Tarzan (Princess Jane Porter)

Short tale: Tarzan (Princess Jane Porter)

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Kala the gorilla was very curious and crossed the rope bridge over the lush African jungle to a strange tree house. She had never seen such a house before, but she had heard a cry that sounded like the cry of the baby she had lost.

As she peeked inside the house she saw everything jumbled, there was a picture on the floor with a broken frame and a little farther and a little farther away a cradle.

Crying led her to the crib. In it was a strange hairless baby. He was not a baby gorilla, but he looked so helpless that Kala understood that he needed care and love. Her love.

Suddenly, a terrifying roar was heard in the tree house, Sabor, the ferocious leopard who had already taken Kala’s son, wanted to take this baby too. After saving him from Sabor’s clutches, Kala decided to keep the child.

Kala presented herself and the baby to her family. A young gorilla named Terk was especially curious about him. But Kerchak, the chief gorilla and Kala’s companion, did not trust the child. And although he consented to let Kala keep the baby, he told her that he wanted nothing to do with him.

Kala decided to name him Tarzan. Then she arranged a place for him to spend the night. Kerchak did not agree with what she was doing, but she was very happy. She had a son who needed her and who would take the place that Sabor had taken from her.

As he grew up, Tarzan loved to play pranks on his mother. One day he swooped down on her, barking like an elephant.

-Can’t you imitate an animal that makes less noise? –Kala asked.

-Oh Mom, that wouldn’t be so much fun!

–Tarzan complained.

-Make up your own sound,” she suggested.

Tarzan ran off, roaring like a leopard and shaking up the whole gorilla family, Kerchak gave him a withering look. Tarzan’s best friend Terk came to his defense. Then Tarzan left with her and his other gorilla friends.

Terk’s friends, Flint and Mango, did not want to play with Tarzan. When Tarzan found them at Elephant Falls, Terk came up with an idea to get rid of him. He challenged him to get a hair from one of the elephants in the lagoon at the foot of the falls.

Terk thought Tarzan would not dare and would give back to his mother, but he was wrong. She watched in horror as Tarzan jumped from the top of the rock.

In the lagoon, a cute little elephant named Tantor, saw Tarzan’s silhouette under the water.

-Piranhas! -he shouted in horror.

The elephants paid no attention to Tantor until Tarzan grabbed one by the tail and the elephant sent him flying through the air.

Tarzan fell back into the water. When he came to the surface to breathe, the elephants stampeded out, horrified and shrieking madly, headed for the area where the gorillas were calmly eating.

Before the gorillas understood what was happening, they realized that one of their babies was in danger. Kerchak risked his life to save the little one.

While at Elephant Falls, Terk pulled Tarzan out of the lagoon. Little Tantor still believed the boy was a piranha, but Terk showed him that he had nothing to fear. Tarzan showed him his trophy.

Terk could not believe it.

-You got the hair! -he shouted.

The gorilla family ran toward the lagoon wondering what had caused the stampede. Tarzan blamed himself for what could have been a disaster, but Kerchak was furious. Instead, Terk began to look at his friend with more respect.

As Kerchak had again rejected him, Tarzan began to doubt himself.

–Kerchak said that I am not family,” he said to his mother.

-Don’t worry about what Kerchak says, Kala replied.

Kala tried to prove to her son that he was just like her. Comparing her hands with the boy’s was not a very clear proof. So Kala wisely brought Tarzan’s head close to her ceiling and made him put his hand at the level of his heart.

-Do you see it? -he said. Inside we are the same, though Kerchak cannot see it.

Encouraged by his words, Tarzan promised:

-I will be the best gorilla in the world!

And over the next few years, Tarzan kept his promise. He learned the skills of all the jungle animals and eventually became more than just a gorilla.

One day they were attacked by Sabor, the eternal enemy of the gorillas, while the family watched from the trees, Kerchak defended his family from the bloodthirsty feline.

But the leopard wounded him. Sabor had the Gorilla chief beaten.

Tarzan rushed to Kerchak’s aid, Sabor pounced on him and they both fell into a deep hole.

The gorilla family waited in fear, hearing roars and grunts at the bottom of the hole. Then, total silence.

The gorilla family felt great relief when they saw Tarzan emerge triumphantly from the hole, dragging the leopard’s lifeless body. Then he did something surprising, he left it at Kerchak’s feet. Suddenly a shot rang out, Kerchak led his family quickly into the jungle.

