What would happen...

[Dotsie]

Took me about 5 hours and Omnia's post to realise you were talking about one of the 4 disc-bearing elephants

But I've just read WA & the last thing the witches do is go & see the elephant. So I was thinking of that one

[Batty]

If Nelly is not welly
And has an upset belly
Then give it lots of jelly
To wobble on a plate.

As Nelly tries to pick up
The jelly, it might hiccup
Which activates the syrup
And leave its health to Fate...

[Tina a.k.a.SusanSto.Helit]

I LOVE THAT! It is too cute!

[Pabiacelyn]

If Nelly is not welly
And has an upset belly
Then give it lots of jelly
To wobble on a plate.

As Nelly tries to pick up
The jelly, it might hiccup
Which activates the syrup
And leave its health to Fate...

Ah, but doesn't Fate play games with the lives of men (and elephants probably) and CHEATS!

[Batty]

Without the elephants, the Disc may not survive and Fate would not be able to play any games...

Even Fate needs the Discworld. Besides, an Elephant trumps a God!

[Stultus Saxum]

At our local Wildlife Park large branches are put in the enclosure from time to time, so the elephants can eat the leaves and bark.

What sort of trees are they giving them that the leaves make the elephants bark?

[poohbcarrot]

[Tina a.k.a.SusanSto.Helit]

At our local Wildlife Park large branches are put in the enclosure from time to time, so the elephants can eat the leaves and bark.

What sort of trees are they giving them that the leaves make the elephants bark?

Oh dear...

[chris.ph]

it must be dogwood

[Jan Van Quirm]

Brilliant dog jokes aside - in Africa, bark is in fact what Ellies do eat naturally. Obviously they're not grazers with such short necks, despite the dextrous trunk and as they often live in quite arid areas they do browse a lot and sometimes do a lot of damage to crops. This is why farmers aren't too keen on them as it will only take a couple of elephants a few hours to completely trash a maize field... and they have to eat a lot as bark ain't too nourishing. They like fruit and nuts too and go crazy for Marula pods when in season (yes that's the same fruit as in Amarula the Bailey's like cream liqueur). In captivity though hay amkes up the bulk of their food

[Tina a.k.a.SusanSto.Helit]

I was just rereading Mort last night and the scene when Princess Keli is to be crowned has an elephant that had me laughing til I cried. You Have to Read it and get the picture completely in your head to appreciate it.