“Why, Nero!” exclaimed the tiger, as his friend’s new cage was wheeled in, “where in the world have you been?”
“Oh, almost everywhere, I guess,” answered Nero. “I’ve had a lot of adventures!”
“Ha! Then you’ll be put in a book,” said Tum Tum quickly. And, as those of you who have read the volume which comes just before this one know, Nero was put in a book.
“Yes, I had adventures enough for a book,” went on the big lion, who had been caught by some circus men in a farmer’s woodshed and brought back to the show. “I had a pretty good time, too, while I was away, though I didn’t get as much to eat as we do here in the circus. I guess I’m glad to be back, my friends!” and he curled up in his cage and got ready to go to sleep.
“Ho! Glad to get back, are you?” asked Tamba. “Well, I won’t say that if I get a chance to run away! I’ll stay, when I go!”
“That’s what you think now,” said Nero. “But really it isn’t as much fun as you’d think—running away isn’t.”
“Couldn’t you find your jungle?” asked Tamba.
“No,” answered Nero, “I couldn’t.”
“Well, I’ll find mine,” declared Tamba. “That’s why I want to run away—so I can get back to my jungle. And I’m going to do it, too!”
Of course all this talk went on in animal language, and none of the circus helpers or the trainers could understand it. If they could, they might have guarded Tamba more closely.