The Elusive Green Elephant

"When I first came here with my grandpa years and years ago, he told me how he found a Green Elephant," Grandpa George said, "This elephant is the rare Ligustrum Elephant," He paused for dramatic effect. Grandpa had Joey's full attention.

"The green elephant only appears in the summer and spring time. During the winter and fall his green skin stands out against the colored leaves and white snow so he hides away never to be seen. Around this time about 100 years ago, though, my grandpa was out in the woods and the flowers when he saw it-- a little green elephant hardly any bigger than you are. When it saw grandpa looking it, it disappeared. He said it was so green it must have just backed into the bushes." Grandpa George said.

"Did you ever see a green elephant?" Joey asked.

"No, grandpa and I tried taking to look, but we never found it."

"Do you think they really exist?"

"They are as real as pink elephants. Everyone knows there is at least one pink elephant in every room."

"Then let's go find the Ligestum!"

Grandpa chuckled, "Yes, let's go find the Ligustrum."

The two of them went out into what used to be all woods, but is now more of a park.

"The Ligustrum likes flowers, so everywhere there are flowers there is a chance we'll find the elephant," Grandpa George said. Joey immediately ran towards the flower garden. "Whoa whoa whoa!" Grandpa George said, "Slow down, the elephants don't like being seen. If he knows you are here it'll be even harder to find him."

Joey slowed down, crouched down, nodded and put a finger to his lips. They reached a line of bushes in front of small columns that lined the garden. They peeped through the bushes, looked over the patches of flowers and only saw two ornamental elephants.

"It's not here grandpa!" Joey exclaimed.

"I told you they are hard to find," Grandpa George replied.

Joey pouted then continued his search, "We'll keep looking over there." Joey headed towards some flowery bushes.

Grandpa George smiled, "That's the spirit."

The two were out searching for hours. As the day began to end, the discoverers called it quits.

"We'll pick it up tomorrow, okay scout?" Grandpa George said.

Joey looked up at his grandfather with big disappointed eyes, "Ok." On the way, back they passed the enclosed flower garden again. This time there were three ornamental elephants. Grandpa George stared at them, "Hey Joey, weren't there only two elephants there before?"

Upon hearing his voice, the center elephant looked their way. He bowed at them then posed exactly like the other elephants.

"It moved! Grandpa is the Ligestum Elephants leafy like fake elephants?" Joey asked.

Grandpa George chuckled, "If a Pink Elephant can be invisible, a green one can have leaves."