Маугли
Toomai of the Elephants
Thentheelephantswerechainedbytheirhindlegstotheirbigstumpsofpickets,andextraropeswerefittedtothenewelephants,andthefodderwaspiledbeforethem,andthehilldriverswentbacktoPetersenSahibthroughtheafternoonlight,tellingtheplainsdriverstobeextracarefulthatnight,andlaughingwhentheplainsdriversaskedthereason.
LittleToomaiattendedtoKalaNag’ssupper,andaseveningfell,wanderedthroughthecamp,unspeakablyhappy,insearchofatom-tom.WhenanIndianchild’sheartisfull,hedoesnotrunaboutandmakeanoiseinanirregularfashion.Hesitsdowntoasortofrevelallbyhimself.AndLittleToomaihadbeenspokentobyPetersenSahib!Ifhehadnotfoundwhathewanted,Ibelievehewouldhavebeenill.Butthesweetmeatsellerinthecamplenthimalittletom-tom—adrumbeatenwiththeflatofthehand—andhesatdown,cross-legged,beforeKalaNagasthestarsbegantocomeout,thetom-tominhislap,andhethumpedandhethumpedandhethumped,andthemorehethoughtofthegreathonorthathadbeendonetohim,themorehethumped,allaloneamongtheelephantfodder.Therewasnotuneandnowords,butthethumpingmadehimhappy.
Thenewelephantsstrainedattheirropes,andsquealedandtrumpetedfromtimetotime,andhecouldhearhismotherinthecamphutputtinghissmallbrothertosleepwithanold,oldsongaboutthegreatGodShiv,whooncetoldalltheanimalswhattheyshouldeat.
