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THE ELEPHANT’S CHILD
a shadow puppet show inspired by the Rudyard KIPLING's tale
created at the Théâtre National de Toulouse on June 17th
with Michaël LONSDALE as story teller
in the frame of the 3rd Marathon des Mots de Toulouse 2007
This delightful story which enjoys adults as well as children has been originally published as part of Just So Stories in 1902. These stories have been written by Rudyard KIPLING for his daughter best beloved Josephine
The text of the Elephant's Child, as Kim or The Jungle book, is very well known all over the world.
Story : In the High and Far-Off Times the Elephant, had no trunk. He had only a blackish, bulgy nose, as big as a boot, that he could wriggle about from side to side; but he couldn't pick up things with it. But there was one Elephant — a new Elephant — an Elephant's Child — who was full of 'satiable curiosity, and that means he asked ever so many questions. And he lived in Africa, and he filled all Africa with his 'satiable curiosities. One fine morning in the middle of the Precession of the Equinoxes this 'satiable Elephant's Child asked a new fine question that he had never asked before. He asked, 'What does the Crocodile have for dinner?'
This will be the beginning of a delightful walk in the African savanna to find by him the answer. He will find much more than he could have imagined!
With this show we wanted to restitute the fine humor and the poetic imagination of Rudyard Kipling
Length of the show : 30 minutes
This show is a creation of the Théâtre des Ombres
with the kind participation of Roshanak Roshan an Iranian artist and puppet show director
This show can be easily performed in any country as far as the story is said by a native actor. It is easy to find translation of the original text
A flower butterfly
Part of the text
In the High and Far-Off Times the Elephant, O Best Beloved, had no trunk. He had only a blackish, bulgy nose, as big as a boot, that he could wriggle about from side to side; but he couldn't pick up things with it. But there was one Elephant — a new Elephant — an Elephant's Child — who was full of 'satiable curiosity, and that means he asked ever so many questions. And he lived in Africa, and he filled all Africa with his 'satiable curiosities. He asked his tall aunt, the Ostrich, why her tail-feathers grew just so, and his tall aunt the Ostrich spanked him with her hard, hard claw. He asked his talluncle, the Giraffe, what made his skin spotty, and his tall uncle, the Giraffe, spanked him with his hard, hard hoof. And still he was full of 'satiable curtiosity! He asked his broad aunt, the Hippopotamus, why her eyes were red, and his broad aunt, the Hippopotamus, spanked him with her broad, broad hoof; and he asked his hairy uncle, the Baboon, why melons tasted just so, and his hairy uncle, the Baboon, spanked him with his hairy, hairypaw. And still he was full of 'satiable curtiosity! He asked questions about everything that he saw, or heard, or felt, or smelt, or touched, and all his uncles and his aunts spanked him. And still he was full of 'satiable curtiosity!
One fine morning in the middle of the Precession of the Equinoxes this 'satiable Elephant's Child asked a new fine question that he had never asked before. He asked, 'What does the Crocodile have for dinner?' Then everybody said, 'Hush!' in a loud and dretful tone, and they spanked him immediately and directly, without stopping, for a long time.
Some images of the show
The Elephant's child with his family
The Elephant's child with the Bi-Coloured-Python-Rock-Snake
The tall aunt the Ostrich
The hairy uncle the Baboon
The broad aunt the Hippopotamus
The tall aunt Giraffe
The bird Kolokolo
The Elephant's Child is full of 'satiable curiosity
The Elephant's Child frisking and whisking his trunk
Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) The Elephant's Child
Le Théâtre des Ombres- 26 rue d’Orléans 31000 Toulouse Tél: 05 61 27 38 53-