irl
elephant.

"Pooh!" cried Tum Tum. "I'm not afraid!"

"Well, never mind about pulling up more trees now," said Whoo-ee. "We
called you to come out, and have some fun with us. We are going
swimming."

"Where?" asked Tum Tum, as he got up off his back, and blew some dust
over himself to keep away the flies.

"Oh, we're going down in the river," said Zunga. "It's so hot to-day,
that a nice bath will cool us off. Come on."

"I'd better ask my mother," said Tum Tum. "I didn't know you were going
swimming, when you called for me to come and play with you. I'll go ask
her."

"All right, we'll wait for you. Only don't be all day," said
Gumble-umble. "We want to go in the water before night."

"Oh, you mustn't mind him," laughed Whoo-ee. "I don't know what's the
matter with him to-day; he's always finding fault. Did you get a thorn
in your foot, Gumble, that makes you so cross?"

"No, I didn't," answered the other boy elephant. "But I don't want to
stand here all the afternoon in a hot jungle, waiting for Tum Tum."

"I won't be long," promised the jolly elephant. He hurried back through
the woods to where his father and mother were still eating.

"Mother, may I go in swimming?" he asked, as he came to where Mrs. Tusky
stood.

"Yes, but don't go so far, that you can't hear any calls that may come
from Mr. Boom. There's no telling when the hunters may find us."

"I'll listen, and be careful," said Tum Tum.

Back he crashed through the jungle, and soon he and his elephant friends
were on their way to the river, that was not far from where the herd of
elephants was feeding.

"There's the river!" suddenly called Whoo-ee, as he caught sight of the
sparkling water through the trees.

"Let's see who'll be the first one in!" called Whoo-ee, as he began to
run.

"Oh, don't leave us behind," begged Thorny and Zunga.

"Oh, that's the way with girls--always making a fuss!" complained
Gumble-umble. "Why can't you run like we boys do?"

"Because you're bigger and stronger than we are," said Zunga.

"Well, we're not going to wait for you," said Gumble-umble.

"Never mind, I don't care whether I'm first in the water or not," said
Tum Tum. "I'll stay with you, Thorny, and Zunga."

"Isn't Tum Tum nice?" whispered Zunga to Thorny, as they went along
through the jungle.

"Yes," said Thorny.

Whoo-ee and Gumble-umble hurried on through the woods, and Whoo-ee was
the first to splash into the water.

"I beat!" he cri