Heluiz Chandler Washburne

“ Little Elephant ran upstairs and came down waving in his trunk the biggest stocking he could find. When he had hung it beside the fireplace he went off to bed as good little elephants should.
Early the next morning Little Elephant galloped into his mother's room. "Merry Christmas!" he bellowed, "Merry Christmas!"
Mother Elephant sat up sleepily in her bed. Surely it couldn't be morning already. She rubbed her eyes and straightened her nightcap.
"Come on! Get up! I want to see what's in my stocking," Little Elephant cried, pulling at the covers. ”

“ Rhamon was there too, of course, singing his heart out and shaking his head under his huge white turban. He loved this strange sweet music. He did not have an instrument to play, but he beat time on his father's knee with his hands and wrists. "Some day," he thought, "I shall be a man and then I shall play on one of the big red pots, and have silver rings on my fingers." ”

“ While she worked she sang, and Rhamon loved to listen. Her voice made music like the soft lapping of the water and the throbbing song of the bulbul bird.
While the rice was boiling, Rhamon's mother made the chuppaties for supper. She pulled off a little wad of the dough she had mixed, and spread it out into a thin round cake. Then she rolled it up, twisted the roll around and patted it out flat once more. It was ready to be cooked then, so she dropped it on a dry hot griddle and set it over the fire. When the fire grew low she added more charcoal and blew on it to keep it hot. ”

“ When he finally reached the office he was almost out of breath. "Quick, Uncle, quick!" he panted. "Some men are stealing a garden!"
The big Chief of Police twirled his fierce black moustache, and rubbed his nose. Then he called loudly for two of his men. Rhamon shivered at the sound of his voice. It seemed to come rumbling up from the soles of his big red slippers. Settling his huge turban farther on his head, the Chief took Rhamon's hand and started off with long strides. Rhamon could hardly keep step with him, but he felt very proud. ”

“ Rhamon made up his mind that when he was a man he would have his very own shikara—a splendid big one with fine carving, soft cushions inside and a place for six oarsmen.
On their way down the river they passed boats of every description. There were shikaras like their own, skimming swiftly over the water, merchant boats, dugouts loaded with vegetables, slow-gliding grain barges, and some being poled along by a man or woman who stood balancing far out on the tip. ”

“ So Little Elephant stepped into the water with all four feet. But he kept lifting them out one by one to cool them off.
Finally he sat down in the water. Then it came up all around him and ran over the edge and made pools on the floor.
Mother Elephant pulled up her skirts and said, "Oh, do be careful! Now my feet are all wet."
Little Elephant soaked and soaked in the nice warm water. Then his mother went out of the room to get his bath towel, and he thought he'd take a shower. So he stuck his trunk down into the
So Little Elephant stepped into the water. ”

“ When Rhamon rested from his paddling he liked to trail his hands in the cool water or pull up the pink and white water lilies that floated on the river. He could see their long stems through the clear water reaching down, down to the muddy bottom. ”

“ Then she popped him into bed with a hot water bottle at his feet, and gave him a large glass of hot lemonade to drink, with two straws in it.
Then Mother Elephant sat down beside the bed and read Little Elephant the story called How The Elephant Got His Trunk. As she read Little Elephant grew hotter and hotter and hotter. ”

“ Little Elephant buttered the end of his trunk so the candy wouldn't stick and he grabbed hold of the wad of taffy. It was hot but he held on and pulled, backing away from his mother, who was also pulling.
Soon the taffy stretched out into a thick rope between them. Then they looped it back together and pulled again. They had to work fast. Sometimes Little Elephant wasn't quick enough, and the taffy slipped off his trunk in long strings. ”

“ But one morning the great doctor arrived in the little brass shop.
"I have heard from the Rajah," he told Rhamon's uncle. "And now I have come to take this young man to the hospital."
A chill raced down Rhamon's spine. The hospital! But when he looked up and saw the kindly eyes smiling at him, he was no longer afraid. He put his hand into the big doctor's, and felt quite willing to go with him anywhere, even to the hospital.
"You are in good hands, Rhamon," said his uncle. "You have nothing to fear." Then he gave Rhamon a small flat box. ”

