The Elephants in the Land of Enchantment

by Beverly Eschberger

  Rosa pointed to the door. “You can go help our husbands. They are cooking the meat for the party.” She laughed. “They have the easy job.” Maria and the other women laughed.

  Mr. Elephant went outside. He found the men cooking different types of meat. They had beef, chicken, and pork. They were cooking everything on a big, open fire.

  Harold and Penelope looked at each other. Penelope said, “I guess we are supposed to help, too.”

  Maria said, “No, you go outside and play with the other children.” She shooed them outside.

  Elefant is Loco

  It was late afternoon, but the air was still warm and dry.

  Harold and Penelope saw a group of children. They were throwing a ball around.

  Harold and Penelope went over to the children. “Hi,” said Harold shyly. “I’m Harold Elefant. And this is my sister, Penelope.”

  “We are visiting from London,” said Penelope.

  “Hola,” said one of the boys. “My name is Juan. Are there lots of elephants in London?”

  “Um,” said Penelope. “Well, there are some at the zoo… But I really would not know, uh. Since I’ve never, uh, seen an elephant in London.”

  “Oh, don’t be silly,” said another boy. “My name is Diego. And I can see that you two are elephants.”

  “Er, ah, no,” said Harold. “We are not elephants. I just have a big nose.”

  “And big ears, too,” said Penelope.

  “No,” said a girl. “We have all seen elephants at the zoo here. We know what an elephant looks like. Come and join us. My name is Eva.”

  “You mean you are not afraid?” asked Harold.

  “You are not going to panic?” asked Penelope.

  The children all shrugged their shoulders. “Why should we panic?” asked Juan. “Throw the ball over here, Carmen!”

  While they were playing, a tall girl came outside. “Carmen, do not get your clothes dirty!” she called.

  Carmen rolled her eyes. “That is my older sister, Alma. She thinks she is all grown up now. Because she is having her quinceañera tomorrow.”

  “I hope you will act like a young lady at my quinceañera. Your face is filthy. You are still such a tomboy,” said Alma. “Who are your new friends?”

  “These are Harold and Penelope Elefant,” said Carmen. She winked at them. “They are visiting Tía Maria from London.”

  “Elefant…Elefant…That is a strange name. It sounds pretty loco to me,” said Alma. “I guess it is a British gringo name?”

  “Um, yes. Yes it is,” said Penelope.

  Alma frowned in thought for a moment. “There is something strange about you two.” She frowned again. “But I do not know what it is.”

  “Maybe it is because we are not American?” asked Harold.

  “That must be it,” said Alma. She frowned again. “I have always heard that British people had big noses.”

  “And big ears, too,” piped up Penelope.

  “Well, I have to get ready for my quinceañera,” said Alma. “It was nice to meet you.” She went back inside the house.

  “That was strange,” said Penelope.

  “She did not realize that we are elephants!” said Harold.

  Carmen shrugged her shoulders. “I told you, she thinks she is all grown up. She cannot recognize an elephant now.”

  Dinner and UFO’s

  When it was time to eat, everyone sat at big outside tables. Mr. Elephant carried a big platter of meat all by himself.

  Maria’s grandmother threw up her hands. “¡Él es tan fuente! He is so strong!” she cried.

  Mr. Elephant put the big platter of meat on the table. Mrs. Elephant and the other women set big bowls of food on the table.

  There were beans, tortillas, and meatballs called albondigas. There was a soup called posole. And a mix of vegetables called calabacitas. And big bowls of red and green chile sauce for everyone.

  There was a big bowl of peas, just for the Elephant family. This pleased the Elephants, because (as everyone in London knows) elephants are very fond of peas.

  Harold spooned large scoops of chile sauce onto his food. The rest of the family used much smaller amounts.

  Mrs. Elephant waived her hand in front of her mouth. “Oh! I forgot how spicy the food is. ¡Muy caliente!”

  Mr. Elephant drank a tall glass of cerveza. “Spicy, but delicious!” he said.

