The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-01-11

- ClOSuI6 anu SlOOu lOOk1DR III the
big elephant within. Jumbo"
he was called and no one thought of
coming to the Zoo without seeing him.
What strange. ungainly creature
he was. too! With his big, ugly
head, his Tapping ears and his long.
snake-like trunk! Indeed for a mo-
ment, the little boy wished Nurse were
standing there with him instead of
way over across the roadway sitting
on the bench and talking to the big
blond Keeper
But Jumbo" seemed to be in kind
ly mood so the little fellow swallowed
the lump that had risen in his throat
and determined not to be afraid
Presently he sat down on the soft
grass by the railing. Somehow. the
swing-swing - swing of "Jumbo's"
trunk made him dizzy. And he soon
found that, sitting down. he did not
feel quite as much as though he, too,
were swinging in time with that
trunk. Presently
Hello, Donaldl" cried a squeaky,
yet CHEEKY little voice right at, his ell
bow watching old Jumbo today,
are you Well, well. l will tell you
a funny story about elephants If you
want to hear it."
Now, had you been there. you would
have been surprised If not downright
frightened at the queer little old man
who had spoken. But Donald. you
see, considered him quite an old
friend. And such an odd, funny look
ing fellow he was, too, no bigger than
a minute,
He was called the Old Man of the
Woods and his head was round and
bald and glistening, with two little
horns sticking up, one on each side,
right above his ears. His spindle legs
were covered with brown fur and
humming- birds wings; and his cloak
was fashioned of the fur of a white
polar bear, trimmed with rosettes
from the hide Of a black one. He car
ried a magic wand that had worked
truly wondrous things.
do tell me-do tell me about the
elephant, Mr.. Old Man of the For
est" cried Donald. "And-and can
YOU tell me why Jumbo keeps swing
ing his trunk back and forth, up and
down, back and forth? | should
think he would become tired Of"
"Ha Hal" interrupted the Old Man
merrily. so he would, Donald, so
he would-but for the fact that he
can't help doing it, l might as well
begin at the beginning and tell you all
about it.
"Once upon time, way, way back
in the days when I was Ruler of
Animals and they all lived together in
one great big wood, the Elephant
who was even larger than jumbo
came to me weeping so violently
that if he hadn't looked so much like
great big cry baby he would have
been piteous.
"'Oh, Mr.. Old Man., he wept, I'm
the most unhappy - boo-hoo - little
animal in all the-boo-hoo-'
"'Herei' exclaimed, Jumping
back from him. You've either got
TO stop crying or use your handker-
chief. The first thing you know, Ele-
phant, you'll drown mel
'As you can imagine, Donald. ele-
plants tears are awful big and aw-
full wet;' and there he was, actually
trying to cry on my shoulder
What's the matter with your I
added. What are you boo-hoolng
, about? Has any animal larger than
you been pickin' on you!'
"'N-n-no' he faltered, smiling
and reaching around with his trunk
for his handkerchief-oh. dear me-
yes elephants carried handlSerchiefs
in those daysi 'B-b-but Old Gray
Monkey has-has been playing jokes
on-mu-me-agai
'iumph!' 1 retorted. Why don't
you make him stop you're big
enoughi'