The Elephants in the Land of Enchantment

by Beverly Eschberger

“Harold, you are an elephant, not a pig,” said Penelope.

  Harold trumpeted quietly. “All the fun today has made me hungry.”

  “Be sure to save some room for dinner tonight,” said Maria. “We will have many special foods for the party.”

  “Will there be bizcochitos?” asked Harold.

  “Of course,” said Maria. “We always have bizcochitos for special events.”

  “Yay!” cried Harold. He finished his first fajita.

  When they finished their meals, Harold and Penelope both ate fried ice cream for dessert. Harold rubbed his tummy. “Mmmm, that was good. But it is too bad they did not have any peas.”

  Maria said, “We do not cook with peas very often here. But we do like beans in many foods.”

  “Hmmm,” said Harold. “I wonder what peas refritos would taste like.”

  “Yuck!” said Penelope. “That sounds awful. I will stick with frijoles refritos and regular peas.”

  “But Penelope,” said Harold. “You never know. They might taste good. And you could add red and green chile sauce.”

  Penelope shook her head. “No, thank you!” she said.

  The Quinceañera

  After lunch, they continued to explore Old Town. Soon it was time for the quinceañera.

  “As part of the quinceañera, we have a special mass. It is called the Mass of Thanksgiving. Or la Misa de Accion de Gracias Quinceañera,” said Maria. “I will explain to you what is happening.”

  Maria continued, “And do not worry. The mass will be in English, as well as Spanish.”

  “Whew!” said Harold. “That is a relief. I have enough trouble with French!”

  “If you only paid attention in class,” said Penelope. “Instead of playing with your toy soldiers.”

  “Maybe,” said Harold. “But my soldiers are much more interesting.” He pulled a toy soldier from his pocket.

  Maria and the Elephants went inside the church. They sat down and waited for the mass to begin. The pews filled with other guests. No one noticed that there were elephants in the church.

  Music began to play. Alma walked down the aisle. She wore a beautiful pink dress. She wore pink shoes with flat heels. She carried a doll in her arms. Behind her walked seven teenaged girls and seven teenaged boys.

  Maria whispered to the Elephants. “You see the doll she is carrying? That is her ultima muñeca. It is her last doll.”

  The priest began to speak. “We are here for the quinceañera of Alma. Today she turns fifteen, she is quince años. Today she becomes a woman in the eyes of the church.”

  “We are here to give thanks to God for Alma’s life. We have all watched her grow up. Today she tells God that she wants to follow him. She wants to be a good Christian woman. She will follow the teachings of God.”

  The priest continued, “Alma gives herself to God and the Virgin Mary today. Mary was also a young girl when God blessed her.

  “Now Alma will show that she is putting away her childhood,” said the priest. Alma’s younger sister Carmen stood up. She wore a beautiful white lace dress. Alma gave her the ultima muñeca. Carmen sat down, holding the doll in her arms.

  The priest continued, “She is now a woman.” Alma’s parents gave her a bunch of flowers. They put a crown on her head. Alma walked to the altar and placed her flowers on it. Her parents then gave her a scepter.

  Maria was crying. She whispered to the Elephants again. “The corona and scepter show that Alma is a princess. A princess in the eyes of God.”

  Alma’s godparents then stood up. They gave her a Bible, a crucifix, and a rosary. The priest blessed each gift.

  The priest said, “I now present Miss Alma Gonzales. A new Christian woman.” Alma had a big smile. Tears ran down her face because she was so happy.

  As everyone left the church, Penelope was very thoughtful. “Wow,” she said. “There is lot that happens in a quinceañera.”

  “Yes,” said Maria. “It is much more than just a big birthday party. It is a very important time in a girl’s life.”

  “I’m not sure if want to have a quinceañera now. There is a lot to remember,” said Penelope.

  The Party

  After the church service, everyone went to a nearby restaurant. This was where the party would be.

  There were pink and white ribbons all over the restaurant. There was a dancing area with lights and a mirrored ball above it.

