- First published
- 1972
- Editions
- 2 editions
- Status
- In print
The Ant and the Elephant
A boastful elephant rescues one ungrateful animal after another through the African day, certain he will never need help himself, until a tiny ant proves that even the mightiest can depend on the smallest.
"He (the elephant) was enormously pleased with himself after all the good deeds he had done that day. 'Everyone has his troubles,' he chuckled. 'Everyone but big me. I'll never get into a fix where I need help. That is one thing for sure.'"
This story gave Bill Peet the chance to draw many kinds of African animals he loved. He described the long road to the ending: "The way this fable works the ant must finally rescue the elephant. A problem which stopped me for years, and I went on to other stories before I came back to it." His first attempt had the ant simply sting the elephant, an ending he was never happy with. Other books featuring his favorite animal, the elephant, include Ella, Encore for Eleanor, and Hubert's Hair-Raising Adventure.
From the book
Preliminary sketches
