Elephants! Just what Tom had been longing for, and it was strange to see how frisky the great clumsy creatures could be. They stood on one another's backs, they tried to waltz, and then two of them, after much floundering and capering, jumped over a bar; but not even Mr. Barnum himself could say they did it gracefully.
"See those two play see-saw!" cried Trixie, laughing till her little sides shook, "and that little fellow is grinding a hand-organ!"
Others, dressed like clowns, were as full of tricks as so many monkeys. The very largest elephant thrust his trunk forward, and Tom whispered to a boy who stood near, "You pull his front tail, and hear him roar!" But the elephant rolled his eyes toward Tom as if to say, "Better try it yourself, young man," and Tom moved back.
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| "Mr. Barnum and I remember Jumbo,"said he. "Who was Jumbo?" asked Trixie. "Oh, a tremendous elephant, as big assix of these rolled into one! He went toCanada, and there a locomotive smashed intohis brain, and he turned over and died. Butfirst he wrapped his trunk around the babyelephant and flung him safe off the track." "Good Jumbo!" said Gay with a smile;but there were tears in Trixie's eyes. "Yes, baby; and that's the way we wouldjump for you in any danger," added Tom. Gay smiled sweetly again, but Trixiesqueezed her old friend's hand so hard that hebent down and kissed her, saying, "But there is nodanger, Toodles!" |
The children were now quite ready to leave the elephants to look at the ostriches and the storks. I think that Trixie expected to see the ostriches wholly covered with long, dangling feathers, such as those she wore on her hat; and she was a little disappointed. The storks were old friends of hers, because mama had a screen at home, upon which storks were embroidered; and some of these birds, like those on the screen, were resting upon one foot.
Tom was very much interested in the sea birds,—the albatross, the penguin, and the auk, but there was such a crowd around their cage that he came away grumbling.