  There were many long tables. Each table was covered with pink and white lace tablecloths. Everyone took a seat and waited for the food to be served.

  The waiters soon broughtbig platters of food. They served enchiladas, frijoles refritos, and calabacitas.

  Alma sat at the front table. She sat with her parents and grandparents. The seven teenaged girls and seven teenaged boys sat with her as well.

  Penelope asked Maria, “Who are the boys and girls sitting with Alma?”

  “Those are the members of her court,” Maria answered. She has seven damas, the girls. And seven chambelanes, the boys.”

  “Why seven? Is it a special number?” asked Penelope.

  “Like lucky number seven?” asked Harold.

  “It is simple,” answered Maria. “Seven damas, plus seven chambelanes, plus Alma…”

  “Equals fifteen!” said Penelope.

  “Fifteen for the quinceañera,” said Maria. “Fifteen years and fifteen people.”

  “I understand now,” said Penelope. She frowned.

  “What is the matter, dear?” asked Mrs. Elephant.

  “I‘m deciding who I want in my quinceañera. Hmmm, seven damas and seven chambelanes. This is going to be hard,” said Penelope.

  Harold rolled his eyes. “You should think more about what food you want. That is much more important.”

  Then an older man stood up. “I am Alma’s abuelito, her grandfather. I remember the day when Alma was born. She was such a tiny baby. She was very sick.” He sobbed.

  “We were afraid that she would not live. We prayed and prayed for her to live. And God answered our prayers.”

  “Today Alma is still with us. She is strong and healthy. And today she has become a woman. Her abuelita and I are so proud of her.”

  Alma stood up and ran to her grandparents. She hugged and kissed them both. Tears were running down her face.

  “Oh, that is so sweet,” said Mrs. Elephant. She dabbed at her eyes with her large handkerchief. Penelope squeezed Mrs. Elephant’s hand.

  Alma sat down, still crying. Her grandfather held up a glass. “Please join me in thanking God for this wonderful day. And in praising my granddaughter for being so special.”

  Everyone raised his or her glasses in the toast.

  More people stood up to toast Alma. They all praised her. They talked about how beautiful and smart she was. They praised her for being a good Christian.

  Then Alma’s older brothers stood up. They told funny stories about when she was a little kid. Her brother Luis was telling a story about Alma being afraid of the dark.

  “Enough!” said Alma, standing up. “I am a princess today. And if you tell any more stories about me, I’ll, uh…”

  “You’ll what?” asked Luis.

  “I won’t invite you to my wedding!” Alma stuck out her tongue at him.

  Everyone laughed. Alma’s abuelita said, “Yes, she is quite the young lady today.” Everyone laughed even harder.

  Next the waiters brought in the cake. It was a large chocolate cake with white frosting.

  “Wow,” said Penelope. “It looks like a wedding cake.” She watched as Alma and her parents cut the cake.

  “Yes,” said Maria. “A quinceañera is almost as important as a wedding. Today is Alma’s special day.” Maria sighed. “I remember my own quinceañera.”

  “What was it like?” asked Penelope.

 
; “It was beautiful,” said Maria. “It was like being a princess in a fairy tale. I had so much fun. And yes, we had wonderful food, Harold.” Maria smiled. “I ate so much cake, I thought I would burst.”

  “That sounds like Harold’s idea of a great party,” said Penelope.

  “That is right!” said Harold. He took a plate of cake from a waiter. “Mmmm, this is delicious!”

  Dancing

  A band began to play a slow song. Alma’s father stood up and took her hand. He carried a pair of pink, high-heeled shoes. He led her to a chair on the dance floor.

  Alma sat in the chair, and her father knelt on the floor. Alma stretched out her feet to him. He took off her low-heeled shoes. Then he put the high-heeled shoes on her feet.

  Alma’s father then stood up. He held out his hand and helped Alma to stand.

  Everyone clapped. Maria whispered, “The high-heeled shoes show that Alma is a woman now.”

  Next Alma and her father began to dance. Maria added, “The quinceañera dances first with her father. Next she will dance with her novio, her boyfriend.