That strange sound aroused Tarzan’s curiosity. Slipping through the trees to see where it came from, he found something he had never seen before: a bullet casing. Then he heard something he had never heard before: human voices.

He looked through the vegetation and saw a strange creature wearing fur clothing and using a sharp tool to cut through the tall bamboo canes that were blocking his way.

Tarzan had never seen any animal do that!

Soon after, behind that creature appeared two others: Professor Porter and his daughter Jane, who had gone to Africa to look for and study gorillas.

-Look, Dad! –Jane exclaimed.

Gorilla tracks! And they live in family groups just as you supposed!

As Tarzan watched them. Jane lagged behind her companions. Her notebook quickly filled up. She even found a baby baboon and set about drawing it. But the charming baby snatched the drawing out of her hands.

-Hey art thief! -she scolded him, taking the drawing from him.

The baby baboon’s family did not like the way Jane had treated him and went after her very angrily, but Tarzan rescued him and took her to safety.

Jane was frightened, but she was very curious. Tarzan, too, was intrigued by the young girl. He compared his hand with hers. It resembled his much more closely than Kala’s.

Later, Tarzan surprised Jane again, repeating his words.

-You can talk! -she exclaimed.

Then their names were called.

Jane asked Tarzan to accompany her to the camp. When they arrived there was a party going on. There was Terk, Tantor and the young gorillas.

But the noise attracted Kerchak, who ordered the gorillas to return.

Kerchak knew that humans could be dangerous to his family, so he forbade them to go near them. Tarzan did not understand.

-Why didn’t you tell me there were creatures like me? -he asked Kala.

She knew she should tell him how she had found him, but she did not have the courage to do so.

Meanwhile, Jane tried to explain to her father and Clayton what the monkey man looked like. She even drew them a picture. Suddenly Tarzan came down from a tree and there was the proof of the young girl’s strange story.

Jane quickly brought out a projector to show Tarzan scenes of human civilization. He responded enthusiastically and a great friendship grew between them.

Tarzan learned about Jane’s world and he showed her his. The only disappointment for the young girl was that Tarzan did not want to take her to see his gorilla family. He always refused, saying only Kerchak.

One day Tarzan arrived at camp and saw that the Porters were preparing to return to England. He handed Jane the flowers he was carrying and encouraged her to stay with him.

-But… I… I… can’t,” said the young girl, turning away with tears in her eyes.

Seeing that a great occasion for his plans had presented itself, Clayton approached Tarzan timidly.

-If Jane could have seen the gorillas,” he said.

-If Jane sees gorillas, will she stay? –Tarzan asked.

And he went to see if he could arrange it.

Tarzan asked Terk and Tantor to help him get Kerchak away from the gorilla family.

-All right, as long as he doesn’t have to do anything embarrassing,” said Terk.

But dressing like humans, it was embarrassing!

-I’ll kill him! -he said to Tantor.

Tarzan led the Porters and Clayton into the area where the gorillas were hiding.

Jane and her father were delighted to be among them. Clayton was also delighted, but for other obscure reasons.

Soon after, Terk and Tantor came running in. Kerchak was following close behind them, he was furious to find the humans and gorillas together, despite everything he had been taught, Tarzan held Kerchak back so the humans could escape.

Tarzan was troubled by the way he had treated his chief, and he looked down at his hands. He looked at his hands. What had he done? Kala and the other gorillas watched in sorrow as Kerchak accused Tarzan of betraying his family.

Kala saw her son’s pain and confusion and realized she had to show him where she had found him. Very sadly she took him to the tree house and Tarzan saw the portrait of his parents when he was a little boy.

As Kala feared, Tarzan now knew he was not a gorilla, so he decided to go to England with Jane and the professor.

-Wherever I am, you will always be my mother,” he said to Kala.

-And you will always be in my heart,” she replied.

Jane and her father were overjoyed. The three of them boarded the ship that would take them back to civilization. Tarzan saw the land of his childhood behind him and said goodbye to his life in the jungle.

From the top of a cliff above the beach, Terk and Tantor watched their friend depart. Terk shook his fist at the departing ship.

-Go on, get out of here, you hairless boy! -he shouted.

But Tantor understood that Terk was sad.

-I’ll miss him too,” he said sorrowfully.

The Porters and Tarzan got a big surprise when Clayton took command of the ship.

Then he captured Tarzan and revealed his real plan: to hunt gorillas to sell them. It was a terrible blow to Tarzan.

-I couldn’t have done it without you,” said the evil one scornfully.

