Tamba looked around for a place to hide, and saw a big pile of hay. He knew it was hay, since he had often seen it in the circus tent, and he remembered having hidden in the hay in the barn.
“But this hay isn’t in a barn,” said Tamba, as he looked at the pile. “It seems to be on a wagon, as my cage used to be.”
And that is just what it was. Tamba had come to a farm, and a little way down the road from the farmhouse was a wagon loaded with a great pile of hay. The farmer had loaded the hay on the wagon the evening before, so as to have it all ready to hitch his horses to and pull it into the city early in the morning. The farmer was going to sell the hay in the big city.
“Well, that hay will make a nice place for me to sleep,” thought Tamba. He gave a big jump, and landed on top of the load of hay. There were, as yet, no horses hitched to the wagon. That would be done in the morning.
Tamba pawed out a nice, cozy bed for himself on top of the load of hay, burrowed away down in, pulled some hay over him as a covering, and went to sleep.
How long he slept the tame tiger did not know. But when he suddenly awoke, he saw the sun shining, and he heard a rumble and roar all about him.
“What’s this? Where am I? What has happened?” thought Tamba.
He saw the hay all about him. He felt the jolting and sway of the wagon. The roaring sound became louder. Tamba looked out between the wisps of hay. He saw a strange sight.
“Why, I’m in a big city!” thought the tiger. “The load of hay has come to the city, and I came with it! Oh, dear, I am farther than ever from my jungle! What shall I do?”