,,ELLA ,,! ,,ELEGANT ,,ELEPHANT

                   BY
      ,,C>MELA & ,,/EV5 ,,D'AMICO

              ,PUBLI%$ BY
        ,>?UR ,A4 ,LEV9E ,BOOKS
       ,S*OLA/IC ,9C41 ,NEW ,YORK
            ,COPY"R #BJJD BY
       ,C>MELA & ,/EV5 ,D',AMICO
  ,FUR!R REPRODUC;N OR 4TRIBU;N 9 O!R
  ?AN A SPECIALIZ$ =MAT IS PROHIBIT$4

      ,TRANSCRIB$ 9 ,5GLI% ,BRL BY
           ,JOYCE ,VAN ,TUYL
          ,"EGRE5 ,BRL ,S]VICE
           ,S1TTLE1 ,WA%+TON

             ,9 #A ,VOLUME
          ,PAGES ;I-;II & #A-G

          ,"U ! ,SPONSOR%IP (
  ,WA%+TON ,TALK+ ,BOOK & ,BRL ,LIBR>Y
           ,S1TTLE1 ,WA%+TON
                 #BJJF
                                     ;II










               ,= ,OLIVIA
   ,?ANK Y1 ,NANA & ,KURTIS & ,BETTE6












    ,,ELLA ,,! ,,ELEGANT ,,ELEPHANT   #A

  ,"S": 9 ! GRT1 WIDE ,9DIAN ,OC1N LIE !
,ELEPHANT ,ISL&S1 HI45 0A FOG S ?ICK T
NO HUMAN 2+ HAS "E F.D !M4
  ,ON "O (! ISL&S LIV$ A %Y LL ELEPHANT
"ND ,ELLA4 ,%E LOV$ H] "M'S NEW BAK]Y &
_! COZY A"P;T ABV X4 ,B !Y 7 NEW 6T[N &
,ELLA 0 WORRI$4
  ,& ,ELLA 0 N]V\S AB MAK+ NEW FRS4
  ,S H] "M SU7E/$ T %E D "S?+ 3/RUCTIVE1
B ,ELLA DIDN'T "K :AT4
  8,WELL1 "!'S / Q A BIT ( UNPACK+ 6D4
,:Y DON'T Y GIVE ME A H& :ILE WE WAIT =
^! COOKIES 6COOL80
  ,ELLA DIDN'T ?9K ? S.D$ V FUN1 B %E
CDN'T ?9K ( ANY?+ BETT] 6D4
  8,OH1 ALL "R10 %E SD1 & FOLL[$ H] "M
D[N ! CR1KY /AIRS4
  ,! F/ ?+ ,ELLA NOTIC$ 0 A DU/Y1 WOOD5
HATBOX4
  ,A C>D TAP$ 6! TOP R1D3

