Elephants in the jungle live in big families, or herds. At the head is the largest elephant of them all, the leader. He is always on the lookout for danger, and when he sees, hears or smells any, he gives a signal, or trumpet, through his trunk, and then all the elephants run away and hide.
Tum Tum, the jolly elephant, stopped eating his dinner, for he had had enough, anyhow, and off through the jungle he crashed. He did not wait to go by the path, for he was so big and strong. Even though he was a little chap, as yet, he could crash through big thick bushes, and even knock over pretty large trees, if they were in his way.
"I'm coming!" called Tum Tum to his play-fellows, the other elephants. "I'm coming!"
Tum Tum came to a tree that stood in his way. He could just as well have gone around it, but that was not what he was used to. He lowered his head, and banged into it.
"Crash!" over went the tree, broken off short.
"I'll soon be with you!" Tum Tum called again, for he still could not see his little friends. "Who's there?" he asked.
Back through the jungle came the answer:
"We're all here—Whoo-ee, Gumble-umble, Thorny and Zunga!"
These were the names of the elephants with whom Tum Tum played. Whoo-ee was a boy elephant, and he had that name, because he used to make a funny sound, almost like his name, when he whistled through his trunk. Gumble-umble was another boy elephant, and he was called that because he grumbled, or found fault, so often.
Thorny was a girl elephant, and she got her name, because she was so fond of eating the tender, juicy leaves from the thorn tree. Zunga was another girl elephant, and she was just called that name because her mother thought it sounded nice—just as Tum Tum's mamma thought his name was the nicest one in the jungle.