Kali the Elephant Learns from Socrates the Philosopher
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“Oh Mama, some of my classmates teased me about my looks!” Between sobs she said, “They teased me MERCI-LESS-LY.” (Through her sorrow, Kali felt pride at using such a big word.) “They said my eyes were too big for an elephant, and my ears and trunk were too big for my size. I hate my looks!” “My poor baby!” said Mama Elephant. “That wasn’t nice of them.” “But why did Papa and you give me such a funny face?” “It’s not funny, babe, we think it’s beautiful! Besides, we couldn’t control which genes we passed on to you.” “Genes? What are genes?” Kali asked. “The seeds from which we all grow. But let’s think of a solution to your problem.” But Kali had already thought of a solution: “I know what! You told me once that your sweater shrank when you left it soaking in water too long. I will shrink my ears and trunk by soaking them in the pond!” Splash!
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About the Book
Kali is hurt when her friends tease her about her ears, trunk, and eyes. She uses various methods to shrink her features, but her mother tells her that they will not work. She then turns to her comic books for an answer. In one of them she reads that the friends of a famous philosopher called Socrates also teased him about his features. His reply to them helps her to come up with a reply that leaves her friends wishing that they looked like her!
About the Author
Neera Badhwar published children's stories in magazines many years ago, then taught philosophy for 22 years at the University of Oklahoma. During that time, she published articles and books on philosophical topics (https://www.ou.edu/cas/philosophy/people/faculty/neera-badhwar). In this book she combines her two interests by introducing children to a great philosopher who faced the same situation that many children face: teasing.