YOU SAID:
the elephant walked across the tight rope in a skirt
INTO JAPANESE
象はスカートの綱渡りを歩いていました
BACK INTO ENGLISH
The elephant was walking on a tightrope in a skirt
INTO JAPANESE
象はスカートの綱渡りを歩いていた
BACK INTO ENGLISH
The elephant was walking on a tightrope in a skirt
That didn't even make that much sense in English.