The Beauty of Kindness🐘🫶🦚

Deep in a lush jungle, a proud peacock lived near a sparkling stream. He believed he was the most beautiful creature in the entire forest. Every morning, he would spread his shimmering feathers and admire his reflection in the water. “Ah, what a masterpiece I am!” he would say, twirling in delight.

Not far from the peacock’s favorite spot, a playful baby elephant roamed with curiosity. His skin was soft grey, and his big floppy ears made him look even more adorable. He loved splashing in puddles, chasing butterflies, and trumpeting happily whenever he discovered something new.

One day, the animals of the jungle gathered by the stream, whispering excitedly. “A new elephant calf has arrived!” said the parrots. “He is so cute and playful!” said the rabbits. Even the wise old tortoise nodded. “It has been years since we had a little elephant among us.”

The peacock, however, was not pleased. He noticed that the jungle animals were more interested in the baby elephant than in admiring him. He ruffled his feathers and muttered, “How dare they? I am the most enchanting creature here!”

That night, under the glow of the moon, the peacock strutted toward the baby elephant, who was resting under a big banyan tree. “Hey, you!” the peacock called out. “With your wrinkly grey skin, oversized ears, and tiny tail, have you ever seen anything as dazzling as me?”

The baby elephant’s eyes widened with admiration. “Wow! Your feathers are amazing! Where did you get so many colors? I wish I had colors like you!”

The peacock chuckled, flicking his tail. “Oh, you silly thing. Even if you had feathers, you could never dance as gracefully as me! And by the way, I heard the jungle animals are choosing a name for you… Ka-h-kah! Maybe I should call you ‘Little Fatty!’”

The baby elephant’s happy expression faded. He looked down at his round belly and wiggled his tiny tail. He suddenly felt awkward. Without saying a word, he turned and walked away, his trunk dragging slightly on the ground.

The peacock grinned, pleased with himself. “That should keep him from stealing my spotlight!” he thought.

But the days that followed were no different. The jungle animals continued to adore the baby elephant. This only made the peacock more jealous. He made it his daily habit to tease and insult the little elephant. “Hey, floppy ears! Have you tripped over your own feet today?” or “Why are you so slow? Even a tortoise moves faster than you!”

The baby elephant never talked back. He just sighed and went on with his day.

Then, one afternoon, something unexpected happened. The peacock was preening by the stream when a long, slithering shadow moved through the grass. A snake! It was creeping toward the peacock, its tongue flickering. The peacock froze in fear.

Before he could react, the baby elephant came rushing in. With one swift motion, he wrapped his trunk around the snake, lifted it, and tossed it high into the air! The snake flew so far that it landed on the highest branch of an enormous tree, hissing in confusion.

The peacock was speechless. He blinked at the baby elephant, who was now smiling. “Are you alright?” the little elephant asked kindly.

The peacock gulped, his feathers still trembling. “yuuu..yuuu... You saved me.”

The other animals cheered. “Did you see that? The baby elephant is so strong!”

The peacock looked at the happy little elephant and suddenly felt silly for all the teasing he had done. He cleared his throat and fluffed his feathers. “Well… I suppose having big ears and a long trunk is not so bad after all. In fact, it might even be... useful,” he admitted with a small smile.

The baby elephant grinned. “And I think dancing like you would be fun! Maybe you can teach me?”

The peacock laughed. “Alright, but only if you promise not to step on my tail!”

The jungle animals burst into laughter as the baby elephant tried to imitate the peacock’s graceful moves. He swayed left, then right, then wobbled and plopped onto the ground with a loud thud! Dust flew everywhere.

The peacock gasped. “Oh no! My feathers!” But before he could finish, he saw the baby elephant rolling on the ground, laughing uncontrollably.

The peacock chuckled too, and soon, the whole jungle was filled with laughter. From that day on, the peacock and the baby elephant became the best of friends. The peacock still showed off his feathers, and the baby elephant still splashed in puddles, but now, they had fun together without any teasing.

And so, in the heart of the jungle, where the river sparkled and the trees swayed, a peacock and an elephant danced, laughed, and reminded everyone that true beauty was not just about how one looked, but how one treated others.