The Watering Hole
The moon revealed itself as the sun was setting on the vast savannas of the Sahara. Lainey and Emmy had been exploring the African countryside when they saw a watering hole in the distance. A herd of Mali elephants were basking in the cool refreshing water of the pool.
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A passing giraffe, named Gerald warned Lainey and Emmy to approach slowly as the majestic elephants are highly cautious of anyone outside their herd.
The matriarch, Koralie the largest and pinkest of the group spotted the newcomers right away. “Friend or foe? “ Koralie shouted suspiciously as Lainey and Emmy got closer.
“Marhabaan! We are friends.” Lainey call back with a tentative wave. “It’s been a long and hot journey and we are looking for a cool drink.”
“Then you may join us,” said Koralie “forgive my abruptness but there are those who search for us that are not friends so we must always be on the lookout. “
“We understand,” said Emmy “and we will keep our eyes and ears open as well. ”
As Lainey and Emmy step toward the shoreline a baby elephant, called Small Stride could hardly contain her excitement. ”Yay, new friends! The water is so refreshing!” Small Stride said before taking a large drink of water in her trunk and then playfully showering Lainey and Emmy with it. The friends shrieked and giggled dancing in the waterfall, as it cooled them off from the heat of the day.
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Soon all the elephants jumped in on the fun, splashing around to their hearts delight.
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Behind the Scenes Time Lapse
Fun Fact: The dress Lainey is wearing in the photo, was my dress when I was a baby. Talk about a classic!
Reading up on Mali Elephants as I was writing this story, I came across this New York Times article “Mali’s Desert Elephants, on Edge of Annihilation, Get a Fighting Chance” about the work being down to save them!