Tarzan let out a desperate cry.

Hearing Tarzan’s cry, Tantor realized that something was wrong. With a courage he did not know he had until then, he pulled Terk onto his back and jumped into the sea. They swam to the ship to rescue their friend.

In the hold of the ship, Tarzan felt guilty.

-I have betrayed my family,” he groaned, Kerchak was right.

Suddenly, Tantor opened a hole in the bridge. Full of hope, Tarzan jumped up and ran to stop Clayton.

Clayton’s henchmen had already captured many of Tarzan’s gorillas, including Kerchak, who was being held between whips and nets. Clayton pointed a gun at the huge gorilla.

But Tarzan, followed by the Porters and their jungle friends, jumped up to fight Clayton’s henchmen.

Jane lunged at the one holding Kala prisoner and knocked him senseless.

Jane freed Kala, but other dangers lurked. Clayton still had his gun. He was furious that Tarzan had thwarted his plans and fired at him.

Tarzan was wounded!

Kerchak came to Tarzan’s aid and jumped between the two men, but Clayton’s second bullet hit the gorilla chief in the chest.

To get Clayton away from the gorilla family, Tarzan led him into the trees; he took the gun from him and smashed it against a branch. He was raised as a gorilla, but he refused to be a beast like Clayton.

He would not shoot anyone, not even an enemy.

Clayton pulled out a knife and attacked him again. Tarzan wrapped some targets around him. More and more furious. Clayton tried to cut it savagely, Tarzan shouted for him to stop. One of the vines was still holding the evil guide by the neck. But Clayton kept cutting it and it fell from the top to its death!

Kerchak was dying.

-Forgive me! –Tarzan begged him.

-No, you forgive me for not having understood you,” said Kerchak.

Take care of the family… My son!

The gorillas recognized Tarzan as their new chief.

A few days later, Tarzan and Jane were on the beach joining hands in a familiar gesture.

It was very painful for Jane to say goodbye to Tarzan, but she had to return to England with her father.

She climbed into the boat very sad and began to walk away towards the ship.

Professor Porter was sad, too, because he knew where his daughter’s place was with Tarzan.

-Let’s go back,” he said, pointing to Tarzan. You love him.

Jane jumped out of the boat very happy, and Porter decided to stay with his daughter.

After Professor Porter decided to stay in Africa too, Tarzan took them into the jungle. Then he beat his chest and shouted with happiness. There, in that paradise of nature, gorillas and humans would live together in peace.

END

Source: Disney

Story reflection: The story tells the tale of a gorilla named Kala who finds a human baby in a tree house in the jungle. Although Kerchak, the gorilla chief, does not trust the child, Kala decides to keep him and names him Tarzan. As he grows up, Tarzan has fun playing pranks and games with the gorillas, but he always feels that he doesn’t quite fit in. Although his mother Kala tries to make him understand that he is just like her, Tarzan begins to doubt himself when Kerchak rejects him and tells him he is not part of the family.
In the end, Tarzan learns to accept himself and find his place in the world, and the story teaches us about the importance of acceptance and inclusion.

Frequently asked questions about the story Tarzan

¿Who is Kala in the story?

Kala is a gorilla who lives in the African jungle.

¿Why did Kala cross the rope bridge to the strange tree house?

Kala crossed the rope bridge because she had heard a cry that was similar to the cry of the baby she had lost.

¿What did Kala find in the strange tree house?

Kala found a strange hairless baby that was not a baby gorilla.

¿Who is Sabor in the story?

Sabor is a ferocious leopard who tried to take over the baby Kala found in the tree house.

¿What is the name of the baby that Kala found in the tree house?

Kala decided to name the baby Tarzan.

¿How did Kerchak, the gorilla chief, react when he found out that Kala had adopted Tarzan?

Kerchak did not trust the child and although he consented to Kala keeping the baby, he told her that he wanted nothing to do with him.

¿Who were Tarzan's friends in the jungle?

Tarzan’s friends in the jungle were other gorillas named Terk, Flint and Mango.

¿How did Tarzan get the hair from one of the elephants in the lagoon?

Tarzan jumped from the top of a rock into the lagoon and grabbed the tail of an elephant to get its hair.

¿What happened when the elephants panicked and headed toward the area where the gorillas were calmly eating?

Kerchak risked his life to save one of the endangered baby gorillas.

¿How did Kala try to prove to Tarzan that he was just like her?

Kala tried to prove that she was just like Tarzan by comparing her hands to the boy’s hands.

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