When God came to the earth to prepare the present order of things, he found three beings there, the thunder, an elephant, and a Dorobo, all living together.

One day the thunder remarked: “What sort of a creature is this man? If he wishes to turn over from one side to the other when he is asleep, he is able to do so. If I wish to turn over, I have first of all to get up.”

The elephant said “It is the same with me; before I can turn: over from one side to the other, I have to stand up.”

The thunder declared that he was afraid of the man and said he would run away and go to the heavens. At this the elephant laughed and inquired why he was running away, for the man after all was only a small creature. ' But he is bad,' the thunder replied, ' he can turn over when asleep'; and with that he fled and went to the heavens, where he has remained ever since.

The man seeing the thunder go away was pleased, and said: “The person I was afraid of has fled. I do not mind the elephant.' He then went to the woods and made some poison into which he dipped an arrow, and having cut a bow, he returned to the kraal, and shot the elephant.

The elephant wept and lifted his trunk to the heavens, crying out to the thunder to take him up.

The thunder refused, however, and said: “I shall not take you, for when I warned you that the man was bad, you laughed and said he was small.”

The elephant cried out again and begged to be taken to heaven, as he was on the point of death.

But the thunder only replied: “Die by yourself.”

And the elephant died, and the man became great in all the countries.