A five-year-old boy lived with his mother after his parents' divorce. One Sunday, she decided to take him to the zoo for the first time. As they passed the various animals, she told him their names and had him repeat them. After seeing lions, gorillas, giraffes, and bears, they reached the elephant exhibit.
"That's an elephant," the mother said.
After repeating it, the boy asked, "Mommy? What's that thing hanging down from the elephant?"
The mother replied, "That's his trunk, sweetheart."
"No, no," said the child, "Behind that!"
"Oh, that's his tail," she said.
"No, no!" the boy exclaimed. "That thing in the middle!"
The woman was flustered and replied, "Uhhh, that's nothing, honey!" And they moved on.
The next weekend, the boy's father came to pick him up. The child cried, "Daddy, let's go to the zoo! I learned all about the animals, and I want to show you!"
The father agreed, and off they went. At each cage, the child shouted the animal's name, and the father praised him. Finally, they arrived at the elephant cage.
"Elephant!" the boy shouted.
"Very good!" beamed the father. "I'm proud of you for remembering!"
The boy asked, "Daddy? What's that thing hanging down on the elephant?"
The father replied, "That's his trunk."
"No!" the boy moaned, "Behind that!"
"That's his tail," the father replied.
"No, no! That thing in the middle!"
The father stammered, "Er... what did your mother say it was?"
"She said it was nothing!"
"Well," the man said, puffing out his chest, "Your mother's spoiled!"