Faithful Elephants

In “Faithful Elephants” all the dangerous animals at the Ueno Zoo are forced to be killed by their zookeepers during World War 2. Despite this, the short story teaches readers that friendship is very real and very important. This lesson is taught in many ways throughout the story.

            The first example given comes mid-way through the story when the last two elephants, Tonky and Wanly are first beginning to starve to death. The zookeeper is pacing near the cage watching the poor elephants. The writer shows friendship in this scene by describing the zookeeper’s thoughts as loving them as if they were his own children. By adding, “ He could only pace in front of the cage and moan ‘ you poor, poor, pitiful elephants!” The author is showing that the keeper wanted to do more but he knew he couldn’t.

            Another time real caring and friendship came up was when Tonky and Wanly were very frail and probably living the last of there very few days left. Tonky and Wanly took the last few minutes of their lives to perform their bonnzai trick, the trick that had attracted thousands of people to see the elephants- before the war began. As they performed the trick in front of the zookeeper, the zookeeper gave in. He rushed into the supply closet, got food and water and begged the elephants to eat and drink. It was described as, “The zookeeper sobbed and clung to their thin legs.”  Despite the fact that the animals are supposed to be starving to death for the safety of regular citizens, the zookeeper against all instructions got food. And all the other zookeepers witnessed it; nobody said a word though, because once a friendship becomes so tight, it can be so hard to break it.

            All throughout the story the author challenges the reader to go deep inside the text and really uncover how this story is really not only a tragic event- but a moving, friendship-filled event as well. Everyone knows that a zookeeper loves his or her animals but this story really showed how the zookeeper’s life depended on the animals’ life. And if they were gone, he would be emotionally gone as well. In the end, the elephants both starve and there is a tragic moment with all the zookeepers lying with the elephants keeping them company just after they die. You never know how much a friendship means until it’s over.