  ,,TO3 ,ELLA  ,,F3 ,GR&MA

  ,ELLA OP5$ ! BOX4                   #B
  8,OH6 ,MOM6 ,LOOK60
  8,OH1 YES60 H] "M SD4 8,I REMEMB] ?
HAT V WELL4 ,GR&MA US$ 6CALL X H] ,8GD
LUCK HAT40' ,X 0 V SPECIAL 6H]4 ,I'M
SURE T'S :Y %E DECID$ 6GIVE X 6Y40
  ,ELLA HELD ! HAT 6H] *E/4 ,!N %E PUT !
HAT ON H] H1D4
  8,I LOVE X60 %E SD4 8,I ABSOLUTELY
LOVE X60
  ,ON ! F/ "D ( S*OOL1 ,ELLA LOOK$ L ALL
! O!R ELEPHANTS 9 H] CLASS4
  ,EXCEPT = "O ?+ '''
  ,ELLA WORE H] HAT4
  ,! T1*] ASK$ IF %E WDN'T M9D SITT+ 9 A
DESK 9 ! BACK R[1 S %E WDN'T BLOCK ! O!R
/UD5TS' VIEW (! *ALKBO>D4
  ,:5 ! CLASS 0 SETTL$1 ,MISS ,BRI7S SD1
8,WE H A NEW /UD5T JO9+ U ? YE>4 ,ELLA1
W Y -E 6! FRONT & TELL U "S?+ AB YRF80
  ,ELLA WASN'T EXPECT+ ?6 ,%E FELT H]
FACE TURN R$4 ,%E TOOK A DEEP BR1? &
WALK$ UP ! AISLE4 ,B ON H] WAY1 %E
TRIPP$ & FELL1 L&+ FLAT ON H] BELLY6
  8,2L9DA ,BLUE60 SCOLD$ ,MISS ,BRI7S4
8,I SAW T6 ,%AME ON Y60               #C
  ,2L9DA SLUMP$ D[N 9 H] S1T4
  8,I DIDN'T M1N TO10 %E SD4
  ,AT RECESS1 ,ELLA SAT 0H]F1 HOP+ T "S-
"O MI<T ASK H] 6PLAY4
  ,B NOBODY DID4
  ,!N ,2L9DA ,BLUE1 ! BI7E/ ELEPHANT 9 !
:OLE S*OOL1 WALK$ UP 6,ELLA & SD1 8,T IS
A DUMB HAT4 ,X DOESN'T EV5 MAT* YR
UNI=M40
  8,Y1H10 SD ,2L9DA'S FR1 ,TIKI1 PU%+ UP
H] GLASSES4 8,B MAYBE %E ?9KS %E LOOKS
ELEGANT 9 X40
  ,2L9DA %\T$1 8,I "K6 ,LET'S CALL H]
,ELLA ! ,ELEGANT40
  8,Y1H60 ,TIKI LAU<$4 8,ELLA ! ,ELEGANT
,ELEPHANT60
  ,:5 ,ELLA GOT HOME F S*OOL1 H] "M ASK$
H[ H] "D WAS4
  8,T]RI#10 ,ELLA SD4 8,"EY"O MADE FUN (
MY HAT40
  8,WELL1 !Y M/ N "K H[ SPECIAL X IS 6Y4
,MAYBE Y %D TELL !M40
  8,I DON'T WANT TO10 ,ELLA SD4 ,H]
FEEL+S 7 TOO HURT4
  8,MY DE>E/ ,ELLA10 H] "M SI<$4      #D
8,?+S W GET BETT]1 ,I PROMISE40
  ,! NEXT "D AT LUN*1 ,ELLA SAT 0H]F
EAT+ H] S&WI*4
  ,!N "S?+ HIT H] 9 ! BACK (! H1D3 A BIG
R$ BALL6
  8,HEY1 ,ELLA ! ,ELLA-GANT60 %\T$
,2L9DA4 8,WANNA PLAY BALL80
  ,ELLA DIDN'T WANT 6PLAY BALL ) ,2L9DA1
B %E 0 AFRAID IF %E DIDN'T1 %E'D GET
T1S$ EV5 M4
  ,S %E SD1 8,OKAY10 & TOSS$ ! BALL
BACK4
  ,B ,2L9DA DID N TOSS ! BALL BACK TO
,ELLA2 9/1D %E ?REW X ON TOP (! SAFETY
WALL T SURR.D$ ! S*OOLY>D & SD1 8,WELL
:Y DON'T Y CLIMB UP & GET X !N80
  8,B X'S AG/ ! RULES10 SD ,ELLA4
  8,NOBODY'S LOOK+10 HU6$ ,2L9DA4
