“Well, Don, the runaway dog, and some of the animals in the circus said it might be rheumatism,” answered Shaggo. “I was in the circus you know, with Tum Tum, the elephant. It was Don at first, and afterward Tum Tum, who told me about you. That’s how I knew your name.”
“Dear old Don and Tum Tum, that jolly elephant!” exclaimed Dido. “I wish I could see them again. So they told you about me, did they? Well, some of those circus animals know a lot, but I think they’re all wrong about what’s the matter with you. I don’t believe that’s rheumatism you have.”
“What is it then?” asked Shaggo. “I know it hurts a lot.”
“You’ve got indigestion, that’s what you’ve got!” declared the bear. “You’ve got indigestion from not eating enough. Come, now, eat up your hay, and then swallow that bun and you’ll feel better.”
“Well, perhaps I will,” agreed Shaggo. “I’ll try it, anyhow. Maybe it is indigestion I have, but I’ve been thinking, all the while, that it was rheumatism.”
So the mighty buffalo, who did not feel as strong as he used to feel when he roamed the plains of the big Park, nibbled the bit of bun the dancing bear had tossed him, and then ate some hay. But, instead of feeling better, Shaggo seemed to feel worse. At last he was in such pain that he stretched out in the corner of his cage and groaned. Animals can groan when they are in trouble as well as persons can, and when Shaggo groaned you could hear it a long way off.
“My goodness! what’s the matter, Shaggo?” asked Dido, waking up from a little sleep. “Is that one of the tricks you learned in the circus?”
“I didn’t learn any tricks in the circus,” groaned Shaggo. “Maybe that’s why they didn’t want me there. And I limped, too. I guess they didn’t want a limping buffalo. But groaning is not a trick. I do it because my shoulder lump hurts me so.”
“That’s too bad,” said Dido. “I wish I could do something for you.”
By this time Shaggo’s groans had been heard by some of the zoo keepers. One of them came running into the building where Shaggo’s cage stood. By this time it was early evening, and there were no visitors in the zoological park.