch under the sunset.
Image description: The elephant family on a hill at sunset
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On the train home, Baby Elephant leaned on the window and drifted to sleep. Even in dreams — pwoo~ — a rainbow fountain.
Image description: Baby Elephant asleep on a night train
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Home smelled soft and familiar. “Trips are good, and home is good too.” They wrapped trunks around each other and hugged tight.
Image description: The elephant family hugging with intertwined trunks at home
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That night Baby Elephant wrote in a diary. “Today I cooled my family. My trunk is our family’s fountain. I felt so proud.”
Image description: Baby Elephant writing a diary at a desk
Artist’s note
“I love going on trips with my family most of all. When it’s hot, I want to cool them down.” — Seo Jeongbin
Image description: Portrait of Baby Elephant with a small travel bag
