im.

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, smashing 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.

"They can, if you will let them," said Tum Tum's keeper. "My elephant is
very kind and gentle, and many children ride on him. I will hold them
on, 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 easily
get into the little house on his back. In that they sat with their papa
and the keeper, and around the circus grounds they went. It was not yet
time 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. "Thank
you 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 toy
balloo