The Elephant who didnt try long enough

The elephant was born somewhere in the dense forests of India. Home to thousands of wild animals with hills and streams and woods and plains. He enjoyed the wildness of the woods, where he could roam anywhere he wanted to, swim whenever he wished, eat whatever he liked. Life was good.

Until one day he was caught up by a group of hunters. He was still a baby elephant, shorter in height than even humans, when he got trapped. Next thing he knew, he was in a zoo with plenty of other animals but all of them caged like he was. Big strong chains anchored in the ground won't let him move. He tried with all his strength to free himself but he was too tiny and weak to uproot those shackles. He was young, lonely and frightened. Each day he tried to free himself up by using all of his strength but in vain. With each passing day he felt more and more hopeless and then finally one day he stopped trying.

Years later, this same elephant grew up to be a big strong sturdy healthy animal. His strength was at his peak and he could easily have freed himself up from those chains had he tried now. But he didn't. He had given up a long time ago. He had accepted his fate. Not that he was happy with it. He still wanted to get out of bonds but he didn't have the courage to try anymore. Plus there were other negative thoughts that bothered him now- What if he couldn't find his family? What if he wasn't accepted in the wild? What if he got caught again? He was afraid to disappoint himself once again. He had grown up to become timid and weak.

He passed away in the zoo at a very young age. Poor thing, he never tasted freedom. If only he had tried a little more, a little longer.