Once upon a time, a dog used to go into the stable where the king’s elephant lived. At first the dog went there for the food that was left after the elephant had finished eating.

Day after day the dog went to the stable, waiting to eat the elephant’s leftovers. But by and by the elephant and the dog came to be friends. Then the elephant began to share his food with the dog, and they ate together. When the elephant slept, his friend the dog slept beside him. When the elephant felt like playing. He would catch the dog in his trunk and swing him to and fro. Soon, they were such good friends that neither the dog nor the elephant felt happy unless they were close to each other.

One day, a farmer saw the dog and said to the elephant –keeper: `I will buy that dog. He looks good- tempered, and I see that he is smart. How much do you want for the dog?’

The elephant -keeper did not care for the dog, and he was in need of some money just then. So he asked a fair price, and the farmers paid it and took the dog away to the country.

The king’s elephant missed the dog terribly. That day, without his friend there to share the food, he did not want to eat. When the time came for the elephant to bathe, he would not bathe either. The next day again the elephant would not eat, and would not bathe. The third day, when the elephant would neither eat nor bathe, the king was told about it.

The king told his chief servant, `Go to the stable and find out why the elephant is acting in this away.’

The chief servant went to the stable and looked carefully at the elephant. Then he said to him elephant –keeper: `There seems to be nothing wrong with this elephant, but why does he look so sad? Has he lost a play –mate?’

`Yes’, said the keeper, `there was a dog who ate and slept and played with the elephant. The dog was taken way three days ago by a farmer.

`Do you know where the dog is now? The chief servant asked.

`No, I do not,’ said the keeper.

Then the chief servant went back to the king and told him, `the elephant is not sick, but he is lonely without his friend, the dog.’

`Where is the dog? The king asked.

`The elephant –keeper says that a farmer look him away’, Said the chief servant. `No one knows where the farmer lives.’

`Very well’ said the king. `I will send word all over the country, asking the man who bought this dog to bring him back. I will give him back as much as he paid for the dog.’

When the farmer who had bought the dog heard this, he brought him back. The dog ran back as fast he could to the elephant’s stale. The elephant was so glad to see the dog that he picked him up with his trunk and put him on his head. Then he put him down again.

When the elephant –keeper brought some food, the elephant watched the dog as he ate, and only then id he eat his own food.

All the rest of their lives, the elephant and the dog lived happily together.