"I'll look," said Uncle Wiggily, and he did. Then he exclaimed: "Oh, dear! It's the circus elephant. And he's grown so big lately, that if he gets in with us he will break my auto."
"Don't let him do it then," said Mr. Caw-caw.
"I don't believe I will," said Uncle Wiggily.
"But would it be polite not to give him a ride?" asked the little girl, as she ate another piece of candy.
"No, you are right, it would not," said Uncle Wiggily, decidedly. "I must give him a ride, but he's sure to break my auto, and then I can't ride around for my health any more, and stop getting fat. Oh, dear, what a predicament!" A predicament means trouble, you know.
Then the elephant called again:
"I say, hold on there! I want a ride!" and he came on as fast as anything. Uncle Wiggily was going to stop, and let the big creature get in, when the crow gentleman said:
"I have it! We'll pretend we don't hear him. We'll keep right on, and not stop, and then it won't be impolite, for he will think we didn't listen to what he said."
"That's it," said Uncle Wiggily. "We'll do that. Pachy is the dearest old chap in the world, you know, but he really is too big for this auto." Pachy was the elephant's name, you see.
So Uncle Wiggily made the auto go faster, and still the elephant ran after it, calling: