"Where shall I land?" thought the Elephant.
A moment later he found out, for he was shot from the chute into the almost empty grain bin on the lower floor. Out of the chute tumbled the Elephant, and he was very glad to be in an open space once more.
"But it is almost as dark as it was before," he said. A little light came from the top of the bin which did not close tightly, but it was only a little light.
But the Elephant's troubles were not over. For no sooner had he been slid clear of the chute, landing on his feet, very luckily, than more oats poured out, for Archie was still holding open the door of the grain bin up above. So many oats came sliding down the chute that they rose all around the Elephant like rising water around a rock. The oats rose to his knees, to his stomach, where they tickled him a little, and then began to rise over his back.
"Oh!" he trumpeted, raising his trunk as high as he could. "I am going to be covered from sight in the oats!"
And then, when the oats almost covered his eyes, he had a glimpse of the Doll coming down the chute, in a shower of oats.
"Oh, you poor child!" called the Elephant.
"Yes, isn't this terrible!" exclaimed the Doll. "Oh, how are we ever going to get out?"
The Elephant tried to answer, but now the oats rose over his mouth and he could not speak. Only the top of his head and the tip of his trunk stuck out above the oats.
The Doll, having come down a little later, was not so deeply covered by the grains. She tried to stand up, to keep her head as far above the oats as she could, but it was hard work. Around and around she slipped, from side to side.