Where Do the Elephants Go

A long time ago when the earth was young The elephants didn't take care They never looked where they were going and walked most anywhere They even walked on plovers nests disturbed the birds and bees Knocked down termite castles and broke down plants and trees Where do the elephants go do elephants ever die An elephant graveyard's never been found And if you listen I'll tell you why But then one day the queen of termites called the elephant king And said you'd better take more care or we will do something That mighty bull threw back his trunk and laughed at that small ant And said who in the world could ever scare an elephant The Queen said You'll regret this day my warning is defied For one day when you see and ant you will be terrified The elephant tried to stamp on her but she slipped through his toes And said you couldn't harm a flea with your big feet and nose The queen climbed up a leadwood tree and laughed at him again The elephant slapped her with his ear against that leadwood stem The leadwood tree was full of grooves the queen could not be moved And that is why an elephant's ear is also lined and grooved The queen went to her castle and called the termite throng The workers and the soldiers and she said All come along Just hide among the fruits that hang from this marula tree And when the elephants come to feed inside their trunks we'll be The termites were then in the trunks of that great elephant herd And at once they nipped and bit and it may sound absurd The elephants puffed and blew so hard their noses for to clear And that is why the trumpet sound through elephants trunks you'll hear And from that day the mighty elephants really realized That termites could eat them alive if they ever got inside And if they ever passed away they'd be eaten in the ground And that is why an elephant graveyard's never ever been found