  Harold looked up from his plate. He popped a roasted green chile into his mouth. “What do you mean, spicy?”

  Everyone laughed. Maria pointed at Harold’s plate. “Look, Harold is having Christmas,” she said.

  “What?” asked Harold. He looked at his plate. “How can I be having Christmas? There is no plum pudding or Christmas goose?”

  Maria laughed. “No, silly. In New Mexico, if you eat red and green chile sauce together, we say you are having Christmas. For the red and green colors.”

  “Oh!” said Harold. “I understand now!” He began to eat hungrily. “Yum! This food is almost as good as Christmas.”

  For dessert, the women served flan.

  After dinner, the children carried the plates into the kitchen. They stacked the plates next to the sink.

  “We will wash them mañana,” said Juan. He winked. “But only if my Mama makes us.”

  “Let’s have some fun!” said Carmen.

  The children ran into the yard. The sun was setting.

  “Why don’t we look for glow-worms?” asked Penelope. “I think you call them fireflies in the States.”

  Juan shook his head sadly. “We do not have fireflies in New Mexico.”

  “What?” asked Penelope. “What do you mean?”

  “There are no fireflies in New Mexico,” repeated Juan. “There just aren’t any west of Kansas.”

  “Why didn’t you know that, Penelope?” asked Harold. He was surprised.

  Penelope was stunned. She had thought she knew everything about insects. “How can that be?”

  “No one knows for certain,” said Diego. He shrugged.

  “Our cousins who live in Texas see fireflies,” added Carmen. “But we do not have any here.”

  Harold scratched his head. “Well, what do you do in the evenings? If you cannot look for glow-worms or fireflies?”

  “We look for UFO’s,” said Diego. “You know, Unidentified Flying Objects.”

  “They usually come from the south,” said Carmen. “Down by Roswell.”

  Harold and Penelope looked at Diego and Carmen. They did not know what to think.

  “You are joking, right?” asked Penelope. She was not sure if they were telling her the truth.

  “Sometimes they come from Area 51, in Nevada,” added Diego. He grinned a little, trying not to laugh.

  Penelope saw his grin. “Now I know you are teasing me,” she said. She put her hands on her hips and smiled.

  But Harold wondered if maybe they were not teasing. He looked up at the sky. Stars were starting to appear.

  “I wonder if there are any UFO’s out there tonight.” Harold said this quietly, so no one could hear him.

  Mrs. Elephant watched the sun set. It was bright orange. “Que bonito,” she sighed.

  “You see,” said Maria. “You are speaking Spanish already.”

  “Only un poco.” Mrs. Elephant laughed.

  Maria’s brothers and sisters brought out guitars. The family began to play music and sing Spanish songs. The children gathered around to listen.

  Everyone played music until it was very late. Some of the younger children fell asleep in their parents’ laps.

  Harold and Penelope sat in Mr. and Mrs. Elephant’s laps. They were still awake, but becoming sleepy.

  Mr. Elephant felt sleepy from drinking cerveza. He was dozing in his chair.

  Harold and Pen
elope felt their eyelids becoming heavy. They did not notice when Mrs. Elephant woke up Mr. Elephant.

  Mr. Elephant picked up Harold. Mrs. Elephant picked up Penelope. They carried their children to the bedroom.

  They tucked Harold and Penelope into their beds and kissed them goodnight. Then Mr. and Mrs. Elephant went to bed.

  Mr. Elephant dreamed about delicious New Mexican food. He piled his plate high with spicy foods. Mrs. Elephant dreamed about painting beautiful landscapes. She used her brightest colors.

  Penelope dreamed about being an archaeologist. She carefully dug up arrowheads and pieces of pottery.

  And Harold dreamed about being a cowboy. He got to ride a horse and wear a cowboy hat. He carried a six-shooter and a lasso. Then he saw a group of Indians on horses.

  The Indians wore feathered headdresses. They carried bows and arrows. Harold rode his horse over to them.

