The Eager Elephant

by Amelia Cobb

  Meep gave a tiny snort. “I think Oscar is right. Getting wet and cold and drippy is horrid!” the little lemur announced with a cheeky chatter. “I like to stay nice and dry.”

  David looked at the paddling pool again and scratched his head. “Why don’t we fill the paddling pool up for Bertie anyway? If Oscar sees Bertie splashing around—”

  “He might realise there’s nothing to be worried about!” finished Zoe, grinning. “And I bet Bertie paddling will be the cutest thing ever.”

  David unrolled the long rubber hose and attached it to a tap. Then he used it to fill up the paddling pool so the water was just a few centimetres high. Bertie heard the splashing noise and came over to have a look. He stared at the twinkling water, then curiously dipped the end of his trunk in.

  Bertie’s eyes opened wide and he gave a squeal of excitement. Without a moment’s hesitation, he lifted his legs over the side of the pool and plunged straight in! Zoe and David laughed at the little elephant as he plodded around happily, blowing bubbles with his trunk and splashing water everywhere. Zoe looked over to see if Oscar was watching, but the big elephant was still hiding behind a distant clump of trees, as far away from the water as he could get. Zoe felt sad. She didn’t want Oscar to be scared!

  Bertie seemed disappointed that his big friend wasn’t coming to play with him. He barged out of the paddling pool, sending water sloshing everywhere, and marched over to Oscar.

  When Oscar backed away from the soggy little elephant, shaking his head crossly, Bertie’s ears drooped sadly and he trotted back over to Zoe.

  As David went to comfort Oscar, Zoe gave Bertie a little hug. He blinked and waggled his trunk.

  “Oh, Bertie! Oscar does love you,” Zoe replied. “He just doesn’t like water that much.”

  Bertie trumpeted sadly.

  Zoe stroked Bertie’s big ears softly. “I promise you’ll never be left alone again. Here, I’ll play in the paddling pool with you.” She bent down and ran her fingers through the cool water, then splashed some at the little elephant. Bertie brightened up immediately, and sloshed back into the paddling pool happily

  Then Bertie sucked some water up with his trunk with a noisy slurping sound. He turned to Zoe and Meep, and pointed his trunk towards them.

  Uh oh! thought Zoe. But before she could say a word, Bertie sprayed the water right at her!

  “Ooooh!” squealed Zoe. “I’m soaked!”

  Still, she couldn’t help laughing. Bertie was just so eager for his new friends to play with him!

  Meep, though, was not very pleased. “I don’t like getting wet!” the tiny lemur grumbled, shaking out the droplets of water from his fur.

  But even Meep couldn’t stay cross with Bertie for too long. The little elephant was just having so much fun!

  Squish! Squelch!

  “My shoes are making a funny sound,” laughed Zoe as she and Meep walked back to the cottage later. After they’d emptied the paddling pool Oscar had gone back to being his friendly self. David had told Zoe that he was going to take the elephants for a walk round the zoo tomorrow, and he’d promised to wait until Zoe was home from school so she could go too.

  They’d had a brilliant afternoon playing in the paddling pool with Bertie, but now Zoe’s head was aching a bit and she was glad to be home.

  As they went inside and through to the kitchen, Zoe suddenly sneezed again and again.

  “Bless you!” said Lucy, turning round from where she’d been chopping up some carrots for dinner. “You were sneezing earlier on as well. Are you feeling all right?”

  “I don’t know. I feel a bit funny, Mum,” said Zoe.

  “You look a bit pale, love.” Lucy put her hand against Zoe’s forehead. “And your head feels hot. Let’s take your temperature.”

  She went to the kitchen cupboard and pulled out a first-aid box, then popped a thermometer in Zoe’s mouth. She left it for a couple of minutes and then checked the reading. “Oh dear, you’ve got a temperature. I think you’d better hop straight into bed and I’ll bring you up some medicine.”

  Zoe put on her blue dolphin pyjamas and climbed into bed. She normally hated going to bed early, but today she felt too sleepy to complain. Her throat felt sore now, and her nose was tickling even more. Her mum brought her a box of tissues and a bottle of medicine, and Zoe swallowed two sticky spoonfuls. Then her mum tucked Zoe’s covers round her and drew the curtains. “I would have made you a hot water bottle, but you have Meep to keep you toasty!” she said, stroking Zoe’s head. “Poor Zoe. Get some sleep now, and I’ll be downstairs if you need anything.”

  “What about school?” Zoe asked croakily. “And I’m taking Oscar and Bertie for a walk tomorrow. I can’t miss that!”

  “Let’s see how you’re feeling in the morning,” said Lucy, switching the light off. “Then we can decide if you’re well enough, OK? Night night.”

  As Zoe closed her eyes she felt Meep snuggling up next to her, his furry little body very soft and warm. The last thing Zoe heard before she drifted off to sleep was his tiny voice whispering in her ear. “I’ll look after you, Zoe,” Meep promised.

