Once upon a time there was a small elephant.  He was very curious and this got him in trouble. 

The elephant's child was as curious as a cat, sticking his nose where it didn't belong.

He was like a scholar who wanted to learn about everything; like a question that wanted to be answered.

But whenever he asked a question, he would get spanked.

Why is the sky blue? Why are trees tall? Why are we here?

Stop talking!

One day he asked the wrong question:

"What does the crocodile have for dinner?"

The elephant's child's family was so astonished they lost their voices.  This was the stupidest question in the entire world!

His parents were so embarrassed they thought they would die. 

So after being spanked, the elephant's child decided to look for answers on his own.

?

What does the crocodile have for dinner?

On his way, he met the kolokolo bird who told him how to find the Limpopo river where the crocodile lived.

The elephant's child followed his advice to try to find the reptile to ask what he might dine on.

Before long, the elephant's child found a snake baking in the late midday sun, taking a nap after he ate a great big plate of mice.

He asked the snake about the crocodile.

"Oh no you don't!  It won't do, though, to go closer," the snake noted.

Despite the snake's warning about the crocodile, the elephant's child continued on his way.

At last, he came to the great grey-green greasy Limpopo river.  In the water, he saw something that looked like a log with eyes.  It was the crocodile!

"Excuse me, Mr. Crocodile.  I came all this way just to ask you, what do you have for dinner?"

"I think tonight I'll have the elephant's child for dinner!" said the crocodile, and he chomped the child's nose and chewed.

I told you so....

Come here,

little one.