Have you ever read e.e. cummings'sThe Elephant and the Butterfly? It is a wonderful story. Your student's story very much reminds me of it.
quote:
One day the elephant was sitting in his little house and looking out of his window doing nothing(and feeling very happy because that was what he liked most to do)when along this curling road he saw somebody coming up and up toward his little house;and he opened his eyes wide,and felt very much surprised. “Whoever is that person who’s coming up along and along the curling road toward my little house?” the elephant said to himself.
And pretty soon he saw that it was a butterfly who was fluttering along the curling road ever so happily;and the elephant said: “My goodness, I wonder if he’s coming to call on me?” As the butterfly came nearer and nearer,the elephant felt more and more excited inside of himself. Up the steps of the little house came the butterfly and he knocked very gently on the door with his wing. “Is anyone inside?” he asked.
The elephant was ever so pleased,but he waited.
Then the butterfly knocked again with his wing,a little louder but still very gently,and said: “Does anyone live here,please?”
Still the elephant never said anything because he was too happy to speak.