Маугли
Toomai of the Elephants
KalaNaghitthenewelephantintheribsandknockedthewindoutofhim,asBigToomaisaid,"Wehavesweptthehillsofwildelephantsatthelastcatch.Itisonlyyourcarelessnessindriving.MustIkeeporderalongthewholeline?"
"Hearhim!"saidtheotherdriver."Wehavesweptthehills!Ho!Ho!Youareverywise,youplainspeople.Anyonebutamud-headwhoneversawthejunglewouldknowthattheyknowthatthedrivesareendedfortheseason.Thereforeallthewildelephantsto-nightwill—butwhyshouldIwastewisdomonariver-turtle?"
"Whatwilltheydo?"LittleToomaicalledout.
"Ohe,littleone.Artthouthere?Well,Iwilltellthee,forthouhastacoolhead.Theywilldance,anditbehoovesthyfather,whohassweptallthehillsofalltheelephants,todouble-chainhispicketsto-night."
"Whattalkisthis?"saidBigToomai."Forfortyyears,fatherandson,wehavetendedelephants,andwehaveneverheardsuchmoonshineaboutdances."
"Yes;butaplainsmanwholivesinahutknowsonlythefourwallsofhishut.Well,leavethyelephantsunshackledtonightandseewhatcomes.Asfortheirdancing,Ihaveseentheplacewhere—Bapree-bap!HowmanywindingshastheDihangRiver?Hereisanotherford,andwemustswimthecalves.Stopstill,youbehindthere."
Andinthisway,talkingandwranglingandsplashingthroughtherivers,theymadetheirfirstmarchtoasortofreceivingcampforthenewelephants.Buttheylosttheirtemperslongbeforetheygotthere.
