Tonga in his hut felt the ground start to quake,
Heard animals cry, felt the world start to shake,
Kissing his girl, he bent and picked up his spear,
Went into the jungle that he loved so dear.

The great trees were shaking, and dark was the sky
Across the Great Plains, the animals did fly
The zebra and tiger all ran side by side
As rabbits and snakes, looked for a place to hide.

The boy stood quite still as the animals ran
Then suddenly Tonga, became a grown man
From out of his throat, came the elephant call,
Came this chilling sound, from a boy-man so tall.

Vaduz the great elephant, king of the herd
His long trunk lifted, to answer Tongas word
The giant called loud, so to gather the pack
Then off at a run, with Tonga on his back.

Working from dusk to dawn, stopping the flow
Yet not once through the day, did these heroes slow
On calm river bank, elephants stood and cried
For during that day, our hero Tonga died.

So for evermore, elephants cry so deep
Even green willows, on riverbanks do weep
Tonga the saver, of forest and his friends
Buried where he died, near where the river bends.