Elephants In Sneakers
(Steilacoom WA)
Come with me on a fantasy voyage to an authentic little historical town
called "Steilacoom." Steilacoom
was founded in 1854 by "Lafayette Balch."
The city was founded by "John B. Chapman."
They were joined together by Union Avenue in the "For
Evergreen" State of Washington. With
all the hustle and bustle of Seattle nearby, the floating bridges, ferry systems
and Islands that defy imagination this Western Washington State has some
undeniable beauty.
Back in the rustic small town of Steilacoom, you'll find a captivating
local's beach nestled along the Puget Sound appropriately named "Sunnyside
Beach." Completely renovated
it is home to many fishermen, scuba divers, sunbathers and local families.
It is also home to one very special and unique blue elephant in very
colorful sneakers! In order to get close to this rare elephant you need to have
a peanut butter stick which is his favorite snack. Well, this blue elephant named "Sunny" after the
beach he grew up on, wore his colorful sneakers everywhere. The only time he ever took them off was to take his much
publicized bath. The locals
scrubbed him down with sweet smelling watermelon soap.
He then rinsed himself off with his large trunk filled with salty ocean
water. Next the locals applied a
mudpack and Sunny was told to let it dry and then rinse it later himself.
After that they added fragrant peach sunscreen and Sunny smiled from ear
to ear.
It was a great day and all was going well, that was until "Seattle
The Field Mouse" showed up in his Tie-Dyed T-Shirt and gazed silently at
the large colorful sneakers! Seattle
decided that those particular sneakers might help him with his first day of
soccer practice. He knew he would
return them promptly after the game. So
off he scurried pulling the sneakers behind him by the rather long shoestrings.
They were bulky and heavy but he finally arrived at the park and put them
on. They were extremely big, so big
in fact that he fell head first into one of them and struggled desperately to
free himself. What a sight that must have been to see a field mouse in a
Tie-Dyed T-Shirt stuck inside an oversized elephant sneaker!
It wasn't long before the elephant realized his sneakers were missing and
he was furious! He grumbled to
himself as he left Sunnyside Beach to venture into the town of Steilacoom for
help. He suddenly let out the
loudest roar! Seattle knew by the
sounds of it, that he was in deep trouble.
The blue elephant that had by now turned purple in anger, walked up Main
Street to the Steilacoom Police Department and called the Town Mayor for help. It didn't take long for the whole town to hear of his plight
and everyone searched frantically for his sneakers.
Just then a local citizen reported the large colorful sneakers off
Steilacoom Boulevard in the field at Fort Steilacoom Park.
Sunny was so excited he couldn't wait to put them back on.
Suddenly out of one of the sneakers came the loudest squeal from Seattle!
Seattle sobbed and explained that he planned on returning the sneakers.
He also explained how he wanted desperately to play soccer like all the
other field mice but felt left out when he didn't have any sneakers to play in.
The Mayor heard what had happened and arranged a parade with a
spectacular fireworks display over Puget Sound and Sunnyside Beach.
The locals sold peanut butter sticks and Tie-Dyed T-Shirts all along
Lafayette Street. Seattle the brave
little field mouse led the parade in his Tie-Dyed T-Shirt with the ever so
popular Sunny the blue elephant in his colorful sneakers right behind him.
Sunny held a small umbrella over Seattle and they stole the hearts of
young and old alike as the town shared in this special friendship.
Friends do come in large and small packages and understanding, patience
and forgiveness are "worth it's weight in gold!"
Copyright
1997 by Author Patti Tricoli