  One of the chambelanes walked onto the dance floor. He bowed to Alma and her father. Alma’s father bowed to him. Then the chambelán took Alma’s hand. Alma and the chambelán began to dance.

  Alma’s father then went to where his wife was sitting. He bowed to her. She stood up and took his hand. Then they began to dance. Soon, other couples were on the floor dancing.

  Mr. Elephant stood up and bowed to Mrs. Elephant. Mrs. Elephant dabbed at her eyes with her handkerchief. “Oh, this is so lovely,” she sniffed. They tiptoed to the dance floor and began to dance.

  Juan and Diego hurried over to Penelope. They were pushing each other.

  ”Penelope,” said Juan. “Would you like to dance with me?”

  “No, dance with me!” said Diego.

  Penelope smiled shyly. “I will dance first with Juan, because he asked first. Then I will dance with you, Diego.”

  “Yay!” said Juan. He punched Diego in the arm. Then he led Penelope to the dance floor. They began to dance. Juan whispered something in Penelope’s ear. She blushed and giggled.

  Diego turned to his aunt. “Tía Maria, would you like to dance?’

  Maria smiled. “How kind of you to ask. Yes, I would like to dance very much.”

  Harold stayed at the table, eating cake. He looked up and saw Alma’s sister Carmen. She was watching him. She smiled shyly.

  Harold looked around. Was she smiling at him? Gulp! She must be. He took another bite of cake. Carmen smiled at him again.

  Harold stood up and slowly walked over to Carmen. “Uh, hi, Carmen,” he said, quietly. He looked at his feet.

  “Hi, Harold,” said Carmen.

  Harold put his hand into his jacket pocket. He pulled out a squashed paper bag and opened it. “Would you like a Jelly Baby?”

  “Oooh!” said Carmen, clapping her hands. “I love candy!” They each ate a Jelly Baby.

  They stood quietly for a few minutes. Then Harold asked, “Um, do you want to dance?”

  Carmen thought for a minute. Then she said, “No. I cannot dance very well. Let’s eat more cake instead.”

  Harold sighed. “Whew! That’s a relief! I cannot dance very well either. But I love cake!”

  “Me, too!” said Carmen. Let’s go get some ice cream from the cocina.”

  “A great idea!” said Harold.

  Harold and Carmen spent the rest of the party talking. They talked about their favorite foods. Especially their favorite sweets.

  Harold promised to send Carmen Jelly Babies from London. Carmen promised to send Harold calaveras de azucar from New Mexico.

  “Mmmm, I love sugar skulls, too,” said Carmen.

  Harold showed his toy soldiers to Carmen. He let her hold one of the Queen’s Guards riding a horse.

  Carmen blushed a little. “Alma teases me for being a tomboy. But I like playing with toy soldiers, too.”

  “Really?” asked Harold. He did not know what else to say.

  Penelope danced with all the boys. She even danced with the older chambelanes. She was very light on her feet. During a break, she talked with Harold and Carmen.

  “All those dance classes have paid off,” said Penelope. She fanned her face and took a sip of water. “You should come to dance class, Harold.”

  “No, thank you,” said Harold. “I am happy just watching you.” He smiled at Carmen, and she smiled back.”

  “Would you like some ice cream, Penelope?” asked Carmen.

  Before Penelope could answer, Juan and Diego appeared.

  “Penelope, the music is starting again. May I have this dance?” asked Juan.

  “Me next!” said Diego.

  Penelope blushed and giggled. She went to dance with Juan and Diego again.

  Harold and Carmen just smiled at each other. Then they went back to eating their ice cream.

  The Art Piece

  Maria woke the Elephants up early again the next morning. She made hot chocolate and breakfast burritos.

  “Today is the first day of your art show?” asked Mrs. Elephant.

  “Yes, it is,” said Maria. She smiled.

  “Are you going to tell us about your art? What sort of art will you be showing?” asked Mrs. Elephant.