  8,B10 ,ELLA SD MEEKLY1 8,I ?9K X MI<T
2 DANG]\S40
  ,2L9DA ROLL$ H] EYES4 8,NO X'S N
DANG]\S4 ,J CLIMB "R UP & ?R[ X D[N4
,:AT CD 2 M SIMPLE80
  8,WELL1 IF X'S S SIMPLE10 SD ,ELLA1
8:Y DON'T Y D X80                     #E
  ,TIKI &! O!RS TURN$ & LOOK$ AT ,2L9DA4
  8,F9E1 ,I W40 ,2L9DA GL>$ AT ,ELLA4
8,B Y FLUNK$ ! TE/40
  ,!N %E TURN$ 6H] FRS & %\T$1 8,WELL1
DON'T J /& "!6 ,HELP ME UP60
  ,A CR[D />T$ 6GA!R2 "EY"O WOND]$ :AT 0
GO+ ON4
  ,S ,2L9DA />T$ %[+ (F1 TOSS+ ! BALL F
H& 6H& & HOPP+ UP & D[N ON J "O FOOT4
  8,SEE H[ EASY X60 %E EXCLAIM$4
  ,B 9 ALL H] HOPP+ & JUMP+ >.D1 ,2L9DA
LO/ H] BAL.E & ''' SLIPP$6
  ,NOBODY KNEW :AT 6D6
  ,"S ( !M RAN (F 6F9D A T1*]4 ,"S ( !M
COV]$ _! EYES4
  ,B MO/ ( !M J />$ AT H]4
  ,2L9DA />T$ 6CRY4
  ,ELLA FELT SORRY = H]2 MAYBE ,2L9DA
WASN'T Z T\< Z %E SEEM$4
  ,2F %E _H "T 6?9K AB :AT %E 0 DO+1
,ELLA PIP$ UP1 8,I'LL HELP60
  ,%E WASN'T SURE H[1 B %E FELT %E _H TO
TRY4
  ,:5 ,ELLA GOT 6! TOP1 %E SD1 8,OKAY1 J
GRAB MY H&40                          #F
  ,2L9DA DID1 & ,ELLA />T$ 6PULL ) ALL
H] MI<T4 ,B S9CE ,ELLA 0 S SMALL &
,2L9DA 0 S BIG ''' ,2L9DA'S WEI<T PULL$
!M BO? OV] ! $GE6
  ,!Y FELL ''' & !Y FELL ''' & ,,!N '''
"S?+ AMAZ+ HAPP5$6
  ,NOBODY--N ! ELEPHANTS WAT*+ F !
S*OOLY>D1 N ! ELEPHANTS SUNBA?+ ON !
B1*1 N EV5 ,ELLA OR ,2L9DA--CD 2LIEVE X6
      ,PICTURE3 ,ELLA'S HAT ACTS L A
    P>A*UTE & !Y FLOAT 6E>?4
  ,!Y 7 SAFE6
  ,:5 ,ELLA GOT HOME F S*OOL1 %E TOLD H]
"M AB ! EXCIT+ EV5TS (! "D4
  ,H] "M SCOOP$ ,ELLA UP 9 H] >MS & SD1
8,GR&MA'S HAT M/ RE,Y 2 GD LUCK4 ,:AT Y
DID 0 V BRAVE4 ,B Y M/ PROMISE ME "S?+1
,ELLA4 ,PROMISE ME Y W N"E CLIMB !
SAFETY WALLS AG4 ,:AT HAPP5$ TD 0
MAGICAL & N LIKELY 6HAPP5 TWICE40
  8,DON'T WORRY10 ,ELLA SD4 8,I PROMISE4
,I WON'T40
  ,! NEXT MORN+1 ,ELLA WOKE UP M* LAT]
?AN USUAL4 ,%E RAN ALL ! WAY 6S*OOL1 B
%E / DIDN'T MAKE X 9 "T4              #G
  ,:5 %E BUR/ "? ! CLASSROOM DOOR1 %E
CDN'T 2LIEVE H] EYES6
  ,EV5 ,2L9DA 0 SMIL+ 2N ! BRIM ( H] BIG
PURPLE HAT6
  ,MISS ,BRI7S SD1 8,S9CE WE C'T ALL SIT
9 ! BACK R[1 ,I'LL H 6ASK Y 6REMOVE YR
HATS ''' J DUR+ CLASS40
  ,S "EY"O SAT D[N4
  ,& :5 ,ELLA LOOK$ UP AT ! *ALKBO>D1 %E
GI7L$4 '''
      ,PICTURE3 ,*ALKBO>D SAYS 8,WE LOVE
    ,ELLA0
  ,?+S _H DEF9ITELY GOTT5 BETT]4