Most of the
elephants, like Umboo, were no longer wild, but they knew nothing
about being trained to do tricks. None of them could even so much as
take a handkerchief out of a man's pocket, so really Umboo was one
class ahead of them. But that did not make him proud.
One day, about a week after he had come to the circus-barn, Umboo saw
some men coming toward him with ropes and other things. Among the men
was the one from India, and this man Umboo liked.
"Now, Umboo" said this man, "you are going to learn a harder trick
than that of taking a handkerchief from my pocket. You are going to
learn to stand on your hind legs. It may seem hard to you at first,
but it is easy when you know how, and you will like it. The boys and
girls who come to the circus to see you, will like it, too, and you
will get sugar if you do the trick well."
Of course Umboo did not know all that the man said to him, but he
understood that something new was going on, and he reached out his
trunk to touch his friend.
"I haven't any sugar for you now," said the man with a laugh, "but I
may have some later.
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