  “No,” said Maria. “I want it to be a surprise.”

  “Can you give us a hint?” asked Penelope. She fidgeted in her seat.

  “Hmmm, what can I tell you?” asked Maria. “It is a large piece of art…”

  “A statue!” blurted out Penelope.

  “No. And it’s very colorful,” said Maria.

  “A painting!” cried Harold.

  “No. And it moves,” said Maria.

  Harold and Penelope both scratched their heads. “But artwork does not move,” said Penelope.

  “That is not true,” said Mrs. Elephant. “You have seen statues that move.”

  “But Maria said it is not a statue,” said Harold.

  “That is right,” said Maria. “Can you guess what it is?”

  “A piece of pottery? A quilt? A rug?” asked Penelope. “Those are all things that can be art.”

  “That is right,” said Maria. “But that is not what my artwork is.”

  “Is it food?” asked Harold.

  “No,” said Maria. She laughed.

  “Then I give up,” said Harold.

  “Me, too,” said Penelope.

  “Well, you will soon see what it is,” said Maria.

  “Oh, I hate to wait!” said Penelope.

  The Elephants and Maria squeezed into her car again.

  When Maria parked the car, Harold said, “Wait. This is where the balloon festival was.”

  “That is right,” said Maria.

  “But I thought we were here to see your artwork,” said Mrs. Elephant.

  “We are,” said Maria. “Follow me.” She turned on her flashlight and led them out onto the grassy field.

  The Dawn Patrol balloons had already launched. They glowed above the field. The Elephants could see and hear flames on the field. Other balloons were getting ready to launch.

  “Just look over here.” Maria led them to a large pile of fabric.

  “Good morning,” said a man with a deep voice. “I am the pilot.” He shook hands with Mr. and Mrs. Elephant.

  “Pilot?” Harold scratched his head. “Where is your airplane?”

  The man laughed. “No, I am the balloon pilot. It is time to get this balloon ready. You can help us.”

  Mr. Elephant and the pilot lifted a basket out of a truck. Maria and the pilot hooked ropes to the basket. Then they hooked the ropes to the fabric.

  Maria and the pilot turned on fans. The fabric began to puff up with air.

  “Now stand
back a little,” said the pilot. Flames shot from a burner at the top of the basket. It roared loudly.

  Harold and Penelope both squealed. They grabbed their parents’ hands. The pilot kept the fire burning. Maria shook out the fabric as it filled with hot air.

  “Look!” cried Harold. “What is wrong with it? Hot air balloons are supposed to be round!”

  “Sometimes they are,” said the pilot.

  “But they can be other shapes, too,” said Maria.

  “My goodness,” said Mrs. Elephant. “Look at that! Is it…is it…?”

  “An elephant!” cried the Elephant family together.

  “No, wait!” said Mr. Elephant. “It’s…”

  “Four elephants!” they all cried.

  “Yes,” said Maria. “The time I studied art in Elephas was wonderful. You and the other elephants were so kind. I created this balloon to remember Elephas.” She gave each of the Elephants a big hug.

  “Oh, that is so sweet!” Mrs. Elephant dabbed at her eyes with her handkerchief.

  “I am so proud that our country meant so much to you,” said Mr. Elephant.

  “Wow!” said Harold and Penelope. They ran around the balloon.

  “Look!” cried Harold. “There is the flag of Elephas.”

  “And the Great Seal of Elephas,” said Penelope.

  “Would you like to ride in it?” asked the pilot. “Or watch from the ground?”

  The Elephants all thought for a moment. “We will ride in it!” shouted Harold and Penelope.

  “We will watch from the ground,” said Mr. and Mrs. Elephant.

  Harold and Penelope climbed into the basket. Maria and the pilot climbed in, too.

  A man dressed in black and white blew a whistle. The pilot turned on the flames again.

  The balloon began to rise. Harold and Penelope waved to their parents on the ground.

  “Be careful!” called Mrs. Elephant. She sounded worried, but happy.

  Harold and Penelope saw people pointing at the balloon.