"I'm not feeding him, Mother," Flossie answered. "I'm just lettin' him smell it. It smells awful good!"
And just then the apple slipped from Flossie's hand and rolled or bounced straight into the elephant's cage, between the iron bars.
"Oh, my nice apple!" cried the little girl, and before any one could stop her she had crawled under the front rail, and had run in between the bars. Right into the cage of the big elephant ran Flossie after her apple.
CHAPTER XVII
CALLED HOME
For a moment Mr. Bobbsey, as well as his wife, was so surprised at what Flossie had done that neither could say or do anything. They just stood and looked at the little girl who was walking toward the apple, which lay in the straw just in front of the big elephant. Nan and Bert, however, together gave a cry of fear and Bert made a jump as though he intended to go into the elephant's cage, also.
His father, however, stepped in front of him, and said quietly:
"One child in there is enough at a time. I'll get Flossie!"
And Flossie, not at all thinking of danger, if danger there was, kept going on to get her apple.