Elmer’s Inventive Escapes

My Father's Dragon

This flow traces how Elmer repeatedly converts ordinary supplies into solutions that turn predatory encounters into opportunities to move forward.

increasing

Bearing strength in each event

decreasing

The Chewing Gum Ruse The Chewing Gum Ruse from "My Father's Dragon". Turning Hunger into Curiosity The threat Seven Tigers circle Elmer and prepare to eat him. He responds by offering Chewing gum, something scarce on the island.

The Chewing Gum Ruse from "My Father's Dragon". Turning Hunger into Curiosity The threat Seven Tigers circle Elmer and prepare to eat him. He responds by offering Chewing gum, something scarce on the island.

Turning Hunger into Curiosity The threat Seven Tigers circle Elmer and prepare to eat him. He responds by offering Chewing gum, something scarce on the island. The invention He claims the gum will grow if planted after it turns green. The Tigers become absorbed in testing the claim, and Elmer slips away.

The Polished Tusk The Polished Tusk from "My Father's Dragon". A Promise of Beauty The danger Rhinoceros catches Elmer at a private weeping pool and threatens to drown him over the trespass.

The Polished Tusk from "My Father's Dragon". A Promise of Beauty The danger Rhinoceros catches Elmer at a private weeping pool and threatens to drown him over the trespass.

A Promise of Beauty The danger Rhinoceros catches Elmer at a private weeping pool and threatens to drown him over the trespass. The solution Elmer offers toothpaste and a toothbrush to restore the tusk’s whiteness. Rhinoceros’s vanity redirects his attention and gives Elmer a chance to escape.

The Braided Mane The Braided Mane from "My Father's Dragon". Grooming as Distraction A vulnerable pride Lion threatens Elmer while worrying that his tangled mane will disappoint his visiting mother.

The Braided Mane from "My Father's Dragon". Grooming as Distraction A vulnerable pride Lion threatens Elmer while worrying that his tangled mane will disappoint his visiting mother.

Grooming as Distraction A vulnerable pride Lion threatens Elmer while worrying that his tangled mane will disappoint his visiting mother. Elmer identifies the problem behind the aggression. A useful lesson With a comb, brush, and ribbon, Elmer demonstrates a tidy braid. Lion becomes so occupied grooming that Elmer can leave unnoticed.

The Magnifying Glasses The Magnifying Glasses from "My Father's Dragon". Fleas in Focus A sudden danger Gorilla threatens to twist Elmer’s arms, then becomes distracted by fleas that his monkeys cannot see clearly.

The Magnifying Glasses from "My Father's Dragon". Fleas in Focus A sudden danger Gorilla threatens to twist Elmer’s arms, then becomes distracted by fleas that his monkeys cannot see clearly.

Fleas in Focus A sudden danger Gorilla threatens to twist Elmer’s arms, then becomes distracted by fleas that his monkeys cannot see clearly. A clever handoff Elmer supplies magnifying glasses to the monkeys. Their frantic search occupies Gorilla and opens a route to the riverbank.

The Lollipop Bridge The Lollipop Bridge from "My Father's Dragon". A Passage Built from Treats Cooperation won Elmer promises Pink lollipops to Crocodiles and fastens them to tails as the animals line up across the river.

The Lollipop Bridge from "My Father's Dragon". A Passage Built from Treats Cooperation won Elmer promises Pink lollipops to Crocodiles and fastens them to tails as the animals line up across the river.

A Passage Built from Treats Cooperation won Elmer promises Pink lollipops to Crocodiles and fastens them to tails as the animals line up across the river. Escape through ingenuity The makeshift bridge carries him to the far bank. The Crocodiles’ appetite eventually pulls the pursuers away, completing his escape from the immediate danger.

during the first major jungle confrontation

after Elmer meets Rhinoceros at the pool

during the encounter in Lion’s clearing

near the river, before Elmer summons the dragon

at dusk during the river crossing