Golu Grows a Nose — Rudyard Kipling
'The crocodile winked one eye — and pulled. He pulled and pulled, and Golu's nose grew longer and longer.'
1. About the Story
'Golu Grows a Nose' by Rudyard Kipling (British writer, 1865–1936) is a FANTASTICAL 'JUST SO' story — an IMAGINARY explanation of how the elephant got its TRUNK. Golu, a curious baby elephant with a SNUB NOSE, asks too many QUESTIONS. His curiosity leads him to the crocodile — who grabs his nose and PULLS it into a trunk.
Why This Story
- Classic children's literature by a Nobel Prize winner
- IMAGINATIVE 'how and why' story
- Teaches the VALUE of CURIOSITY (even when dangerous)
- Rich, playful LANGUAGE
- Endlessly ENTERTAINING
2. About the Author
Rudyard Kipling (1865–1936)
- British writer, born in India (Mumbai)
- Won the NOBEL PRIZE in Literature (1907)
- Famous works: 'The Jungle Book', 'Kim', 'Just So Stories'
- LOVED India — many stories are set here
- 'Just So Stories' are IMAGINARY explanations of animal features
- Known for: VIVID NARRATIVE, MUSICAL LANGUAGE, DEEP LOVE for India
3. Character Analysis
Golu (Baby Elephant)
- EXTREMELY CURIOUS — asks endless questions
- POLITE — always says 'please' and 'thank you'
- NAIVE — does not know danger
- Has a SNUB NOSE (no trunk) at the start
- AFTER the crocodile pulls his nose: has a LONG TRUNK
- Represents the curious child who LEARNS through experience
The Crocodile
- TRICKY — pretends to be friendly
- DANGEROUS — grabs Golu's nose
- WINKED — this is the moment Golu should have been suspicious
- Represents the DANGERS of trusting strangers
The Kolokolo Bird
- Helps GOLU by directing him to the river
- A MINOR character but CRUCIAL to the plot
Other Animals
- Each has a ROLE in the story
- They are AMAZED by Golu's new trunk
- Teach Golu how to USE his trunk
Golu's Family (mentioned)
- His PARENTS — warned him about the crocodile
- He DID NOT LISTEN — and learned a lesson!
4. Story Summary
GOLU is a baby elephant with a SNUB NOSE — a small, stubby nose. He is TERRIBLY CURIOUS and asks EVERYONE questions. What does the crocodile eat for dinner? No one knows.
Golu meets the KOLOKOLO BIRD who tells him to go to the LIMPOPO RIVER to find the crocodile.
At the river, Golu meets the CROCODILE. The crocodile pretends to be Golu's friend. 'Come closer, little elephant.' Golu comes close.
The crocodile GRABS Golu's nose and PULLS. Golu PULLS BACK. The crocodile PULLS HARDER. Golu's nose STRETCHES — longer and longer, until it becomes a TRUNK!
Golu uses his new trunk to HIT the crocodile and ESCAPE. He returns to his family. His trunk is VERY useful — he can pick fruit, spray water, and swat flies. All the other elephants ENVY his trunk.
And THAT is how the elephant got its TRUNK.
5. Themes
1. Curiosity
Golu asks QUESTIONS. This is GOOD — curiosity leads to discovery. But it can also be DANGEROUS.
2. Learning from Experience
Golu was warned about the crocodile. He DID NOT LISTEN. But through the EXPERIENCE, he gained something VALUABLE.
3. Transformation
Golu's nose changes from SNUB to TRUNK. Physical transformation = GROWTH and MATURITY.
4. Danger of Strangers
The crocodile seems FRIENDLY but is DANGEROUS. The story teaches: be CAREFUL with strangers.
5. Usefulness of Differences
Golu's trunk seems STRANGE at first. But it is INCREDIBLY USEFUL. What makes us different can be our STRENGTH.
6. 'Just So' — Imaginative Explanations
The story is NOT scientific. It is a FANTASTICAL explanation of a real biological feature. This celebrates IMAGINATION.
6. Vocabulary
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Snub nose | A short, stubby, turned-up nose |
| Trunk | An elephant's long nose |
| Curious | Eager to know or learn something |
| Crocodile | A large reptile that lives in rivers |
| Limpopo | A river in Africa (where Golu meets the crocodile) |
| Kolokolo | A made-up bird name (Kipling's invention) |
| Stretch | To pull longer |
| Pull | To exert force to move something toward you |
| Tusks | Long teeth of an elephant |
| Flanks | The sides of an animal's body |
| Satiable | Satisfiable, can be satisfied (Kipling's pun) |
| Bank | The edge of a river |
7. Important Quotes
- 'What does the crocodile eat for dinner?' Golu asked everyone.
- 'Go to the great grey-green, greasy Limpopo River.'
- 'Come closer, little elephant,' said the crocodile.
- 'The crocodile winked one eye — and pulled.'
- 'Golu's nose grew longer and longer — until it was a wonderful trunk.'