  “Hey,” said Harold. “Have you been rustling my cattle?”

  The Indians just laughed at him. “Don’t be silly,” said one. “We don’t do that anymore. Now, let’s all go for a ride.”

  “Maybe we will find a UFO,” said another. He laughed.

  They rode their horses into the mountains. Harold was happy to make new friends. (And he was glad they were not going to scalp him.)

  Dawn Patrol

  It was still dark the next morning when Maria woke up the Elephant family. They all yawned and stretched sleepily.

  Maria made hot chocolate. They all ate a quick breakfast. Then they squeezed into Maria’s car.

  Harold yawned loudly. “Where are we going?” he asked sleepily.

  “You will soon see,” said Maria.

  Maria parked her car in the dark. Other cars were parked there as well. She turned on a flashlight and led them onto a grassy field.

  “This is a very strange place to be,” said Mrs. Elephant. “Are you sure we are in the right place?”

  “Quite sure,” said Maria. “Just follow me.”

  The Elephant family could hear and see people moving around. They were rustling fabric and moving things.

  Suddenly a flame appeared near the Elephants. Harold and Penelope both screamed in fright. “Aaah! What was that?” cried Penelope.

  “Is this a haunted house?” asked Harold.

  “In the middle of a field?” asked Penelope.

  “You will soon see,” said Maria.

  More flames appeared around the Elephants. And they could hear more people.

  The light from the sun was peeking over the mountains. Its soft light fell on the large field. The Elephants could see large fluttering shapes. More and more flames began to appear. They made a loud, roaring sound.

  “Where are we?” squeaked Penelope.

  “What are these things around us?” Harold’s voice shook.

  “We are at the Albuquerque balloon festival,” said Maria. “We are here for Dawn Patrol.”

  “Dawn Patrol? What is that?” asked Harold.

  Maria explained. “The Dawn Patrol are the first balloons to be launched. They let the other balloon pilots know which way the wind is blowing.”

  Maria continued, “We have what is called the Albuquerque Box. The winds blow in different directions at different heights. This means the balloons can circle around. They can stay in this area, instead of blowing away.”

  “There goes one now!” cried Harold. The Elephants could see a balloon lift off. It rose into the air. And began to float to the south.

  The Elephants and Maria watched as more balloons lifted off. The balloons glowed as flames shot from their burners.

  The sun rose higher. The Elephants could see the balloons more clearly. Then music began to play. Everyone became quiet.

  “That is the United States National Anthem,” said Maria. She pointed at a balloon as it began to rise. “There is our flag.”

  The Elephants could see the flag that hung from the balloon’s basket. It flapped in the early morning breeze. The balloon turned slowly as it rose into the sky.

  The National Anthem ended, and people clapped in excitement. Then more burners began to roar with flames. And more balloons began to launch. Soon the sky was filled with colorful balloons.

  Harold and Penelope pointed to their favorite balloons.

  “I like the one with the picture of the dragon,” said Harold.

  “I like the one with the hearts and flowers,” Penelope said quietly.

  “This would be so beautiful to paint,” said Mrs. Elephant. “The morning light is so soft and pink.”

  Maria smiled. “Yes, I thought you would enjoy the balloons. We will see more of them later in the week.”

  The Elephants and Maria walked back to Maria’s car. “Alma’s quinceañera is tonight,” said Maria. “It will be in a restaurant in Old Town. We can visit Old Town today before the party.

  “What is Old Town?” asked Penelope.

  “Penelope likes anything old and dusty,” said Harold. Penelope stuck out her tongue at him.

  “Well, Old Town is old. But it is not dusty,” said Maria. “Albuquerque was founded over three hundred years ago, in 1706. Old Town dates back to that time.”

  Maria continued, “I know that London is much, much older than that. Most European cities are thousands of years old. But that is very old for the United States. It is made up of the original houses of Albuquerque. There are science museums nearby,” added Maria.

  “That’s what I want to see!” cried Penelope.

