The White Elephant Mayyu Ali Nabidur Rahman
It was my grandfather who told me about the white elephant. He knew the stories of our land. The stories of our ancestors. 1
Every night, we had a ritual. My grandfather used to take me on his lap. And tell folktales about the kings, the queens and animals. 2
In his tales, the sun traveled through the horizon, and warmed the earth with its rays. So the night could take a rest. 3
A white elephant emerged on the soil of our land. Its mighty legs transformed into a mountain range. That was where we were born. 4
Our home. The mountain’s breeze rustles the leaves of our hearts. The smell of paddy fields nurtures our spirit to the motherland. 5
We share the same air. We share the same soil. We are all brothers and sisters. 6
The white elephant was the symbol of harmony for our people. The emblem of strength, my grandfather said. 7
But the peace was destroyed. A hunter intruded into our land. He wanted to kill the white elephant. To take its ivory away for sale. 8
Today we are exiled. We are divided. 9
I had to escape to save my life. I crossed the mountain range, the barbed wire fence, and the river. 10
Now, I survive in a refugee camp. With a million others who escaped like me. 11
One day, I saw an elephant near the camp. For so long, I had forgotten the stories my grandfather told me. 12
That day, I remembered the white elephant. Though my grandfather was no longer with me, I still carried his teachings. 13
The white elephant is the symbol of unity. Of peace. To protect it is our responsibility, my grandfather would say. 14
I must rally all communities together. Those who worship the sun. Those who worship the moon and those who worship the One. 15
To stand for the white elephant. To stand for our unity. To bring back the harmony. 16
We share the same air. We share the same soil. We are all brothers and sisters. 17
The white elephant knew our ancestors who came before us. How we once were happy together. How we once were peaceful together. 18
There will come a time when we are united again. And the hunter will not stand a chance. 19
We are here, as strong as the white elephant. Reviving our coexistence. Respecting all cultures. And this legacy will continue forever. 20
Brought to you by Let’s Read is an initiative of The Asia Foundation’s Books for Asia program that fosters young readers in Asia and the Pacific. booksforasia.org To read more books like this and get further information about this book, visit letsreadasia.org Original Story The White Elephant. Author: Mayyu Ali. Illustrator: Nabidur Rahman. Editor: Raya Rahman. Contributor: Inshra Sakhawat Russell. Published by The Asia Foundation - Let’s Read, Guba Publishing, © The Asia Foundation - Let’s Read, Guba Publishing. Released under CC-BY-NC-4.0. This work is a modified version of the original story. @ The Asia Foundation, 2022. Some rights reserved. Released under CC-BY-NC-4.0. For full terms of use and attribution, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/