Strictly No Elephants I Story by Inaaya Nair
Strictly No Elephants
It was Myra’s first day at Victoria Summer Camp. She was super excited. There were giant ropes to climb, kites to paint, stories to hear and a grand treasure hunt at the end of the week. Yippee!
She skipped through the camp gates and then…
STOP!
A giant wooden board stood under the bright red Gulmohar tree. It read:
Camp Rules
Be Kind
Help Each Other
Try New Things
Strictly No Elephants
Myra blinked. She rubbed her eyes and read it once more.
“Wait, what?” she thought. “Where are the elephants? That’s so silly!”
Now she really wanted to know.
First, she walked up to Kabir Sir, who was setting up the obstacle course.
“Why are elephants not allowed here?” she asked.
Kabir Sir laughed and replied, “Imagine an elephant trying to jump over those tyres!”
Myra imagined the elephant taking one giant jump…
BOOM!
The tyres flew high into the trees!
She giggled.
“But maybe they could just use bigger tyres,” she thought.
“No… this couldn’t be the real reason.”
Next, she went to the art tent and met Meera Ma’am.
“Elephants?” said Meera Ma’am. “One big swish of an elephant’s trunk and there would be paint everywhere!”
Myra imagined blue, yellow and pink paint flying all over the place. The children were laughing and the elephant was smiling too.
“Actually,” she thought, “that’s a painting I would put up on my wall.”
“This can’t be the reason.”
At snack time she met Paranjal Ma’am.
“What if a hungry elephant ate all the mangoes?” she whispered.
Myra imagined an elephant politely eating one slice…
…then another…
…and another…
until only the mango seeds were left.
She laughed.
“I’m sure more mangoes could be bought,” she thought.
“This couldn’t be the reason either.”
Everyone was giving her silly answers.
Too big.
Too hungry.
Too messy.
None of them made sense.
Later, Myra was looking for some books in the library when Miss Naomi, the camp boss, saw her.
Myra asked, “Why are elephants really not allowed?”
Naomi Ma’am smiled.
“I am glad you asked.”
She opened a cupboard. Inside was a shiny old trophy that read:
Grand Treasure Hunt Champion
There were lots of old treasure maps beside it.
Naomi Ma’am picked up one of the maps and unfolded it.
“Many summers ago,” she began, “an elephant joined our Grand Treasure Hunt.”
Myra’s eyes lit up.
“I knew it!”
Naomi Ma’am continued,
“He wasn’t the fastest.
He wasn’t the biggest.
He simply remembered every clue…
every shortcut…
and every single hiding spot.”
“He won every single time.”
Myra smiled.
“Because elephants never forget!”
“Yes,” said Naomi Ma’am.
“So someone made that silly rule and put it on the board.”
Myra looked out of the window. She smiled because she had an idea.
“What if we make a new treasure hunt every year?”
Naomi Ma’am was quiet for a moment.
Then she gave a big smile.
“I think you have solved a very old problem.”
The next morning there was a new sign on the board.
Grand Treasure Hunt
New Rules. New Clues. Everybody is Welcome.
And standing right at the starting line, wearing a tiny camp hat and holding a treasure map in his trunk…
…was one super happy elephant.
Strictly No Elephants I Story by Inaaya Nair
Q1: Who wrote the story “Strictly No Elephants”?
A: The story was written by 7-year-old Inaaya Nair.
Q2: What is the story “Strictly No Elephants” about?
A: On her first day at Victoria Summer Camp, a curious young girl named Myra spots a strange sign that says “Strictly No Elephants.” After hearing silly excuses about why elephants aren’t allowed, she learns the real reason from the camp boss and finds a clever, inclusive solution so everyone can participate.
Q3: Where does the story take place?
A: The story takes place at Victoria Summer Camp under a bright red Gulmohar tree, across various camp areas like the obstacle course, art tent, snack area, and library.
Q4: Why were elephants originally banned from the camp?
A: Elephants weren’t banned because they were too big, hungry, or messy—they were banned because an elephant in the past won the Grand Treasure Hunt every single time by remembering every clue, shortcut, and hiding spot!
Q5: How does Myra solve the problem of the unfair rule?
A: Myra suggests creating a brand-new treasure hunt with new rules and new clues every single year, ensuring the hunt is fair and fun for everyone.
Q6: What is the main message or moral of the story?
A: The story highlights problem-solving, fairness, inclusion, questioning silly or unfair rules, and making sure everybody feels welcome.
Where can you buy the books?
You can Buy the books at Bookosmia.com and Amazon.
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This article is published by Bookosmia, India’s #1 publisher for and by young people. Bookosmia publishes stories, books, podcasts, events, TED-Ed talks, workshops, bedtime stories and more related to kids and young adults.
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