Children have already read many animal stories by the world-famous writer Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936), author of The Jungle Book. This selection now contains humorous origin stories that reveal quite a few animal quirks to the curious reader. Once upon a time, the elephant only had a nose the size of a boot. Once upon a time, an incredibly curious baby elephant was born who wanted to meet the crocodile. He searched and searched until he got so close to the monster that he turned his boot toe into a long snout. This is how the elephant got its trunk. What's more, we can find out how the camel became humped, why the leopard has spots, how the rhino's skin got wrinkled, or how much the kangaroo can jump and the butterfly can stomp... The charming, miraculous tales are decorated with the witty drawings of Ferenc Sajdik.