Arnold Lobel - Uncle Elephant (I Can Read Book 2)

By ARNOLD LOBE L

For Charlotte Zoloto w

Mother and Father went for a sail in their boat . I could not go with them. I had a runny trunk and a sore throat. I went home to bed. There was a storm. The boat did not come back. Mother and Father were missing at sea. I was alone. I sat in my room with the curtains closed.

I heard my door opening. Hello, I am your Uncle Elephant, said a voice. I looked at Uncle Elephant. What are you staring at? he asked. Ah, I know, you are looking at my wrinkles. You do have many wrinkles, I said. Yes, said Uncle Elephant, I have more wrinkles than a tree has leaves.

I have more wrinkles than a beach has sand. I have more wrinkles than the sky has stars. Why do you have so many wrinkles? I asked. Because I am old, said Uncle Elephant. Now come out of this dark place. Where will I go? I asked. Come and visit me, said Uncle Elephant.

I sat with Uncle Elephant on the train . We shared a bag of peanuts. We looked out of the window. The country rushed past. One, two, three. Oh, I missed one, said Uncle Elephant. What are you counting? I asked. I am trying to count the houses as they go by, he said.

One, two, three, four. I missed one again, said Uncle Elephant. What are you counting? I asked.

I am trying to count the fields as they go by, he said. One, two, three, four, five. I missed another one, said Uncle Elephant. What are you counting now? I asked. I am trying to count the telephone poles as they go by. But everything is passing too darn fast, said Uncle Elephant. Uncle Elephant was right. Everything was passing very fast. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, and ten! said Uncle Elephant.

What are you counting this time? I asked. I am counting the peanut shells, said Uncle Elephant. They are easier to count.

They are all in one place. They are all sitting on your lap. The train raced along. We finished the whole bag of peanuts.

There were many more shells for Uncle Elephant to count.

We came to Uncle Elephants house . We will light a lamp and have some supper, said Uncle Elephant. He took a lamp from the shelf and lit it. Hey there! said a small voice from inside the lamp. Did you hear that? asked Uncle Elephant. This lamp can talk! It is a magic lamp! I said.

Then we can make wishes! said Uncle Elephant. I wish for an airplane that I can fly myself, I said.

I wish for a polka-dot suit with striped pants, said Uncle Elephant.

I wish for a banana split with ten scoops of ice cream, I said.

I wish for a box filled with one hundred big cigars, said Uncle Elephant. We rubbed the lamp. We sat and waited. A little spider crawled out.

I wish that you would turn off this lamp and leave me in peace, said the spider. I live in there. It is getting hot. Uncle Elephant made the spiders wish come true. He was happy to turn off the lamp. Uncle Elephant put the lamp back on the shelf. We ate our supper by the light of the moon.

VOOMAROOOM! It was morning . I heard a noise outside. I ran to the window. Uncle Elephant was standing in the garden.

His ears flapped in the breeze. He raised his trunk. VOOMAROOOM! trumpeted Uncle Elephant. What are you doing? I asked.

I always welcome the dawn this way, said Uncle Elephant. Every new day deserves a good, loud trumpet. I have planted all these flowers myself. Come outside and let me introduce you to everyone, said Uncle Elephant. Roses, daisies, daffodils and marigolds, I want you to meet my nephew. I bowed to the flowers. Uncle Elephant was pleased.

This garden is my favorite place in the world, said Uncle Elephant. It is my own kingdom. If this is your kingdom, I said, are you a king? I suppose I am, said Uncle Elephant. If you are the king, I said, I must be the prince. Of course, said Uncle Elephant, you