it was the day after thanksgiving. neddie and beckie stubtail, the two little bear children, awoke in the barn where the circus man kept all his animals during winter, when he was not giving a show in the big tent. neddie and beckie felt very nice and comfortable, for they had had a good holiday dinner when they had almost given up expecting one; they had a nice warm place to sleep, and they were happier than at any time since they had run away from home to join george, the big trained bear, and the professor, his master, who led george around by a chain fast to a ring in his nose.
“are you there, neddie?” called beckie from her bed in the nice clean sawdust. she was hugging her doll mary ann puddingstick clothespin.
“of course i’m here,” answered neddie, blinking both his eyes, and wiggling his little short tail. “aren’t you glad you ran away now 82with me, sister, so you can become a trained bear?”
“yes—i guess so,” answered beckie. “still, i’d like to see my mamma, and nice fat aunt piffy, just once.”
“oh, we’ll go back home pretty soon,” said neddie. “when we have earned some money. then papa and mamma will forgive us for running away.”
“i hope so,” went on beckie. “and i hope that uncle wigwag won’t play any jokes on us.”
“oh, he’s sure to do that, but we mustn’t mind,” said neddie, as he hopped up and shook the sawdust out of his ears.
george, the tame bear who did tricks, was already up, and he was waltzing around to where a lot of monkey ladies were getting breakfast for the circus animals. then the professor, who led george around by the nose when the bear did tricks, stretched out and yawned and said to the circus man:
“it was very kind of you to let us stay here all night.”
“pray do not mention it,” said the circus man politely. “i hope you rested well.”
“yes, but i did not get to sleep very early,” said the bear professor. “i think perhaps i ate 83too much mince pie, with strawberry ice cream on it.”
“and i didn’t sleep very good, either,” went on beckie. “but it was because the elephant snored so that i was afraid he would shake the roof down on our heads.”
“oh, you mustn’t mind that,” said the circus man with a laugh. “nosey, that’s the elephant’s name, you see, really never does any harm. he’s as gentle as a kitten and as playful as a frog.”
“well, i wouldn’t like him to jump on me,” said neddie with a laugh. “he’s a good bit larger than bully, the frog, who lives near the beaver pond back home.”
then breakfast was ready, and the monkey ladies waited on the tables at which the circus animals sat down. and, in order that they would not step on their own tails, the monkey ladies tied them around their necks in a double bow. this made them look nice, and also kept them from catching cold in their ears.
neddie and beckie stubtail had a good breakfast and they were thinking of staying with the circus man, instead of going off looking for adventures with george, the professor, when the circus man called:
“all ready now! first class in somersaults!”
“why, he sounds just like our school 84teacher!” exclaimed neddie. “i didn’t think we’d have school when we left our home.”
“this isn’t regular school,” explained the circus man, “but my animals have to study their lessons, just the same. how do you think an elephant could waltz and play a hand organ, to say nothing of standing on a tub and wagging his tail, if he did not have lessons and practise them? of course we have to have a sort of school.”
“and i think i’ll send neddie and beckie to it,” said the professor. “they could learn tricks then much better than i could teach them, and george and i would have more time to collect pennies and buns and popcorn balls.”
“would you like to go to school to me, and learn tricks?” asked the circus man of the bear children, and they said they would.
“very well, then,” said the circus man. “as soon as i have taught my new elephant how to stand on his head i’ll begin, and give you a lesson.”
then the new elephant, who, as yet, knew hardly any tricks, had to get out in the middle of the sawdust ring and learn to stand on his head. it was not easy, either. one of the older elephants had to show the new elephant a number of times before he could do it even a little bit. 85but finally he could, and the circus man said:
“now stay standing on your head for ten minutes, frisko. it will be good practice for you. don’t get down! stay right as you are. now then, second class in fast running!” and the circus man took a lot of ponies over to one side of the barn to have them practice for the races.
and all the while, frisko, the new elephant, had to stand on his head. the professor took george, the bear, off to one side of the circus barn to teach his pet a new trick, and as beckie had to wash and dress her rubber doll, neddie was left with nothing to do. so he walked over and watched the new elephant learning the trick of standing on his head.
“do you like it?” asked neddie, the bear boy, of the elephant.
“oh, yes, i don’t mind,” said the big creature. “oh, dear!” he suddenly cried. “oh, me! oh, my!” and a big tear, about as large as a cup of water, came in each of the elephant’s eyes.
“why, what is the matter?” asked neddie kindly.
“oh, my back itches me something terrible!” said frisko, the elephant, “and i daren’t get down from standing on my head to scratch it. oh, dear!”
now, if there is one thing worse than another 86it is to have an itchy place where you can’t scratch it. neddie knew this as well as anybody. it’s as bad as wanting to sneeze when some one scares you out of it, and really that’s the very worst thing that can happen.
“oh, my!” went on the elephant, and he wiggled about, and tried to scratch the itchy place on his back, but he couldn’t, and he didn’t dare get down from standing on his head, for fear the circus man would be angry at him, and oh! such a lot of trouble as he had.
but neddie thought of a plan.
“how would you like to have me scratch your back for you frisko?” asked the little bear boy. “i won’t dig my claws in very deep. shall i scratch you?”
“if you only would,” sighed the elephant. so neddie gently scratched the big creature who was standing on his head. “ah, that is lovely. i feel so much better now,” said the elephant. “i can stand this way as long as i have to.”
but he did not have to stand on his head much longer, for the circus man came over pretty soon and said to frisko:
“that will do. you recited your lesson very nicely. now you may go to the kitchen and get a lump of sugar.”
87and the elephant did—a large lump, for he had a large mouth, you know.
“now, neddie stubtail, i think i’ll see what sort of lesson tricks i’ll give you to study,” went on the circus man. “first, let me see you climb up this pole.”
there was a big round pole, like a telegraph one, sticking up in the middle of the circus barn floor.
“oh, i can’t do that!” said neddie. but then he remembered how he and beckie had once gone up the telegraph pole the time the skillery-scalery alligator was after them. up and up went neddie, sticking his claws into the soft wood. beckie, watching her brother, felt very proud of him, and so did george, the tame trained bear.
neddie was almost at the top, when, all of a sudden, the pole began to tip over and over and over.
“oh, it’s falling!” cried beckie. “neddie, look out! you’ll be hurt!”
no one knew what to do. there was great excitement. the lions roared and the tigers snarled. then frisko, the elephant, who had practiced standing on his head, and whose back neddie had so kindly scratched, came rushing up, swallowing the last of his lump of sugar, and this elephant cried:
88“make way for me. i am strong. i can hold up that pole until you make it fast so it will not fall. i’ll save neddie.”
and the elephant did. in his strong trunk he held the pole up straight until other elephants nailed it to make it firm and steady. then neddie could come safely down. the elephant had saved him. so you see you should always scratch an elephant’s back when you can.
and now about the next story. let me see. i think, in case the feathers in the lady’s hat do not tickle the milk pitcher so that it falls off the table and spills all the cream, i’ll tell you about beckie and the monkey.
