CHAPTER IXTUM TUM AND THE BALLOONS"Come away, Tum Tum!" cried the elephant's keeper. "I don't want yougetting all excited about a fire, and maybe burned. A few peanuts arenot worth it. We'll let some of the tent men put out the fire. Comeaway!"But Tum Tum did not want to go away from the fire. He was not muchafraid of it. Most wild animals are afraid of fire, but Tum Tum was tamenow, and he knew that though fire burns, it also does good, in cookingfood, even for animals. Besides, Tum Tum had seen so much of fire, sincehe had come to the circus, and had seen so many flaring lamps at thenight performances, that he was not afraid of just a blazing peanutwagon."I'm sorry to see all those peanuts burned up," thought Tum Tum. "Iwonder 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 aroundhim, for the straw was now blazing in many places and the peanuts andwagon 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, andsquirt it out again, just like a pop gun shoots out a cork. And that waswhat Tum Tum did.He put his trunk into the tub of water, and sucked up as much as hecould. Then Tum Tum aimed his trunk right at the blazing peanut wagonand the straw.Whooo-ish! went the water, as Tum Tum squirted it out of his trunk. Onthe 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 howto put out a fire! That's the way. You're as good as a fire engineyourself!"Tum Tum did not answer. In the first place, he could not talk to hiskeeper except in elephant language, which the circus man did notunderstand. And, in the second place, Tum Tum was going to suck up morewater in his nose, for the fire was not quite out yet. And you know itis hard to talk when you have your nose full of water, even if you arean elephant.Whooo-ish! went more water from Tum Tum's trunk on the blazing peanutwagon and straw.Hiss! went the fire again, as it felt the wet water. Fire does not likewater, 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 onthe fire.This time the fire went out completely. Tum Tum had made it so wet, withwater from his trunk, that it could no longer burn."Oh, what a smart, good elephant!" cried the peanut man. "He saved mywagon 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 mindthat. He chewed several bags full--shells and all--and was hungry formore.But now it was time to go back into the circus tent, and have hishandsome blanket put on, to take his place in the procession. The boys,one of whom had accidentally upset the peanut wagon, looked at Tum Tumeagerly."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. "Anelephant 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 isgood enough for me. A dog can eat old bones; he doesn't need a ton ofhay a day."The boys helped the peanut man turn his wagon right side up, and theyalso helped him gather the scattered peanuts. Then the man built anotherfire, and went around the tent, selling his peanuts."Tum Tum, you are getting smarter and smarter each day," said hiskeeper, as he led him back to get ready for the parade. "I am proud ofyou. 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 hiscompanions, and ate the peanuts and popcorn balls the children fed tohim over the ropes."My, I s'pose Tum Tum will be so stuck up, and proud, that he won't wantto speak to us, after he has done so many wonderful things," said one ofthe jealous elephants. "He pushed the wagon out of the mud, and now hehas put out a peanut wagon fire. Some elephants have all the luck inthis world."Tum Tum's eyes twinkled, but he said nothing. He just ate the popcornballs and peanuts. But he was not at all proud or stuck up.Tum Tum was now such a gentle and tame elephant, that children couldride on his back. At first, some of the circus performers, who had theirchildren with them, let them get up on Tum Tum, and then, when hiskeeper found that Tum Tum did not mind, some of the boys and girls whocame to see the show each day were allowed to ride. Up and down the tentthey went on Tum Tum's back, sitting in the little house that wasstrapped fast to him.Tum Tum was led about by his keeper when the children thus rode, andvery glad Tum Tum was to give the boys and girls this fun, for he likedchildren very much.Tum Tum would have been very glad if Mappo, the merry monkey, had comeback 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. Everyday he saw new faces, new boys and girls and once in a while, he didsome new tricks. He had enough to eat, a good place to sleep, he did nothave 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 hadliked being in the jungle. Still, now and again, he would wish himselfback in the cool, dark woods, smashing through the thick bushes, andbreaking down, or pulling up, big trees by their roots.In the circus were some men from India, where Tum Tum had worked in thelumber yard, piling up teakwood logs, and these Indians could talk thelanguage spoken in India--the man-language Tum Tum had first learned. Heliked to have them come to see him, rub his trunk, and talk to him intheir queer words.One day another adventure happened to Tum Tum. He was out in front ofthe circus tent, after he had helped roll some of the heavy animalwagons into place, when he saw some children, with their papa, coming tothe circus."Oh, papa!" cried a little boy, "couldn't we ride on the elephant'sback?" and he was so excited, this little boy was, that he danced up anddown 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 thelittle boy's papa."They can, if you will let them," said Tum Tum's keeper. "My elephant isvery kind and gentle, and many children ride on him. I will hold themon, if you are willing.""Oh, let us, papa!" cried a little girl."All right, I don't mind," he said.Tum Tum was led close to a wagon, from which the children could easilyget into the little house on his back. In that they sat with their papaand the keeper, and around the circus grounds they went. It was not yettime for the show, and Tum Tum did not have to go in."Oh, what a lovely ride!" cried the little boy, when it was over. "Thankyou so much!"Tum Tum was glad the children had enjoyed it.Then, as the boy and girl got down from the elephant's back, their toyballoons slipped out of their hands and floated off through the air."Oh, there goes my balloon!" cried the little girl."And there goes mine, too!" cried the little boy. "Oh, papa!""Never mind, I'll get you some others," said the man."But I'd rather have that one," the little boy said, half crying."I would, too," added his sister.Just then the wind blew the two balloons into the top of a tall tree. Itwas a tall, slender tree, too little for any one to climb up, or put aladder against."Oh, now we can never get our balloons!" sobbed the little girl, as thetoys bobbed about in the wind, the strings fast to a tree branch. ThenTum Tum made up his mind, just as he had done at the peanut fire."I'll get those balloons back for the children," thought the big, kind,jolly elephant.