  “And a rattlesnake museum,” said Maria.

  “Oh, dear!” gasped Mrs. Elephant.

  “Yay!” cried Harold. “That’s what I want to see! Cowboys and Indians and rattlesnakes!”

  “I don’t know if I want to see rattlesnakes,” said Mrs. Elephant. She fluttered her hands in front of her face.

  “Oh, but Mummy. It will be educational,” said Harold. He winked at Penelope.

  Visiting Old Town

  Maria and the Elephant family drove to Old Town. They visited many shops. Mrs. Elephant bought gifts for their family in Elephas.

  They saw people selling jewelry on blankets. Mrs. Elephant bought silver bracelets for herself and Penelope. The bracelets had turquoise stones set in them.

  “These will be lovely memories of our visit,” said Mrs. Elephant.

  “And turquoise is the state gem of New Mexico!” added Penelope.

  Maria laughed. “Penelope has a wealth of knowledge,” she said.

  “I do my best,” said Penelope. She puffed out her chest a little with pride.

  “Oh, yeah?” asked Harold. “I know a state symbol that’s more important than that.”

  “Oh, what is it?” asked Penelope. She did not believe that Harold could know more about New Mexico than she did.

  “The state cookie is the bizcochito,” said Harold. He stuck out his tongue at Penelope.

  Penelope laughed. “Oh, Harold. You know everything about food.”

  “Well,” said Harold. “It is a very important subject. At least it is to me.”

  Mr. Elephant patted Harold’s shoulder. “It is to me as well, son,” he said.

  Harold continued. “I think other states should have state cookies, too. Or at least have a state dessert.” He thought briefly. “New York could be cheesecake.”

  “That is a good idea, Harold,” said Penelope. “England should have a national dessert, too.”

  “And what should the national dessert of England be?” asked Mrs. Elephant.

  “Sticky toffee pudding!” cried both Harold and Penelope. They jumped up and down and clapped their hands.

  “But we should also have a national cookie,” said Penelope.

  “Jammie Dodgers!” cried Harold.

  “Mummy,” Penelope asked. “Why do Americans call them cookies? Everyon
e in the British Commonwealth calls them biscuits.”

  “Enough!” cried Mr. Elephant. “All this talk about food is making me hungry! Let’s have some lunch.”

  “An excellent idea, Mr. Elephant,” said Maria. “And I know a wonderful café here. We can eat more traditional New Mexican foods.”

  Maria led them to an old building. “Church Street Café is the oldest house in Albuquerque. It was built by the early colonists,” Maria added.

  “Such a beautiful old building,” said Mrs. Elephant.

  “It must be sturdy, too,” said Mr. Elephant. “It is three hundred years old.”

  “Do they serve good food?” asked Harold.

  Maria laughed. “Yes, Harold. Very good New Mexican food.”

  It was a warm, sunny day. They sat at an outside table. The waiter brought tortilla chips and salsa.

  Mrs. Elephant ordered chile rellenos. Mr. Elephant ordered a burrito. Penelope ordered enchiladas. Maria ordered tamales.

  Harold ordered beef fajitas.

  The waiter asked Harold, “¿Salsa roja o verde? Red or green sauce?”

  Harold quickly replied, “¡Navidad! Christmas!”

  They soon heard the sound of Harold’s fajitas sizzling. Their food was served with frijoles refritos and Spanish rice.

  The Elephants were sad that they were not served peas. Because (as it is known in New Mexico), Elephants are very fond of peas.

  “Well,” said Harold. “The frijoles refritos are almost as good as peas.” He began to make his fajitas. He put the meat, onions, and bell peppers into the tortillas. Then he scooped sour cream, guacamole, pico de gallo, cheese, and tomatoes. He rolled it up, and took a big bite.

  Maria and his parents watched Harold eat. “That is a lot of food just for you. Are you certain you can eat it all?” asked Mr. Elephant.

  “Oh, yes,” said Harold. “Can I have fried ice cream for dessert?”