The long thing, which Shaggo had thought was a snake, was once more thrust in between the bars of his cage. And then, to his surprise, the buffalo saw that on the end of the long object was something like a finger and thumb. This picked up a wisp of hay, more hay was encircled in a coil of the trunk, and then the fodder was lifted up and stuffed down a large, red mouth.
“There, Shaggo, as I heard the circus men call you, do you believe I can pick up things with my nose?” asked the big animal.
“Yes,” answered the buffalo, “I do. But I never would have believed it if I had not seen it. Who are you, if you please, and what are you called?”
“I am Tum Tum, the jolly elephant,” was the answer. “I have been in the circus for some time, and I am glad that you have come to live with us. I suppose you are a new kind of sacred cow, for those are the only animals I ever saw with humps on their backs, except the camels, and I know you aren’t a camel. You’re too good-looking to be a camel, though the camels are friends of mine,” went on the jolly elephant, who never spoke a bad word against any of his circus companions.
“No, I am not a camel, nor am I a sacred cow,” said Shaggo. “I did not know there were any animals other than myself who had humps.”
“Oh, yes,” said Tum Tum. “Look over there and you can see the camels.”
Shaggo looked, as Tum Tum pointed with his trunk, and saw some rather ugly animals chewing hay. Some had two humps and some had one.
“They are taller than I am, but they are not so strong,” said Shaggo. “And they have no horns. I should not object to meeting them in a fight.”
“Oh, my dear Shaggo! We never think of fighting!” laughed Tum Tum. “All of us, here in the circus, are friends. You’ll soon get used to us.”
“Yes, I suppose I shall, after my sore shoulder stops hurting,” said the buffalo.