The Washington times., 1906-04-01

ing the night Pop sug-
gested that we anchor next time a
cyclone hits us and then we discov-
cred that we forgot to bring an
anchor rope.
Jumbo, the elephant, is protesting
against sleeping in a big open room
where mice, rats and insects can
annoy him and make his life bur
den on account of nervousness and
Insomnia. Pop invited him into So
cial Hall and asked him to state his
grievance. Says Shem: 1T is IN
wise to pampeT that big fellow. He
is just smart enough to take advan-
tage of Pops weakness and impose
on usi"
Shem was right. Jumbo, after he
had recited his tale of woe remained
seated and, crossing his legs just to
show what an elephant can do with
his hinder limbs, he said: How
far do you reckon we have come al
ready? We animals are thinking of
making up pool on the number of
miles sailed each day and I'd like
you TO put me wise TO the average
speed of the Ark
Then Pop realized what he had
done, But he knows that you can't
be sassy to a thing the size of
Jumbo nor shoe him out same as
you would the coatimondi or the
raccoon. So while he was consid-
ering his reply, l asked:
did you get all those creases in
your legs by sleeping in your skin
Il mean-were you always as
wrinkled as you are now?" Ma came
in just then and she said: you
must not ask such impolite ques-
tiOns, That was rude," The ele-
phant laughed and said: at was a
very natural question: Also one
that is often put to me. ! once was
as sleek and smooth as the hippot-
anus. with skin that fitted like an
eggshell."
We'll, what happened?" asked
Pop. What caused the wrinkles"
Worry and fright. I am awful
nervous. [ met a bird one day who
told me that there was an animal
just like me, only twice as big, who
was covered with long black hair,
who lives away up in the North.
$50 there was" interrupted Pop.
that he's now extinct"
This piece of news got on my
mind. | frettcd and worried because
1 fanciel l might some time have
whiskers grow all over me like the
anteater or the gorilla and have
fieas and mango and dandruff like
all these hair-raisers. SO that |
would have to spend half my time
cleaning and scratching and so on.
Finally | got so low in my mind
that / resolved to seek for this
hairy relation and see for myself,
but after making my way so far
north that the cold winds gave me
the earache, l was compelled to give
up the search and return. | don't
exactly know what did il but after
] had basked in the hot sun Of my
native haunts / soon became as
wrinkled as an old coat"
This is interesting" said Shem,
"HOw far north did you go?" 81 can't
say, but it was as far as a healthy,
warm blooded animal would want to
go. let me tell youi If you had seen
me wallowing in snowdrfts and to-
bogganing down glaciers on my
neck, with nothing TO eat but Ice
land moss. spruce gum and snowballs,
you would wonder that ever return
ed alive, Ask the walrusl He came
from up there. You bet before ! got
away / was wishing for a fur coat
two feet thick and I didn't want to
see my hairy relationi | knew mighty
well that he had wafsKers If he
belonged up there!" Il suppose"
unused Ma alcud, that a hot iron
would soon take all those wrinkles
out"
Pop laughed. Would you like the
job of ironing him?" he asked. He'd
look fine with a nice crease down the
front of each legl"
The elephant" said Jumbo, POM
pously is misunderstood animal,
People imagine him 10 be an unwieldy
clumsy creature with a mind set upon
food and other low things. whereas
he is a being with lofty ideals and
aspirations. He loves music. refined
society and dainty surroundings but
he has never been appreciated up to
date. Undoubtedly he is a most use
ful animal"
III NAAGL way GtlAduG6u Oneul-
In any old wayl If you could see
me pick up pin or drive tack with
little hammer it would open your
eyes, | can pull a cork or twenty
ton locomotive" Ma winked at me
and said: Now. Mr.. Elephant, will
take you at your word. Just hold this
skein of yarn for me-
Jumbo, all smiles, took the skein
over his forefeet and held it out at
arms length. Gee. | began to feel
sorry for him because I've been
therei When Ma winds yarn she al
ways sings Won't you teII me why.
Robin?" and she now started in on
the old tune, stopping only to ask
question once in while Shem and
Ham slipped out but | thought
could stand it if the elephant could.
You might take the palm leaf fan
and kinder keep the flies of with
that trunk of yours said Ma after
a time. 1T will occupy your mind"
Jumbo took the fan and began TO
wigwag with it, He was beginning
10 regret that he had butted into re-
fined society already, l could see
Ma sang a verse or two and then