There was once a little elephant. Little — but when he ran, the whole forest shook! Thump-thump! All day long he went barrelling about, and everyone laughed and called after him, "Slow down! Watch where you're going!"
One day he was chasing a bright butterfly and never once looked where he was going. CRASH! Straight into Granny Tortoise's flower garden. Every last flower lay flattened on the ground.
He glanced this way, then that way — nobody had seen! So he tiptoed backward, soft as he could… thump… thump… and hid himself behind the big tree. "I won't tell a soul," he whispered. "Nobody saw me!"
Everyone came running. When Granny Tortoise saw her ruined garden, her eyes brimmed with tears. "Who did this? It must have been those naughty monkeys!" cried the hare. Behind the tree, the little elephant heard every word. And his heart grew heavy… and heavier…
At last the little elephant couldn't bear it a moment longer. Head hung low, he stepped out from behind the tree. "It wasn't the monkeys. It was me — I broke it. I'm sorry, Granny." A single tear rolled down and dropped — plip. And how strange: that heavy stone on his chest rolled right off with it!
Granny Tortoise smiled at him. "Everyone makes mistakes, child. But how many are brave enough to say so? Come — let's plant a new garden together." Everyone set to work. And the little elephant lifted his trunk and sprinkled water over it all, soft as falling rain.
A few days later, a garden bloomed on that very spot — lovelier than it had ever been. Bright butterflies came fluttering back. The little elephant still loves to run — but now he keeps an eye on where he's going!