In the quiet of the night, a young elephant named Nong stood under the vast expanse of the starry sky, gazing up at the twinkling lights of the Milky Way. He stood motionless, transfixed by the sight above him, as though lost in deep thought.
Nong had been born and raised in the lush jungles of Thailand, surrounded by the sights and sounds of nature. But it was only recently that he had begun to take an interest in the nighttime sky. Every night, he would wander out from the safety of his herd and look up at the stars, marveling at their beauty and their apparent stillness.
As Nong stood there that night, his mind began to wander, and he found himself pondering the mysteries of the universe. How did the stars come to be? Were they all the same, or were they each unique? And what was beyond the edge of the Milky Way, beyond the reach of his own eyes?
Lost in thought, Nong didn't notice the approach of his older brother, who had been sent to find him by their mother. When he saw Nong standing alone, staring up at the sky, he was concerned.
"Nong, what are you doing out here all by yourself?" his brother asked.
Nong turned to face him, but didn't answer. Instead, he looked back up at the stars.
His brother followed his gaze, and for a moment, they stood together in silence, both taking in the grandeur of the Milky Way.
Finally, Nong spoke. "Do you ever wonder what's out there?" he asked.
His brother looked down at him, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "All the time, little brother," he said. "But we have each other, and that's all we need."
Nong looked up at him, and then back at the stars. He knew his brother was right, but he couldn't help feeling a sense of wonder and awe at the infinite expanse of the universe.
As they turned to make their way back to the herd, Nong looked up one last time at the stars, committing the sight to memory. For as long as he lived, he would never forget that night, standing beneath the stars and pondering the mysteries of the universe.