She smiles softly. "That little old lady in that storybook was foolish, wasn't she? I mean, elephants are good for lots of things! If you need someone to stomp grapes, or spray things with water, or haul a house around, or offer a nice bit of shade...or save the world...."

She ties off the end of the black and yellow scarf, and works the needles free. She reaches out and wraps it around Mizuki's neck.

"...there's no better friend to have than an elephant."