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This elephant, instead of speaking to Tum Tum, just reached over with her long trunk, pulled one of Tum Tum's legs out from under him, and down he went in a heap. "Ha! Maybe you like that kind of fun!" cried the elephant who had made Tum Tum fall. "It didn't hurt me!" said Tum Tum, as he got up. But, after that, he was careful not to play any jokes on this elephant.
"Listen," said Tum Tum's father. "You are now the leader of the herd, Tum Tum. Mr. Boom is gone, and I am too old to be the leader. So you must be. We elephants will do as you do. If you can break down the fence, and get away from the hunters, we will follow you." "I will try, once more, to break down the fence," said Tum Tum. "Let some of the strong, young elephants come to help me.
Sit still! Keep your seats!" the circus men cried, but the crowd was frightened and ran. Just then, one of the big poles of the tent began to fall. "That pole must not fall!" cried Tum Tum's keeper. "But how can I hold it up? I am not strong enough." Then he looked at Tum Tum, the big elephant. "Ha! Tum Tum will hold up the pole, until all the people get out of the tent!" cried the circus man.
Tum Tum's keeper heard the noise the man was making, and came running up. "What is the matter?" asked the circus man. "Oh, yoy! Yoy!" cried the man. "Your elephants took all my pink lemonade, from the washtub where I had ice in it! They sucked it up in their rubber-hose trunks!" "Tum Tum, did you and Maggo do that?" asked the keeper. Tum Tum could not answer, of course.
Tum Tum and the older elephant were led to the middle of the circus ring. The chains were taken off Tum Tum's legs, but a rope was put around his front ones, and he wondered what that was for. Then Tum Tum and Hoy were stood in a line with some other big elephants. "All ready now!" cried a circus man, snapping his long whip. "Stand up!"
At first, some of the circus performers, who had their children with them, let them get up on Tum Tum, and then, when his keeper found that Tum Tum did not mind, some of the boys and girls who came to see the show each day were allowed to ride. Up and down the tent they went on Tum Tum's back, sitting in the little house that was strapped fast to him.
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. "I'm coming!" trumpeted Tum Tum, and then he came to another tree that stood in his path.
"Suppose you let my elephant, Tum Tum, try to pull the wagon out of the mud," said Tum Tum's keeper. "My elephant is very strong." "Ha! But is he as strong as two elephants?" asked the head circus man. "I think so," said the keeper. "Let us try. But Tum Tum can push better than he can pull, so I shall put him in back of the wagon, and let him push it out of the mud with his head.
"Let who get you?" cried Tum Tum. "What is the matter?" for Mappo looked very frightened. "The hand-organ man is after me!" chattered Mappo, and with that he gave a jump, and landed right upon Tum Tum's broad back. "Don't be afraid," said the elephant. "No one will get you while I am here, Mappo," and Tum Tum swung his long trunk.
"Yes, you might fall," said Tum Tum's trainer, or keeper, who was also riding in the little house on the elephant's back. "But we want our balloons!" cried the little boy. "Yes, our nice toy balloons!" said the little girl, and there were tears in her eyes. Tum Tum felt sorry for her. He did not like to see little girls cry.
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