The Vain Elephant Girl and Other Stories. E-book. Formato PDF - 9781370226016

Short Stories

Thin rings of smoke rise like a spiral staircase from the cigar of Evaristo, who dangles on a branch pretending to read his magazine Colourful Quills Flying High.
There are some days that Evaristo is tormented by visions of the curved shapes of Ariosta, which have delighted and shocked the young adventurous parrot and left him absorbed, bound in murky delights and fantasies.
The first yellow and green orchid came to rest on the water, without being noticed, between the feet of the vain elephant Ariosta. Sitting in the shallow water of the shore, Ariosta continued to rub her skin with a smooth stone.
My God, what wrinkled skin I have this morning, thought the elephant, it must be the humidity of the lake. The second black and red orchid spiralled around the trunk of Ariosta and bobbed up and down, barely noticeable, next to the first orchid. Maybe it would improve if I take a mud bath. This smooth stone is useless, she thought again.
The third white and blue orchid floated in a respectful loop in the air and came to rest between the first two, always between the feet of Ariosta. The elephant arched her eyebrows, feigning indifference. She began to roll her big eyes, but forced herself not to turn around. Now that she thought about it, for a few minutes she had noticed what felt like a rustle, a current of air above her head. No one was ever allowed to spy on her while she was in the bathroom, yet someone was spying. Who dared? Behind Ariosta, two little eyes, daring and fearful at the same time, continued to admire her from a well-hidden spot among the branches near the shore. Below those eyes, the bold and proud parrot Evaristo’s beak munched peanuts and muttered words of admiration for the beautiful shapes of the elephant, quite unlike those other flibbertigibbets, all painted feathers and scrawny bones. Finally, a satisfied Evaristo set off in flight and began to swoop and glide in front of Ariosta.
“My dear, I hope you liked my sweet floral tribute, or perhaps you would prefer a small bunch of fresh shoots?“ (The Vain Elephant Girl)

“CItizen Sylvie, I presume. Good morning, citizen, I accepted the invitation of your gardener. Let me introduce myself. I am Jean Maifrot, gunpowder trader, supplier of the Revolution and also the Army of France.”
“I'm Countess de la Noir. How are you, citizen?”
Countess! The forbidden word, whispered by the malicious Sylvie, excites the good merchant.
“You're charming, citizen. I am looking forward to admiring your hidden beauty.” (The Garden)