In the heart of the Enchanted Forest lived a timid little elephant by the name of Ella. She would often gaze longingly from her home at the beautiful shrubs and trees and wonder what it would be like to wander among them; but then she would feel frightened and hurry away.
One day Ella’s grandmother came to visit her. She was a very old and wise elephant who remembered all about the times when she was as little and timid as Ella.
“My dear,” she said kindly, “I think you should go at once into the Enchanted Forest and see the beautiful sights there. It is the only way for you to lose your shyness.”
“Oh, but it is so far,” exclaimed Ella, trembling; “and there are so many terrors on the road. I should meet wolves, and tigers, and hyenas. Who would look after me all that long way?”
“Never fear, my little child,” said her grandmother reassuringly. “You only have to open your ears and your eyes, and then all will go well.” Afterwards, she flew up into the trees and disappeared in a cloud, telling Ella that she would be keeping watch over her.
“And now,” thought the little elephant, “courage is what I need.” So the next morning she set off, though it was rather a long journey.
The path led at first through the pretty little home in which Ella had lived, past the well-known stream, and under the shady trees which danced their branches in welcome. After walking for some way, near a fallen tree she came across two little animals who were crying and sobbing bitterly.
“Why do you cry like that?” asked Ella.
“We live in the jungle,” they answered. “And we have been digging ourselves a nice little hole, so that if it rains we can creep into it. But, alas! our hard labour has been in vain, for this fallen trunk has come and covered our hole, and we do not know how we can remove it.”
“Of course you can,” said the little elephant. “Let me help you.” And at once she began pushing and lifting the great tree with all her might, until soon the little ones were free to enjoy their home in the ground.
“Thank you so much,” said the little animals when they recovered their spirits; “we can never repay you. And as you seem new to this country, we should like to give you some good advice. You are just on the brink of the dreaded Marsh of Despair. Go round three times; each time crossing in front of yourself. And then be sure to continue at right angles to your first path. Else you will lose your way in the treacherous marsh, and be wandering about for all eternity.”
Ella thanked her new friends warmly, and soon reached the edge of the Marsh of Despair. Following the direction which they had given her, she found herself miraculously safe on the other side. Ahead of her, in the distance, she could see the shining lake of Liberty and the green foot-hills of Happiness.
As she moved forward cautiously, Ella came across something gleaming on the ground. As she approached it, it was luminous and sparkled as if it was jewelled, but it was the prettiest little hyena that ever you saw. It was only the little ones who lived in the forest who were wicked—this was one of the other kind, whom her grandmother said lived for ever in the Golden Wynd.
“It is so dreadfully hot in the sun,” she said. “Do take me up on your back, dear sleeper-friend, so that I can rest there till the evening. Then I will walk back with you to your home. It is by that deep blue lake, is it not?”
Ella was only too pleased to give her back a little pleasure. As soon as the hyena was safely on the top of her neck and securely seated there, off she started again, every now and then asking the little friend on her back some question, and so hearing a great many curious stories. At last they arrived at the blue lake just as the sun was setting in a great bank of gold and snow over the distant hills. Then the little hyena jumped down, kissed her unnoticed liberators, and changed into a lovely young princess.
“Hasten back, young and gentle friend,” she said, “and you will keep that which will give your memory joy during your whole life.” Ella simply bowed down to the princess, waved her trunk in farewell, and her companion waved hers, and then the little princess vanished completely out of sight in the lake.
The moon now rose high in the heavens, lighting the forest with a charming brightness, and painting dazzling pictures in the lovely blue water. The big tortoise near the bank was feeling the freshness of the evening, and wanted to stretch his sleepy legs, so he called out to Ella:
“It is very rude of you not to greet your new visitors,” he said. “There is just coming a large blundering elephant and calf who have their house near yours. They are swimming by up fresh by way of enjoyment, and I suppose you will allow them to waddle on dry foot in the middle of the lake, and not treat them to the dangerous path on the edge?”
Ella was too polite to disobey, so she waited most patiently till the tormentors came to the end of their gymnastics.
In the middle of the lake Rubus and his daughter began repeating some of the old elephant songs known to them, and which they had just been singing, to cheer up the hearts of their neighbour-deserts as they crossed the water. But, strange to say, there were no hearts at all to cheer for miles round, and the souls left behind felt the infinite sadness of their deserts much more than they did when singing it on the shore.
In the meantime, Ella and the tortoise were gossiping of the fate of the mysterious large elephant calf. It seemed quite impossible to know who she could be. Meanwhile a revisiting empress passed over the lake. The tortoise was delighted to see himself again, after an absence of some years, among his private party. He asked her no doubt or question, but at once tendered a most courteous invitation to Ella to remain with them in the camp.
Gladly she accepted the offer, and became a sort of private confidant, whom one and all consulted on matters of general importance. In this way she heard numberless wonderful things, but they were all too lengthy to be recorded in this book. Ella the elephant erred in thinking it scarcely worth while going back home. She would often, very often, have to laugh at the tricks the young elephants played, but what helped the most to comfort her was the Prince putting fresh roses in her hair every evening, the perfume of which remained there for hours and hours after.
One morning an owl was sent from the camp to ask her if she did bring some memories to her native country. While they were speaking together, a mysterious-looking ragged person coming from the sea quickly hid himself behind the mossy bank, while still both of them could see and perceive him distinctly.
Then the owl, saying to Ella: “Do be careful,” flew away for shelter into the forest-camp. Ella saw it was useless to take the trouble to hide any longer, and so she went home.
Ever since that day she had never stepped a foot again into the enchanted forest, except when she was watched most carefully by friends.