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Updated: June 19, 2025
"Well, I'm not going to go so fast," said Gumble-umble. "I'm going to stop and have a rest." "No, you're not!" exclaimed his father, who came up behind Gumble-umble, just then. "I'm sorry," the papa elephant said, "but you must keep on. It would never do to stop now, or the hunters would get us.
Ha!" he giggled. "I I fell over backward pulling up this tree. Did you see me?" "Did we see you? Well, I guess we did!" cried Whoo-ee. "Well, maybe you did, but I didn't," complained Gumble-umble. "Zunga got right in my way, when I wanted to look." "Oh, I'm sorry," said Zunga. "I didn't mean to." "Oh, don't mind Gumble-umble," said Tum Tum, with another jolly laugh. "He's always finding fault.
"Well, I'd have been first only I stumbled over a tree root," said Gumble-umble. He was always finding fault, it seemed. Into the water splashed the five elephant children. They went out where it was about deep enough to come up to their ears, and then they sucked water up in their trunks and sprayed it over their backs, to drive away the flies and gnats that bit them.
"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.
"Indeed he wouldn't," said Tum Tum, and he did not laugh in his jolly way now. "My mother told me to be sure and listen for a call from Mr. Boom. She said he would be looking for danger, and when he called, I was to hurry home." Tum Tum was out on the bank of the river now. Gumble-umble was the last one of the elephants to come from the swimming pool. "Let's hurry," said Tum Tum.
But before he could reach it, two tame elephants rushed at him, and Gumble-umble was soon bound with strong chains and ropes, so that he could hardly move. "It is all your fault!" he cried to Tum Tum. "No, it is your own," said Gumble-umble's papa. "Now you must quiet down and be a good elephant. We are caught, we can go no more to the jungle, but perhaps it is best for us."
Come, Whoo-ee come, Gumble-umble! We will smash down the fence!" But one of the tame elephants, who heard what Tum Tum said, called to him, and spoke: "Oh, brother. Do not break down the fence." "Why not?" asked Tum Tum, who could easily understand the language of the tame elephant. "Why should I not break the fence, and let my friends, and my father and mother, out of this trap. Why not?"
Here, I'll push you along," and with his strong head, Gumble-umble's father shoved his son along, whether Gumble-umble wanted to go or not. Tum Tum needed no pushing. He was glad enough to hurry along as fast as he could. So were the other small elephants, for they did not want to be caught. Then, after a while, Mr. Boom signaled that they were far enough off now, and need not hurry any more.
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.
"All right, we'll wait for you. Only don't be all day," said Gumble-umble. "We want to go in the water before night." "Oh, you mustn't mind him," laughed Whoo-ee. "I don't know what's the matter with him to-day; he's always finding fault. Did you get a thorn in your foot, Gumble, that makes you so cross?" "No, I didn't," answered the other boy elephant.
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