8. Literary Devices
'Just So' Story Genre
A made-up explanation for HOW an animal got its feature. Kipling wrote MANY 'Just So' stories.
Repetition
'The great grey-green, greasy Limpopo River' — repeated SEVERAL times. This creates RHYTHM and MEMORABILITY.
Alliteration
'Great grey-green, greasy' — the 'g' sound. 'Limpopo River' — 'l' and 'r' sounds.
Personification
Animals TALK and behave like humans. Golu SAYS 'please' and 'thank you.'
Humour
The story is ENTIRELY humorous:
- A baby elephant with a 'snub nose'
- The crocodile WINKING
- The nose stretching like rubber
- Golu hitting the crocodile with his new trunk
Hyperbole (Exaggeration)
The nose stretches IMPOSSIBLY long. This is FANTASTICAL exaggeration.
Fantasy
Talking animals, impossible biology, magical transformation.
Onomatopoeia
Words that SOUND like what they describe (the crocodile's snap, Golu's pull).
Third-person Omniscient Narration
The narrator KNOWS everything and speaks directly to the reader.
9. Short Answer Questions
1. What was Golu's nose like at the start of the story? Golu had a SNUB NOSE — short, stubby, and turned up at the tip.
2. What question was Golu always asking? 'What does the crocodile eat for dinner?'
3. Where did the Kolokolo Bird send Golu? To the 'great grey-green, greasy Limpopo River.'
4. What happened when Golu met the crocodile? The crocodile pretended to be friendly, then GRABBED Golu's nose and started PULLING.
5. How did Golu's nose become a trunk? The crocodile pulled Golu's nose, and Golu pulled back. His nose STRETCHED longer and longer until it became a trunk.
6. What did Golu do with his new trunk? He used it to PICK fruit, SPRAY water, SWAT flies, and HIT the crocodile to escape.
10. Long Answer Questions
7. Explain how 'Golu Grows a Nose' is a 'Just So' story.
Step 1 — Definition. A 'Just So' story is an IMAGINARY explanation of how an animal got a particular feature. Other examples: 'How the Camel Got His Hump', 'How the Leopard Got His Spots.'
Step 2 — The feature. The story explains how the elephant got its LONG TRUNK. The real explanation is EVOLUTION, but Kipling gives a FANTASTICAL one.
Step 3 — The method. A curious baby elephant + a crocodile who grabs and pulls = stretched nose. This is ABSURD but DELIGHTFUL.
Step 4 — The tone. 'Just So' stories are TOLD ALOUD — they have RHYTHM, REPETITION, and MUSICAL LANGUAGE ('great grey-green, greasy Limpopo').
8. What does the story teach about curiosity?
Golu is CURIOUS — he asks endless questions. This leads him to DANGER (the crocodile). But it also leads him to DISCOVERY (his wonderful trunk).
The message: curiosity is POWERFUL. It can lead to TROUBLE, but it also leads to GROWTH. Golu would not have a trunk if he had not been curious.
The story also warns: curiosity must be BALANCED with CAUTION. Golu was warned about the crocodile but went anyway. He should have been more careful.
9. Describe Kipling's use of language in the story.
Kipling uses RICH, MUSICAL LANGUAGE:
- ALLITERATION: 'great grey-green, greasy'
- REPETITION: 'the great grey-green, greasy Limpopo River' — repeated like a REFRAIN
- PLAYFUL WORDS: 'satiable' (a made-up word)
- RHYTHM: The story is MEANT TO BE READ ALOUD
- DESCRIPTION: Vivid details of the river, the crocodile, Golu's transformation
The language is HALF the joy of the story. It SOUNDS good when read aloud.
11. The 'Just So' Stories
Kipling's OTHER 'Just So' stories include:
- 'How the Whale Got His Throat'
- 'How the Camel Got His Hump'
- 'How the Rhinoceros Got His Skin'
- 'How the Leopard Got His Spots'
- 'The Elephant's Child' (this story's original title)
- 'The Sing-Song of Old Man Kangaroo'
- 'The Beginning of the Armadillos'
12. Activities
- Read the story aloud — focus on the rhythm and sound
- Draw Golu before and after
- Write your own 'Just So' story — explain HOW some animal got a feature (long neck of giraffe, stripes of tiger, etc.)
- Research — What is the REAL evolutionary history of the elephant's trunk?
13. Conclusion
'Golu Grows a Nose' is a JOYFUL, IMAGINATIVE story by one of literature's great storytellers. Kipling takes a REAL biological feature — the elephant's trunk — and creates a HILARIOUS, FANTASTICAL explanation.
Through Golu's adventure, the story celebrates CURIOSITY, teaches CAUTION about strangers, and shows that our DIFFERENCES can be our GREATEST STRENGTHS.
For AP Board students: focus on the 'JUST SO' genre, the LANGUAGE (alliteration, repetition, musicality), and the PLAYFUL TONE.
'Golu Grows a Nose' — sometimes the best answers come from the most dangerous questions. And sometimes you get a trunk out of the deal.
