Umboo raised his trunk in the air, and
made a loud trumpet sound of danger.
"Don't be afraid," said a tame elephant near by. "There is nothing to
hurt you."
"Nothing to hurt me!" cried Umboo. "What do you call that big, black
thing, whose breath steams out of the top of his head, as mine
sometimes comes out of my trunk on a cold morning? Nothing to be
afraid of? Why, that is worse than a big rhino! Much worse!"
"That is the engine, and it will give you a nice ride," said the tame
elephant. "It will pull you along the shiny rails, and you will never
have to lift your foot. Go close up to it, and see that it will not
hurt you. Don't be afraid!"
Umboo trembled, but the circus man spoke kind words to him, and then
the elephant walked slowly up to the engine, or locomotive. It snorted
and puffed and tooted its whistle, and at each new sound Umboo started
back, and would have run away. But the man spoke to him, and the tame
elephant talked to him, and finally Umboo saw that the engine did not
get off the shiny rails.
"Well, if it stays on them it can't chase after me," thought Umboo.
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