The Elephant Who Ate Too Much

A children's poem about an elephant and a banana tree.

All of God’s mysterious creatures
Basking in the wild sun,
Snouts and horns and other features,
Eating, playing, and having fun.

There lived an elephant whose only role
Was rising on his two hind feet,
Away from the showery watering hole,
Reaching for bananas from a tree to eat…

This elephant liked the taste of leaves,
But really adored bananas in bunches –
The yellow fruit, which a long trunk retrieves
From high tree tops, upon rear haunches!

But lately, he’d been begging for more
Of this wholesome, delicious, plentiful food;
He began to wander toward these fruit trees for
More constant feasting, for such was his mood…

Then, all at once, our rather large friend
Began to feel rather dreadful and ill;
He’d eaten too much, saw his appetite end –
The elephant had ingested more than his fill…

The once-proud elephant had learned a lesson,
A creature thankful, well-fed, and stout –
The particular fruit he’d had his mind on
Was a plentiful feast he could do without!