64 Zoo Lane

Nelson the Elephant and his nephew Nigel set about building a house entirely from leaves in the forest. Yet the leafy construction proves unable to bear the considerable weight of the exuberant, large creature, causing the fragile structure to struggle under his massive bulk.

The House of Leaves is a programme presented in a single‑episode format. It is listed under the genre “episode”, which points to a concise, self‑contained story rather than a multi‑part series. The title hints at an unconventional structure that the narrative will focus on. In the episode, Nelson the Elephant teams up with his nephew Nigel to build a dwelling made entirely of leaves. They pile the foliage layer by layer, hoping the natural material will interlock enough to form walls. Their joint effort produces a fragile construction that soon faces a serious problem: it cannot bear the mass of the exuberant elephant. Nelson, a large and lively elephant, brings his characteristic exuberance to the project, while Nigel, his younger relative, contributes his youthful enthusiasm. Nigel follows his uncle’s lead, handling the lighter bundles, whereas Nelson attempts to position the heavier sections. Together they gather the leaves and assemble the house, hoping the natural material will hold together. However, the leaf construction proves insufficient under Nelson’s weight, causing the house to strain and wobble. The leaf walls begin to buckle, indicating that the structure cannot sustain the elephant’s presence without collapsing. The episode therefore ends with a house that struggles to stay upright under the creature’s exuberant load.