Into the jungle river walked the elephants, the littlest ones on their mothers' backs, and some, very small ones, held in their mothers' trunks, which were lifted high in the air. These were the babies of the herd who were too small to ride safely on the backs of the big creatures.
"Pooh! I'm bigger than you! I can swim like the other elephants!" said Keedah; a large elephant boy, as he looked up and saw Umboo on his mother's back. "I don't have to be carried across a river! I can swim by myself."
"And so will my little boy, soon," said Mrs. Stumptail. "Swim on your own side, Keedah, and don't splash water on Umboo."
But Keedah was a little elephant chap full of mischief, and he did not do as he was told. Instead he filled his trunk with water and sprayed it all over Umboo.
"Ouch!" cried the little elephant baby, for the water felt cold, at first. "Stop it, Keedah!"
"Ha! Ha! I made you get wet, whether you swim or not!" laughed Keedah.
"I'll put some more water on you!"
"No you don't! Now you swim along!" suddenly cried Mrs. Stumptail.
"Get away!"
With that she tapped Keedah on his head with her trunk two or three times, and, when an elephant wants to, it can strike very hard with its long nose, even though it seems soft.
"Ouch! Ouch!" trumpeted Keedah as he swam out of reach of Mrs.
Stumptail. "Ouch! Let me alone!"
"Learn to behave yourself then," said Umboo's mother.