Children's Corner

Hutt News, Volume 3, Issue 3, 12 June 1930, Page 4

Children's Corner

THE ELEPHANT WHO WANTED TO HELP

Mary Jane was very fond of Bumpus, the great big elephant with the wispy tail. She would always comfort him wheja the. other toys laughed *at him. !rometimes she would comb out the wisp at the end of his tail, # because he could not reach it very well and it often got tangly.

The other toys used to say: ""Silly old elephant: he is always in the way."

But Mary Jane would say: * 'Yes, but he has a kind nature.''

The great big elephant always wanted to help.

One day he found Ham, Sheiii, and Japhet trying to blow up a balloon.

"Let me dp^that foiv^ou^ittle boys," he said. *"■'"'" i' !i ' r'*\

Bumpus blew down his trunk so hard that he did not hear Ham, Shem, and Japhet crying: ''Stop! stop!"

"Pouff! pouff!" he blew,,and soon there was a loud bang. "Is that big enough yet?" asked Bunipus.

"Oh, you are a silly old elephant!" cried Ham, Shem, and Japhet; "you have burst bur balloon. We will toll Motherj <md she will not give you any more buns."

Bumpus was very sad. He went into the Ark to tell Mrs. Noah he was sorry. She was doing up parcels, and she hoped th^s big elephant would not notice, because he always wanted to help.

But when Bunipus saw Mrs. Noah doing up parcels he said: "When you tie up the next parcel I will put my foot on the knot, and that will help you."

"Well," said Mrs. Noah, "it would help me if you would take this parcel to the station for me.''

When the big elephant had gone, Mrs Noah did up all the other parcels quickly.

"I must get them-done before he Gomes' back," she said, "because his foot is too big for the knots, and he blows so. hard down his trunk that the little parcels will get blown away." *

As the great big elephant was going to the station he saw Mary Jane running down the street.

"Oh, Bienpus dear," she cried, "the wind has blown my hat on* and I cannot catch it." ;

"I will help you," said the elephant. He ran after the hat and tried to catch it. But he was a very fat elephant, and running made him puff down his trunk, and each time he puffed it blew the hat farther away.

Mary Jane began to cry, because it -was her .new hat.

'' Do not cry, Mary Jane,'' puffed the elephant.;. 'this, however, blew the hat right down the street. • : , .

Then the elephant was very careful. He held his trunk up in air so that the puffs did not blow the hat. At last it lay still, and Bumpus ran tip to it and put his foot on it.

1' Here it is, Mary Jane,'' the elephant .cried. ."I; am so glad I could help you."

"Thank you, Biimpus dear,"' said ; Mary Jane. She looked all around her, but she . could not see her hat any-

Avhere,

" Where is it I she asked.

l'l am keeping my s foot on it, l so that it does not blow away again," said the elephant.

He lifted up his foot so that Mary Jane could see what was underneath it. At first she did not know what it was. When she saw that it was her hat, she felt that she wanted to cry.

dear \" cried Mary Jane, ''you have crushed it quite flat. Now I can never wear it again!"

"I did.not think of that," said the elephant.

He looked so 'sad that Mary Jane said: "Never mind, Bumpus dear. It is your kind nature that makes you put your foot on things. I will tmy a new hat.''