The Story of a Stuffed Elephant | Page 3

called the Stuffed Elephant, waving his

trunk around in the air. "How are you all?"
"Who is that speaking?" asked a Nodding Donkey, a toy whose head
kept moving all the while, as it was fastened on a pivot.
"A new chap--a Stuffed Elephant," answered a Jumping Jack, who
wore a blue and yellow cap.
"A Stuffed Elephant! Let me see him! I never heard of such a creature!"
brayed the Nodding Donkey, and he slid along the shelf to get a better
view.
For it was the mystic hour when the Make Believe toys could pretend
to be alive--when they could move about and talk.
"Here I am, right over here!" trumpeted the Stuffed Elephant, and if
Miss Geraldine and Miss Angelina, or even Mr. Mugg, could have
heard him they would have been very much surprised.
"Oh, you have two tails!" cried the Nodding Donkey.
"No, only one," said the Stuffed Elephant. "The other is my trunk. It
really is a long nose, but it is called a trunk."
"Is there anything inside it?" asked a Calico Clown.
"Nothing but air--I breathe through my trunk," the Stuffed Elephant
answered. "But I, myself, am filled with the very best cotton, lots and
lots of it! Have you cotton inside you?" he asked the Donkey.
"No, I'm wood clear through," was the reply. "But as long as you are a
new toy, let me welcome you among us. We are glad to see you. What
is the latest news from the land of Santa Claus?"
"Well, let me see. So many things happen up there that I hardly know
where to start to tell you about them," replied the Stuffed Elephant. "In
the first place----"
"I'm stuffed, too!" suddenly interrupted a high, squeaky voice. "Only

I'm stuffed with sawdust. Here I am, over here!"
"Yes, Miss Sawdust Doll, we see you," brayed the Nodding Donkey.
"But please don't interrupt the Stuffed Elephant. He is going to tell us
about Santa Claus, and I want to hear, as it is some time since I came
from the North Pole."
"Well, I can tell you as well as that Stuffed Elephant can," went on the
squeaky Sawdust Doll. "I came from Santa Claus's shop in the same
box with him."
"You're not the first Sawdust Doll, though. She was bought by a little
girl named Dorothy, I've heard said," remarked a rubber dog.
"Yes, that's right," said the Nodding Donkey. "And her brother Dick
had a White Rocking Horse. But as long as the Stuffed Elephant kindly
offered first to tell us the latest news from the North Pole, I think it
would be only polite to let him finish."
"Oh, of course--yes!" squeaked the new Sawdust Doll.
"Well," began the creature with the trunk and tusks, "I think I will tell
you----"
But just then there was a whirring noise at the end of the shelf, and a
little voice cried:
"Oh, save me, somebody! Please save me! I'm wound up too tight, and
my wheels are running away with me! I'll run to the edge of the shelf
and fall off! Save me, somebody, please!"
A Rolling Mouse, that could run across the room on wheels when
wound up, dashed along the toy shelf. As she had said, she was in
danger of falling off. Straight toward the Stuffed Elephant ran the
Rolling Mouse, squeaking in fright.
"I'll save you! I'll save you!" trumpeted the big toy. "Don't be afraid,
Miss Mouse! I'll save you!"

He uncoiled his long nose of a trunk, and stretched it out toward the
Rolling Mouse.
CHAPTER II
THE MAN AND THE ELEPHANT
"Catch me! Save me! Catch me before I fall off the shelf and break to
pieces!" squeaked the Rolling Mouse.
"Don't be afraid! I'm right here!" trumpeted the Stuffed Elephant.
On his sturdy legs, big and round and stuffed with cotton, the Elephant
stepped to the edge of the shelf. As quickly as the China Cat could
blink her eyes, the Elephant reached across with the tip of his trunk and
caught the Rolling Mouse just as she was going to slip over the edge of
the shelf.
Holding her very gently, so as not to squeeze the breath out of the
Mouse, the Elephant lifted the tiny creature up in the air, keeping her
there until her spring ran down. Then, in a spirit of fun, he reached
around and set the Mouse down on his broad back.
"There you are!" laughed the Stuffed Elephant in his hearty voice.
"There you are, Miss Mouse!"
"Yes, but where am I? Oh, so high up as I am! Oh, where am I?"
squeaked the little mouse.
"You're up on my back," laughed the jolly Elephant toy. "Don't be
afraid. Stay there and I'll give you a