The Little Elephant Who Couldn't Say No

In the savannah lived a little elephant named Nino. Nino was kind, very kind, maybe even a little too kind.

Because Nino had a problem: every time someone asked him for something, he wanted to answer:

"No."

But at the last moment...

"Yes, okay."

One morning, Nino went for a walk. He had nothing planned, just to walk quietly to the river. Well... that was the plan.

He had barely taken ten steps when he met Malo the monkey. Malo was holding a huge bunch of bananas.

"Nino! Can you carry my bananas?"

Nino looked at the bananas, then he looked at the river in the distance.

"Uh... I was just about to..."

Malo waited.

Nino took a breath.

"Yes, okay."

Malo placed the bananas on his back.

"Thanks!"

Nino continued on his way. He now had twelve bananas on his back, which wasn't too bad.

A little further on, he met Tala the ostrich. Tala was pushing a big watermelon with her beak.

"Nino! Can you carry my watermelon?"

Nino looked at the watermelon, then at the bananas.

"I don't know if..."

Tala waited.

Nino took a breath.

"Yes, okay."

The watermelon joined the bananas.

Nino continued on his way, twelve bananas, one watermelon, still nothing catastrophic.

Then he met Jojo the hippopotamus. Jojo was sitting next to a small stool.

"Nino!"

Nino slowed down.

"Yes?"

"Can you take my stool?"

"Why?"

"Because I'm tired of carrying it."

Nino looked at Jojo, then at the tiny stool, then at Jojo again.

"But... you're not even carrying it."

Jojo thought.

"Exactly, I'm already tired just thinking about it."

Nino opened his mouth, he was going to say no, this time for sure.

Jojo waited.

"...yes, okay."

The stool joined the watermelon and the bananas.

Nino started walking again, twelve bananas, one watermelon, one stool. He was starting to move a little slower.

Then he heard:

"Nino! Nino! Wait!"

It was Lila the giraffe. She arrived with a big straw hat.

"Can you keep my hat?"

Nino looked at his head.

"Where do you want me to put it?"

Lila thought, then she placed the hat on Nino's head.

"There! Perfect!"

The hat was much too big, it came down over Nino's ears. Nino could barely see anything.

"Lila, I think..."

"Thanks Nino!"

And she left.

Nino sighed, he continued very slowly, twelve bananas, one watermelon, one stool, one big hat.

At that moment, a little bird landed in front of him.

"Salam Nino!"

Nino stopped.

"Salam."

The bird was holding a tiny twig.

"Can you carry this for me?"

Nino looked at the twig, then at everything he was already carrying. The twig was tiny, ridiculously tiny.

Nino thought:

"This time, I'm going to say no."

He took a breath.

The bird tilted its head.

Nino looked at the twig.

"Yes, okay."

The bird placed the twig right on top of the pile.

Nino set off again. He took three steps, one, two, three.

Then Malo came running back.

"Nino! I forgot something!"

Nino closed his eyes.

"What?"

Malo arrived dragging a huge basket.

"This one."

Nino looked at the basket, the basket was almost as big as he was.

"Malo..."

"Yes?"

"I'm already carrying your bananas."

"Oh yes! Thanks again!"

"And a watermelon."

"Very nice watermelon."

"And a stool."

"I really like the stool."

"And a hat."

"It suits you very well."

Nino took a very deep breath.

"And a twig."

Malo looked all the way up.

"Oh yes... that's starting to be a lot."

Nino nodded, finally someone understood.

Malo smiled.

"Luckily my basket is empty!"

And he placed it on Nino's back.

Nino stood still, very still.

Then he started walking again, twelve bananas, one watermelon, one stool, one hat, one twig, one huge empty basket.

Nino was now walking so slowly that a snail passed him. The snail turned around, then continued.

Nino didn't appreciate that much.

Finally, he spotted the river.

"Finally!"

But just before arriving, he heard a small voice.

"Nino?"

Nino froze.

It was a tiny mouse. She was holding a pebble between her paws, a very small pebble.

"Could you..."

Nino looked at the mouse, then at the pebble, then at the bananas, the watermelon, the stool, the hat, the twig, the basket, then at the mouse again.

"Could you carry my pebble?"

Silence.

Nino took a very deep breath.

Everyone waited, Malo, Tala, Jojo, Lila, the bird, even the snail had stopped to watch.

Nino puffed out his cheeks.

Then suddenly, his foot slipped.

"OOOOOOH!"

The watermelon rolled, the bananas flew, the stool spun in the air, the hat flew off, the basket went over Malo, and the little twig landed gently on Jojo's head.

"SPLASH!"

Nino fell into the river.

Everyone stayed silent.

Then Nino's head came out of the water. The big hat was floating next to him, a banana was resting on his trunk.

Malo burst out laughing, then Tala, then Lila, then Jojo. Even Nino ended up laughing.

The little mouse approached the water's edge. She was still holding her pebble.

"So... about my pebble?"

Nino looked at her.

He took a breath.

Everyone fell silent.

And for the first time, Nino answered:

"No."

The mouse looked at her tiny pebble.

"Oh. Okay."

Then she put it in her pocket.

Nino stood with his mouth open.

"You had a pocket?!"

"Yes."

Nino looked at all his friends, then at all the things scattered around the river.

"Wait a second..."

Malo grabbed his bananas, Tala retrieved her watermelon, Jojo took his stool, Lila put her hat back on, the bird took back his twig.

And Nino calmly came out of the water, he shook his big ears.

"Now, I'm going to the river."

Malo raised a banana.

"Can you just hold this for me for two seconds?"

Nino kept walking.

"No."

Malo smiled.

"Well... it was worth a try."