This is a story about elephants a story
which takes place on a beautiful island
once known as salon now called Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka is a land of elephants and all
the people look forward to special
holidays when there is a parade elephant
owners bring their best animals to march
in the procession
yes this is a story about elephants
especially one elephant and it's the
story about the boy who became that
elephants special friend.
Oh.
The
more than anything in the world an eel
wanted an elephant of his very own he
loved the big animals he knew how to
talk to them he felt sure they talked to
him a Neal's father was the manager of a
large plantation not the owner of the
plantation the manager he didn't make
enough money in a whole year to buy even
an old animal so the chances of an eel
ever owning an elephant were very small
it was mr. Ratna the man who lived in
the big house on the plantation who
could buy elephants the plantation
belonged to him he owned several of the
animals using them for work around the
plantation mr. Rata had a son named soma
an eel didn't like soma at all and soma
didn't like an eel instead of playing
with other kids an eel never played with.
Sola he preferred to spend his time with
the elephants another liver all too
often though the big animals would be
needed for work around the plantation
and aneel was not permitted to be with
them so an eel was not really what you
would call a very happy boy with his
sister Shanti it was completely
different shante's life was full of
happiness and for a very good reason.
Shanti was a sincere happy Christian
although an eel loved his sister very
much it bothered him to see her reading
the Bible so often and to hear her
memorizing verses Vishwa your sin will
find you out Roman 623 the wages of sin
is death but the gift of God is eternal
life to Jesus Christ our Lord
but nothing bothered an eel quite so
much as soma who with his gang of
friends looked for any chance to add to
anneals unhappiness.
I
But on that very same day when his heart
was so full of bitterness towards soma
and his gang something happened which
was to fill an eels life with new
interest and excitement
this wasn't one of mr. retinas elephants
not one of the animals from any of the
other plantations in the area either it
was a wild elephant an eel wondered
maybe he could tame the animal some
other wild elephants looked on concerned
about their sick companion aneel decided
to try to drive them away it was a very
dangerous thing for a boy to do but he
wanted this sick elephant for his own
very much
you
what's wrong I Neil I found a while
evilly the jungle it's sick he needs
water shall I help you Shanti and it'll
be careful
you
xoma of course told his father all he
had seen out in the jungle he knew an
eel wanted the elephant for himself but
he also knew the land on which the
elephant lay sick belong to his father
it's a wonderful anywhere so you found
the wild elephant is in that little
danger he's very tame father he knows
we're trying to help him he's my
elephant I found him we named him Raja.
I understand there is a stray elephant
on my property I mean founding mr.
Ratner hmm yes soma told me that but the
elephant was found on my property and
therefore it belongs to me but wouldn't
even belong to my son you expect me to
give him a gift that animal is worth at
least 15,000 rupees I'll call for a bit
if we can tape that elephant it will be
very valuable to me the elephant is mine
his mind I found him
storms of anger and frustration raged in
an eels heart why must his family be so
poor why did soma have all the good
things while he had so little he almost
wished the animal would die but he loved
the elephant too much so he did
everything he could to help nurse Raja
back to good health Roger remained
gentle even as his health returned and
because of an eels love and care became
very fond of his new friend you're my
elephant ania whispered quietly over and
over you're mine of course soma
considered the elephant his but it was
plain to see that Raja couldn't care
less about the son of the plantation
owner Emil was his friend not soma
so no matter what anyone said anio
believed raja belonged to him not to mr.
Rodman why couldn't it be just the other
way around mr. ratna the manager of the
plantation and the Neal's father the
owner mr. Rotter was pleased to have an
eel give so much attention to Raja
because all mr. Ratna wanted was for the
animal to become completely tame so it
could be used as a worker around the
plantation
with his mind and heart so full of love
for Raja an eel paid less and less
attention to daily Bible readings at
home he paid less attention in Sunday
school too even when the teacher told
some of the most exciting stories in the
Bible his mind would drift away to
thoughts of Raja.
Oh.
It didn't particularly interest mr.
rakhna not at first to see the elephant
learning tricks he was just pleased to
know how obedient the animal had become
through anneals care and training
once a bright student at school an eel
now lost all interest in his studies he
would sit for hours just thinking about.
Raja what a fine elephant Raja was and
how cruel that the animal couldn't
really belong to him fine animal isn't
it okay the animals yo honey even though
he belongs to me.
I watched you today you have taught
Roger many things I also heard mr.
Ratner talking to some people she thinks
Roger is the best of all the elephants
on the plantation Rogers mine I found
him no I need Roger is not yours Roger
belongs to mr. Aetna what about your
schoolwork do you think too much about.
Raja the tourist nation who had seen an
eel playing with his animal ask mr.
Ratner if he could bring some people to
the plantation mr. Ratner said he could
thinking very little about it at first
the love between the boy and the
elephant grew stronger every day
sometimes when they went for long hikes
through the jungle an eel felt like
urging Raja on to run away just the two
of them and never come back again but
ania loved his family too much to ever
really think seriously of running away
though he had never opened his heart to
the Lord Jesus as his mother and father
had done many years before as his sister
had done he knew what a difference it
makes in people's lives in their
families in their homes when they are
selfish and hateful and do not have.
