Cover
Elephant and the Rainbow Bubbles
Image description: Cover of Elephant and the Rainbow Bubbles
Page 2
Elephant is an elephant with many talents. The finest talent of all is this! Blow through the trunk — whoo~ — and pop~ a rainbow soap bubble is born.
Image description: Elephant blowing rainbow soap bubbles
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Elephant has one wish. “I want to make friends who are unwell smile.”
Image description: Elephant looking toward a small house on a hill
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But lately Baby Bear has been sick and only lies in bed. No matter how funny Elephant’s stories, Baby Bear only cried.
Image description: Baby Bear in bed with Elephant nearby
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“Where did the laughter hide?” Elephant looked at the sky outside, then — spark — a good idea. “That’s it! My bubbles!”
Image description: Elephant by a window, struck by a bright idea
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Whoo~ But the first bubble was too small. It popped before it even reached Baby Bear’s bed.
Image description: A tiny bubble bursting; Elephant looking disappointed
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The second bubble was a little bigger, but Baby Bear did not even lift a head from the blanket. “Sniffle….” Only crying leaked out.
Image description: Baby Bear buried in blankets; Elephant looking glum
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Elephant felt glum too. ‘Is my talent no use?’ Then a rainbow rose in the sky outside. ‘Yes! Put heart into it — like a rainbow!’
Image description: Elephant gathering strength while watching a rainbow outside
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Whoooo~ pop! Blown with a full heart, big and little rainbow bubbles were born and floated around Baby Bear. The whole room sparkled!
Image description: Rainbow soap bubbles filling the room
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An even more wondrous talent next! Inside the bubbles — rabbit shapes, fish shapes, baby-bird shapes. Bubble rabbits hop, bubble fish swim!
Image description: Animal-shaped soap bubbles
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Baby Bear’s eyes went round. Then “Pff!” — laughter burst out at last! “Hahaha, Elephant, this is the best!”
Image description: Baby Bear sitting up laughing
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Hearing the laughter, friends gathered one by one. “What’s going on?” “It’s Elephant’s bubble show!” Faces peeked at the window and the door crack.
Image description: Friends peeking in through a window
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So Elephant put on a real show in the yard. A sparkling bubble show! Front row, of course, was Baby Bear’s seat.
Image description: A soap-bubble show in the yard
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Whoo~ pop! A bubble fountain shooting to the sky! A bubble train tumbling-tumble! And last — a huuuge rainbow bubble wrapping everyone!
Image description: Friends wrapped inside a giant rainbow bubble
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That day the forest village held a rainbow-bubble festival. Everyone ran after bubbles, laughed, and sang.
Image description: A festival of lanterns and soap bubbles
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When the festival ended, friends went home smiling. Baby Bear whispered, “Thank you, Elephant. Your bubbles are my medicine.”
Image description: Baby Bear hugging Elephant
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Elephant still practices today. Whoo~ pop! For a friend crying somewhere — the sparkliest rainbow bubbles in the world.
Image description: A glowing bubble rising toward the moon
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And these days, well-again Baby Bear is there too. Twin bubbles they make together sparkle twice as bright. Pop~ pop~!
Image description: Elephant and Baby Bear blowing bubbles side by side
Artist’s note
“I hope friends who are unwell will smile. My bubbles are rainbow-colored.” — Song Jiho
Image description: Portrait of Elephant holding a bubble wand
