"
"Was it fun?" asked Humpo, the camel.
"At first I didn't like it," answered Umboo. "The water got up my
trunk, and choked me a little, and took my breath away. But my mother
stood on the bank of the river and soon pulled me out; and when I went
down next time I curled my trunk up, so then I was all right."
The other circus animals liked so much to hear Umboo's story of
sliding down hill, that they kept asking him questions about it until
nearly dinner time. But when the men came in the tent, bringing hay
for the horses, elephants and camels, big chunks of meat for the lions
and tigers, and dried bread for the monkeys, then all the animals were
quiet for a time--at least they made no noise except chewing.
And after their meal they all went to sleep for a little while, those
in cages curling up in a corner, and the horses lying down on straw,
but the elephants took their sleep standing up, for an elephant, even
in the jungle, never lies down except perhaps to roll in water, or a
mud-puddle. And the only time they lie down in a circus is when they
are doing some trick.
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