“Oh, I am so sorry!” said Blackie sadly. “I hoped I might get something to eat and drink here.”
“Oh, I guess I can fix that all right for you,” said Don, in a more kindly voice. “But you surprise me when you tell me you met my friends Dido and Tum Tum. Take that elephant chap now. Didn’t you find Tum Tum a fine, jolly fellow?”
“Why, he looked so,” said Blackie, “and Dido said he was, so I guess he must be.”
“Oh, he is,” barked Don. “I know him well. He’s the jolliest elephant you’d want to meet. Had a book written about him, too.”
“So Dido was saying. I just spoke to Tum Tum, or, rather, he spoke to me as I was running out of the circus tent.”
“Say, look here now,” said Don, a bit sharply. “I hope you didn’t run away from the circus. That wouldn’t be right, and if Dido hid you in his cage it might get him in trouble.”
“Oh, no, I don’t belong to the circus,” said Blackie. “I just happened to go in the tent. I belong at home. But I’m lost. I’ll tell you all about it.”
“Do,” said Don. “I should like to hear about your adventures, and I’ll tell you some of mine. I’m in a book too.”
“So I heard.”
“But first,” said Don, “I must see about getting you something to eat. Come down out of the tree.”