Tum Tum, the Jolly Elephant Part 12

"Fire! Fire!" cried the peanut man. "Oh, somebody put out the fire, or all my peanuts will be burned up!"

Tum Tum looked at the fire, and wondered if he could help put it out.

CHAPTER IX

TUM TUM AND THE BALLOONS

"Come away, Tum Tum!" cried the elephant's keeper. "I don't want you getting all excited about a fire, and maybe burned. A few peanuts are not worth it. We'll let some of the tent men put out the fire. Come away!"

But Tum Tum did not want to go away from the fire. He was not much afraid of it. Most wild animals are afraid of fire, but Tum Tum was tame now, and he knew that though fire burns, it also does good, in cooking food, even for animals. Besides, Tum Tum had seen so much of fire, since he had come to the circus, and had seen so many flaring lamps at the night performances, that he was not afraid of just a blazing peanut wagon.

"I'm sorry to see all those peanuts burned up," thought Tum Tum. "I wonder if I can't save them--maybe I'll get some for myself, if I do."

Tum Tum thought quickly. There was a great deal of excitement around him, for the straw was now blazing in many places and the peanuts and wagon were all in flames.

"Come away, Tum Tum!" called his keeper.

"Fire! Fire! Fire!" yelled the peanut man.

"Bring water here, somebody!" shouted another man.

"Get a pail! Get a pail!" one of the boys yelled.

"Call out the fire engines!" said another.

But Tum Tum knew a better way than that. His trunk was just like a hose, only, of course, not so long. He could suck it up full of water, and squirt it out again, just like a pop gun shoots out a cork. And that was what Tum Tum did.

He put his trunk into the tub of water, and sucked up as much as he could. Then Tum Tum aimed his trunk right at the blazing peanut wagon and the straw.

Whooo-is.h.!.+ went the water, as Tum Tum squirted it out of his trunk. On the fire it spattered.

Hiss-s-s-s-s! went the fire, like an angry snake.

"Ha! That's the way to do it, Tum Tum!" cried his keeper. "You know how to put out a fire! That's the way. You're as good as a fire engine yourself!"

Tum Tum did not answer. In the first place, he could not talk to his keeper except in elephant language, which the circus man did not understand. And, in the second place, Tum Tum was going to suck up more water in his nose, for the fire was not quite out yet. And you know it is hard to talk when you have your nose full of water, even if you are an elephant.

Whooo-is.h.!.+ went more water from Tum Tum's trunk on the blazing peanut wagon and straw.

Hiss! went the fire again, as it felt the wet water. Fire does not like water, you know.

"Once more, Tum Tum! One more trunk full, and you'll have the fire out!"

cried the elephant's keeper.

Again Tum Tum dipped his trunk into the tub of water, and spurted it on the fire.

This time the fire went out completely. Tum Tum had made it so wet, with water from his trunk, that it could no longer burn.

"Oh, what a smart, good elephant!" cried the peanut man. "He saved my wagon from burning up. I must give him some peanuts!"

A few of the peanuts were burned, but there were plenty left, and, though some of them tasted a little like smoke, Tum Tum did not mind that. He chewed several bags full--sh.e.l.ls and all--and was hungry for more.

But now it was time to go back into the circus tent, and have his handsome blanket put on, to take his place in the procession. The boys, one of whom had accidentally upset the peanut wagon, looked at Tum Tum eagerly.

"Say, he's a smart elephant all right!" he cried.

"That's what he is!" said another. "I'd like to have him!"

"Huh! What would you do with an elephant?" asked his friend. "An elephant would eat a ton of hay a day."

"Would he?"

"Sure he would."

"Well, then, I don't want an elephant," said the boy. "I guess a dog is good enough for me. A dog can eat old bones; he doesn't need a ton of hay a day."

The boys helped the peanut man turn his wagon right side up, and they also helped him gather the scattered peanuts. Then the man built another fire, and went around the tent, selling his peanuts.

"Tum Tum, you are getting smarter and smarter each day," said his keeper, as he led him back to get ready for the parade. "I am proud of you. You are the best elephant in the circus."

Tum Tum heard what was said of him, but he only flapped his big ears, that were nearly the size of washtubs. Then he stood in line with his companions, and ate the peanuts and popcorn b.a.l.l.s the children fed to him over the ropes.

"My, I s'pose Tum Tum will be so stuck up, and proud, that he won't want to speak to us, after he has done so many wonderful things," said one of the jealous elephants. "He pushed the wagon out of the mud, and now he has put out a peanut wagon fire. Some elephants have all the luck in this world."

Tum Tum's eyes twinkled, but he said nothing. He just ate the popcorn b.a.l.l.s and peanuts. But he was not at all proud or stuck up.

Tum Tum was now such a gentle and tame elephant, that children could ride on his back. 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.

Tum Tum was led about by his keeper when the children thus rode, and very glad Tum Tum was to give the boys and girls this fun, for he liked children very much.

Tum Tum would have been very glad if Mappo, the merry monkey, had come back to ride on his back, as he did sometimes. But Mappo was far away; where, Tum Tum did not know.

Nearly every day something new happened to Tum Tum in the circus. Every day he saw new faces, new boys and girls and once in a while, he did some new tricks. He had enough to eat, a good place to sleep, he did not have to work very hard, and, best of all, he was in no danger.

So, altogether, Tum Tum liked the circus life much better than he had liked being in the jungle. Still, now and again, he would wish himself back in the cool, dark woods, smas.h.i.+ng through the thick bushes, and breaking down, or pulling up, big trees by their roots.

In the circus were some men from India, where Tum Tum had worked in the lumber yard, piling up teakwood logs, and these Indians could talk the language spoken in India--the man-language Tum Tum had first learned. He liked to have them come to see him, rub his trunk, and talk to him in their queer words.

One day another adventure happened to Tum Tum. He was out in front of the circus tent, after he had helped roll some of the heavy animal wagons into place, when he saw some children, with their papa, coming to the circus.

"Oh, papa!" cried a little boy, "couldn't we ride on the elephant's back?" and he was so excited, this little boy was, that he danced up and down with his red balloon. All the children had these toy balloons.

"Oh, I don't believe you could ride on the elephant's back," said the little boy's papa.