God's love
soma became more and more jealous one
day he came to his father and begged him
to fire a Neal's father and get a new
manager for the plantation mr. Rakhna
wanted to please his son would do almost
anything for him but this was a
difficult request he told soma about the
time of Neal's father found a big
mistake in the counting of the money he
could easily have put this large amount
of money into his own pocket no one
would have known instead he came to mr.
ratna and reported it he also reminded
soma how very capable anneals father was
with the men on the plantation whenever
there was trouble among the workers
anneals father could be depended upon to
quiet them down get them back on the job
again there was no question about it.
O'Neill's father was one of the best
plantation managers in the whole country
he's a very good men I need him it would
be very difficult if not impossible to
replace him father Joaquin young Rajah
gentleman he cannot play it in me
anymore Raja can you make the elephant
do tricks for the tourists way Anna does
his father I can't all right all right
all right
funny you Raj alone it's my father's
come on
you
when the very first tourists came after
soma took over as Rajas trainer it was
plain to see how bored they were Raja
wouldn't do any of his tricks he was
just another elephant for people to look
at one day Roger became so disgusted he
picked up soma and wouldn't put him down
I know
one day a stranger appeared among the
tourists aneel didn't even notice him
even as there was jealousy in Somis
heart so pride came to an eels heart an
eel knew mr. Ratna needed him he decided
it was time for him to really show soma
who was the most important boy on the
plantation
you're very good with Raja it is a
talent you have and talents are gifts
from god I just learned a new worse God
resists the proud but he gives grace to
the humble pride is a sin on you and it
is a terrible seem to hate people even
people who are unkind to us the teacher
of an eel Sunday School class gave a
special object lesson she talked about
the sins people have in their hearts
pride hatred selfishness it made and
he'll think about the things Shanti had
told him people try to hide their sins
she told the students but God sees
everyone's heart her words trouble.
Daniel very much Raja makes a lot of
money for mr. Ratner
what
then one day when anneal was performing
for a group of tourists the stranger
returned he was from a famous zoo in
Europe his job was to purchase animals
for the zoo he had been especially
looking for trained animals and heard
about Raja yes there was no doubt in the
man's mind this animal would be a big
attraction in the zoo so he offered mr.
Rotten a good price and in just a few
moments he agreed to sell
slap the sahaja they got digging further
mcafee and we're still in be like
stealing it's in here my elephant
I'm sorry God knows how you feel get the.
Lord Jesus come into your heart and in
the Bible tells us all things work
together for good to them that love God
aneel couldn't sleep the next morning.
Roger was to be taken to the seacoast
there he would be loaded onto a ship for
the long journey to Europe Raja was very
restless it was as though he also
understood what was about to happen an
eel couldn't bear the thought of losing
his friend no he must make sure Roger
never got on board that ship
you
the elephant's gone your boy must have
taken him are nearly sleeping
mr. Rodman knew he had no time to waste
he wouldn't be fully paid until Raja was
on board that ship out in the jungle an
eel tried desperately to hide his animal
he knew a search would soon be on its
way to look for him in Roger
but no matter how hard he tried to hide
his elephant Raja wouldn't stay in the
places and he'll found for him the
animal couldn't understand why he must
be separated from his dear friend
Nick
Rogers gone I know I am sorry I never
see my elephant the gate there are many
disappointments in life but if we are
asked him God will help us to see the
bright side of even up greatest
disappointments but first we must come
to God through His Son Jesus maybe Roger
would be very happy at the zoo think of
the wonderful lesson you learn you try
to hide Raja you couldn't die something
else you can't hide really son it is
much easier to hide an elephant even a
big elephant like Raja than to hide your
sins the Bible says be sure your sin
will find you out losing Raja is a great
loss your father and I are very sorry
but there is a much greater loss you
could have that is to lose your soul by
not asking the Lord Jesus to forgive
your sins and come into your heart and
make you a new person
anio missed his elephant very much but
he wondered did God let mr. Rottenness
sell the elephant as punishment if he
had been a Christian like his sister
Shanti like his parents would perhaps
the man from the zoo never have come to
the plantation he began thinking of the
many things he had heard his father
reading in the Bible the things he had
learned at Sunday school and heard the
minister say a church that very day.
ANEEL did a wise thing he told God he
was sorry for his sins he wanted to be a
Christian like Shanti like his parents
like some of the other children and so
quietly but very sincerely he invited
the Lord Jesus into his heart
it wasn't until the next morning that an
eel had enough courage to tell his
family what had happened he would always
remember how happy this made them he
himself was so happy it helped him
forget some of the great sadness in his
heart from the loss of Roger is this
more of your doing the man from the zoo
had just come to the plantation rajat
got away during the night and
disappeared they had to load the animals
onto the ship and leave without Roger an
eel didn't know what to think nobody
knows that elephant might be but then
came a very great surprise
you
perhaps I was foolish soma I think Raja
is worth more than the man from the zoo
paid me he's a good worker and he bring
in lots of money from tourists
love came to an eels heart love for soma
it was love the Lord Jesus gave him it
was certainly true as his sister had
told him all things work together for
good to them that love God he would show.
God how grateful he was he would try not
to be proud and selfish even to someone
like some the boy he had so hated before
the change in an eels life showed how
true it is as the Bible says if anyone
is in Christ he is a new person old
things pass away all things become new
you