"I'm sorry to see all those peanuts burned up," thought Tum Tum. "I wonder if I can't save them—maybe I'll get some for myself, if I do."
Tum Tum thought quickly. There was a great deal of excitement around him, for the straw was now blazing in many places and the peanuts and wagon were all in flames.
"Come away, Tum Tum!" called his keeper.
"Fire! Fire! Fire!" yelled the peanut man.
"Bring water here, somebody!" shouted another man.
"Get a pail! Get a pail!" one of the boys yelled.
"Call out the fire engines!" said another.
But Tum Tum knew a better way than that. His trunk was just like a hose, only, of course, not so long. He could suck it up full of water, and squirt it out again, just like a pop gun shoots out a cork. And that was what Tum Tum did.
He put his trunk into the tub of water, and sucked up as much as he could. Then Tum Tum aimed his trunk right at the blazing peanut wagon and the straw.
Whooo-ish! went the water, as Tum Tum squirted it out of his trunk. On the fire it spattered.