The elephant grunted, yet the world slept on. The stars kept their steady gaze upon the slumbering herd, and the darkened jungle murmured with its night sounds. The elephant gave a dissatisfied twitch of his trunk and finally rose to his feet. Taking care not to nudge any of his slumbering neighbours, he walked to the river and took a deep drink of water. When he raised his head and shook some final drops from his trunk, he noticed a fluorescent nimbus floating over to the rushing current.
“How did you know?” asked the elephant.
“I was taking a quiet turn with an angel,” the cloud pulsated, “as Katherine Mansfield would say.”
“I can’t sleep,” said the elephant.
“It will come with time; it always does.”
“You made so many questions,” complained the elephant.
“And as many answers,” said God.