He waited, but no one answered. The jolly elephant was still far away. Pretty soon, however, a little bird perched itself on top of a tree where it could look down into the pit. The bird saw the hippo and heard his big voice calling.
“My! what a funny way you have of singing,” remarked the bird.
“I am not singing,” answered Chunky.
“Not singing? Then what do you call it?” asked the bird, looking down at Chunky, its little head on one side, just as your canary often looks at you.
“No, I wasn’t singing,” went on Chunky. “I can’t sing—at least not like you. I was calling for my friend Tum Tum, the jolly elephant, to come and help me get out of this hole.”
“What did you want to go and get in the hole for?” asked the bird, somewhat pertly.
“I didn’t want to,” Chunky explained patiently. “I fell in. This isn’t a regular hole. It’s a trap. It was all covered with leaves, sticks and grass, and I didn’t see it until I stepped right into it. Now I can’t get out unless my friend Tum Tum comes and lifts me out with his big, strong trunk, as he lifted me out of the mud. Oh, if Tum Tum were only here!”
“Maybe I can find him for you,” said the bird kindly, realizing now that Chunky was in a sad plight.