Not everyone will like this joke. I didn't think this joke was that funny at first but I can't tell it without cracking up when I reach the punchline.
In 1986, Mkele Mbembe was on holiday in Kenya after graduating from Northwestern
University. On a hike through the bush, he came across a young bull elephant standing
with one leg raised in the air.
The elephant seemed distressed, so Mbembe approached it very carefully. He got down on
one knee and inspected the elephant's foot, and found a large piece of wood deeply
embedded in it. As carefully and as gently as he could, Mbembe worked the wood out with
his hunting knife, after which the elephant gingerly put down its foot. The elephant
turned to face the man, and with a rather curious look on its face, stared at him for
several tense moments.
Mbembe stood frozen, thinking of nothing else but being trampled. Eventually the
elephant trumpeted loudly, turned, and walked away.
Mbembe never forgot that elephant or the events of that day.
Twenty years later, Mbembe was walking through the Chicago Zoo with his teenaged son. As
they approached the elephant enclosure, one of the creatures turned and walked over to
near where Mbembe and his son Tapu were standing. The large bull elephant stared at
Mbembe, lifted its front foot off the ground, then put it down. The elephant did that
several times then trumpeted loudly, all the while staring at the man.
Remembering the encounter in 1986, Mbembe couldn't help wondering if this was the same
elephant. Mbembe summoned up his courage, climbed over the railing and made his way into
the enclosure. He walked right up to the elephant and stared back in wonder.
The elephant trumpeted again, wrapped its trunk around one of Mbembe's legs and slammed
him against the railing. The elephant proceeded to slam and stomp Mbembe. As he lay pummeled and dying Mbembe saw the horror of his wife and son. With his final words he looked to them and said "I don't think this is the same elephant".
In 1986, Mkele Mbembe was on holiday in Kenya after graduating from Northwestern
University. On a hike through the bush, he came across a young bull elephant standing
with one leg raised in the air.
The elephant seemed distressed, so Mbembe approached it very carefully. He got down on
one knee and inspected the elephant's foot, and found a large piece of wood deeply
embedded in it. As carefully and as gently as he could, Mbembe worked the wood out with
his hunting knife, after which the elephant gingerly put down its foot. The elephant
turned to face the man, and with a rather curious look on its face, stared at him for
several tense moments.
Mbembe stood frozen, thinking of nothing else but being trampled. Eventually the
elephant trumpeted loudly, turned, and walked away.
Mbembe never forgot that elephant or the events of that day.
Twenty years later, Mbembe was walking through the Chicago Zoo with his teenaged son. As
they approached the elephant enclosure, one of the creatures turned and walked over to
near where Mbembe and his son Tapu were standing. The large bull elephant stared at
Mbembe, lifted its front foot off the ground, then put it down. The elephant did that
several times then trumpeted loudly, all the while staring at the man.
Remembering the encounter in 1986, Mbembe couldn't help wondering if this was the same
elephant. Mbembe summoned up his courage, climbed over the railing and made his way into
the enclosure. He walked right up to the elephant and stared back in wonder.
The elephant trumpeted again, wrapped its trunk around one of Mbembe's legs and slammed
him against the railing. The elephant proceeded to slam and stomp Mbembe. As he lay pummeled and dying Mbembe saw the horror of his wife and son. With his final words he looked to them and said "I don't think this is the same elephant".
