Chapters 1-5 Summary and Analysis

On a winter morning at the foot of Olymstroem Mountain, two babies are born. One is Bram Gunterstein, the only son of Josef and Katrina Gunterstein, and the other is Modoc, a baby elephant, born to Emma, the star elephant of the Wunderzircus, owned by Herr Gobel. The two have a special connection that will last a lifetime.

In chapter two, the life of the circus is revealed. Herr Gobel, the owner, greets Josef and congratulates him on the care of the new elephant and her mother. Josef does his best, teaching the other animal trainers to care for the animals almost as if they were people. This results in the animals and trainers having such a close bond that nothing seems able to sever it.

In chapter three, Curpo the dwarf cares for Emma, Modoc's mother. Katrina brings...