Stampy: Bart Simpson's elephant
923 words | Reading time: 5 minutes
CharacterBart SimpsonStampy
Offered $10,000 or a joke prize, Bart demands the elephant — forcing radio station KBBL to scramble for one. The story of "Bart Gets an Elephant" (season 5, 1994) then follows Stampy, renamed Lourdaud in French, written by the staff to be deliberately surly and destructive: a wrecked house, Homer's budget ruined, an ivory dealer lying in wait. Then come the rescue from the tar pits, the departure for a wildlife refuge, and a curiosity: the very first, still anonymous appearance of Cletus. An environmentalist fable born of a whim.
Bart had a choice between $10,000 and a "joke prize" nobody is supposed to take: he took the elephant.
Out of that whim comes Stampy — Lourdaud in the French version — the surliest beast ever to enter the Simpsons' house. Here is his profile.
Contents
How Bart wins an elephant
It all starts at radio station KBBL, in the episode "Bart Gets an Elephant" (1994). Bart wins a contest and has to choose between $10,000 and a joke prize: an elephant. Against all logic, he demands the elephant… even though the station does not own one and has to scramble to find one. That is how a pachyderm turns up at the Simpsons' house. The people responsible for this fiasco? Bill and Marty, the KBBL radio hosts.
🔑 Offered $10,000 or an elephant, Bart picked the joke prize KBBL didn't even own; a prize more your size slips onto your key ring instead, with our Simpsons keychains.
Stampy, an unruly beast
Named Stampy in the original version and Lourdaud in French, the animal is anything but a friendly companion. The writers wanted him deliberately surly and destructive, incapable of bonding. He wrecks the house, devours staggering quantities of food and ruins Homer's budget — who briefly considers selling him to an ivory dealer.
🍽️ Stampy devours staggering quantities of food, to the point of ruining Homer's budget; as for you, after a hearty meal, you only need to let out a notch on our Simpsons belts.
An (almost) environmentalist ending
The resolution redeems everyone. Just as Homer is about to hand the elephant over, Stampy saves him from the tar pits of Springfield. Moved, Homer calls off the sale and finally entrusts the animal to a wildlife refuge — not to a zoo, and not to the dealer. The episode, praised for its animal-protection message, also gives us the first (still anonymous) appearance of Cletus the hillbilly.
The owner
Simpsons Keychain - Bart
Bart on a keychain: the boy who chose an elephant over $10,000.
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Summary table
| Profile | Details |
|---|---|
| Identity | The African elephant Bart wins |
| Name (original / French) | Stampy / Lourdaud |
| Episode | "Bart Gets an Elephant" (season 5, 1994) |
| His temperament | Surly and destructive, deliberately |
| His ending | Entrusted to a wildlife refuge |
FAQ
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How does Bart get an elephant?He wins a radio contest and deliberately picks the joke prize (the elephant) over $10,000, forcing the station to find one.
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What is the elephant called in French?Lourdaud (Stampy in the original version).
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Is Stampy a friendly pet?No: the writers deliberately made him surly and destructive, incapable of bonding.
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What becomes of the elephant in the end?After saving Homer from the tar pits, he is entrusted to a wildlife refuge — not sold to the ivory dealer.
Conclusion
Cumbersome, untamable and surprisingly heroic, Stampy is one of the most memorable animals in The Simpsons. Proof that in Springfield, even a child's whim can turn into an environmentalist fable.
🐘 Bart's whim turned into an environmentalist fable: Stampy ended up in a wildlife refuge, not in a living room. On your shelf, our Simpsons figures find their spot without knocking anything over.
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