“ As Rhamon came closer he noticed the big brass rings that swung from the men's ears and the many strings of beads around their necks.
"Those men are snake charmers," said his uncle. "Their fathers and grandfathers before them were snake charmers. They have a strange power over snakes. Even the most deadly one will not hurt them. And when they play their flutes the snakes must dance." ”

“ The longest-living author of this work died in 1970, so this work is in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 53 years or less. This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works.
It is imperative that contributors search the renewal databases and ascertain that there is no evidence of a copyright renewal before using this license. Failure to do so will result in the deletion of the work as a copyright violation. ”

“ The shopkeeper threw up his hands in horror. "Three annas! And how shall a poor man live when he must sell his goods for so little? Oh woe, oh woe! I have no luck today." Then as Rhamon started for the door again, he called, "Five annas and the top is yours."
"I shall look at tops farther down the street," Rhamon answered, jingling the coins in his pocket. Now Rhamon wanted the top, so just as he reached the door he pulled out his money and said, "I will give you four annas for that top." ”

“ Just then they whirled around a bend in the road. In front of them he saw a fairy spot where clear spring water fell like a sheet of sparkling rain. It dripped through a mass of green vines and hanging ferns. ”

“ He wriggled and wriggled his trunk away down inside the long, empty stocking.
There—he had hold of the thing at last. What could it be? He saw Mother Elephant and Father Elephant winking at each other. Grandpa Elephant held the toe of the stocking while Little Elephant pulled out the package. He tore it open.
A wrist watch! A big, round, shiny brass wrist watch with a fine leather strap! Little Elephant bounced up and down on the bed when he saw it. Then he held it up to his ear, "Tick-tick-tick!" Yes,
A big, round, shiny brass wrist watch! ”

“ Until this moment Rhamon had held on to the perfume jar, but now he handed it thankfully to his uncle who smiled and took off its many wrappings.
Truly it was a king among jars, tall and graceful and rich in color. Rhamon thought his uncle would never stop looking at-it, tilting his head on one side and then on the other. At last he said, "Yes, the jar has great beauty. When you return, say to your father that he chose well. I have never seen one more perfect. ”

“ Rhamon Delivers the Perfume Jar Half-awake, Rhamon stumbled down the aisle. And then he remembered—he would see his uncle here. On the platform Rhamon was joggled and shoved about, and once his lovely turban was knocked down over his nose. He held tight to the Sahib's hand for fear he would lose him in the crowd.
Men were running along beside the train with trays of things to sell, balanced on their heads. Some were filled with fruits, others with pots of tea. Some were piled with long-handled fans of braided reeds or round ones made of bright peacock feathers. ”

“ Rhamon had some annas that jingled in his pockets, so he looked at the colored candies in this little shop, the sticky cakes in the next one, and the gay array of penknives in another. "I really need a penknife," he thought, "one with a sharp blade that will cut the hardest root. Then I can whittle myself a top that no one can crack. ”

“ The Garden of Happiness The boat came out of the river and crossed the big lake to the Garden of Happiness. Here it was made fast and everyone jumped out. Rhamon wanted to skip and dance, for he had never seen anything so lovely. Fruit trees were in bloom everywhere, standing white against the background of rough brown mountains ”

“ People were talking together everywhere—girls filling their water jars, men passing in boats on the river, women on the doorsteps. As Rhamon and his father paddled along they could hear what people said:
"Have you heard? Our King, the great Rajah, arrives tomorrow from his winter palace at Jammu. He comes up the river with a big procession of boats."
"Yes. My brother is his chief oarsman, and from him I have heard the Rajah has a new boat, larger and more beautiful than any before."
"For weeks I have seen men working in the gardens of the Summer Palace to make things ready for his coming." ”

“ Rhamon looked up quickly into his father's face. Was he to be scolded for staying away so long? But no, the brown eyes were smiling and kind. Rhamon tied the shikara and climbed up onto the deck.
"My son," began Subro, "you have long wanted to go down the mountains to the big city. And now I am going to send you. My brother lives in Lahore and owns a shop there. He has asked me to send him an old perfume jar. I have at last found the kind he wishes. You were with me when I bought it from Subhanna. Now you shall take it to your uncle. You are old enough to be trusted as a man." ”