  “You’ll feel better soon!”

  Chapter Seven

  Zoe’s Day Off

  When Zoe woke up the next day she yawned, stretched, then glanced at the panda clock on her bedside table. Then she looked at it again, feeling very confused. It was almost lunchtime!

  “Meep, what’s going on?” she said, sitting up in bed. “I’m late for school!”

  Meep was perched by her feet, wide awake. “You were still poorly, so your mum decided you needed to stay in bed!” he chirped. “She rang up school and explained you were having the day off. She keeps peeping through the door to see how you are, like when she checks on the animals at the zoo hospital! Goo and Kiki came too. Goo tucked your blankets round you so you were extra snug. But I’ve been taking the best care of you,” he added proudly.

  Zoe was still a bit sniffly but her shivers had gone away. Apart from her bunged-up nose, she felt fine! She went downstairs and into the kitchen, realising her tummy was rumbling. She took some biscuits out of the cupboard, and just as she was popping one into her mouth, Lucy walked through the front door, her special vet bag slung over her shoulder.

  “You’re awake!” she said, kissing Zoe’s head. “How are you feeling?”

  “A lot better,” Zoe said, taking a big bite of biscuit. “I was asleep for hours!”

  Lucy looked at her watch. “Well, it’s too late to go to school now. I think you can go out into the zoo for the rest of the day and get some fresh air. But I want you to take some more medicine first, and you’re not to get wet again! And stay away from the cold enclosures, please. No visiting Bella today, or the penguins.”

  Zoe nodded happily, winking at Meep. Suddenly she was excited – she had a whole extra afternoon to spend at the zoo, and she’d still get to go on the walk with Oscar and Bertie! As Lucy set off to visit a baboon with a poorly eye, Zoe quickly ran upstairs and got dressed, being careful to wrap up warm. Then she and Meep headed out into the zoo, stopping to chat to their animal friends along the way.

  One of the first enclosures they passed belonged to Harold the hyena. Harold padded straight up to the fence and gave a friendly bark. “Thanks, Harold! I feel much better today,” replied Zoe, smiling. “But how did you know I was poorly?”

  “That was my idea,” Meep told her proudly. “When Goo and Kiki came to visit you, I asked Kiki to fly around the zoo, telling all the animals you weren’t very well. We’ve thought of lots of ways to help you feel better!”

  Harold wagged his tail eagerly. The funny hyena explained that laughter was the best medicine, so Zoe should try listening to one of his jokes. “OK then!” said Zoe, grinning.

  Harold barked his joke and waited hopefully. “Hmm, I don’t know that one!” said Zoe, thinking. “What kind of fish only swims at night?”

  Harold barked the answer – and started screeching with laughter! Zoe
giggled too. “A starfish! That’s funny. Thanks, Harold. I do feel better!” she told him.

  As Zoe and Meep carried on walking through the zoo, all her animal friends wanted to ask how she was feeling. Lots more tried to give her helpful tips too. The sloths, Peggy and Pepper, sleepily advised her to get plenty of rest, before closing their eyes and starting to snore noisily. And the baby hippo, Hetty, suggested she sit down in some squishy mud, because doing that always made her feel better!

  Zoe grinned and pulled Meep into her arms for a cuddle. “I’m not sure I like the idea of a mud bath,” she whispered, giggling. “But having all my animal friends around is making me feel lots better.”

  Zoe stroked Meep’s soft fur and gave him a kiss on the top of his furry head. “Now I really can’t wait to take Bertie round the zoo and let him meet everyone properly!”

  Chapter Eight

  The Elephant Stroll

  As Zoe got close to the elephant enclosure she spotted David inside, putting fresh straw in Oscar and Bertie’s cosy shelter.

  “Hi, Zoe!” he called, smiling. “How are you feeling?”

  “Better! I would have hated to miss Bertie’s first walk,” Zoe explained.

  David nodded. “I thought we could take them to the water-lily lake. Bertie can paddle in the shallow water, and maybe we could convince Oscar to try it too!”

  “Bertie’s going to be so excited to go for a walk round the zoo!” Zoe whispered to Meep. “And I think he’ll love the lake.”

  “But, Zoe, do you really think Oscar will want to have a paddle?” Meep asked, frowning.

  Zoe shook her head. “No, I don’t! But there are lots of nice trees around the lake, and mud for him to cool down in, so I’m sure he’ll have fun anyway.”

  Zoe went with David to get some treats for the elephants, to help keep them from wandering off on their walk. Zoe knew she could tell Bertie which way to go – but she was sure he’d like some treats too! Meep scampered ahead eagerly, and when they arrived back at the enclosure, the tiny lemur had already told the elephants to get ready for their walk. Oscar looked very pleased, and Bertie was so excited he was racing around in circles!

  David walked ahead of them to clear the path through the zoo, and Zoe strolled between Oscar and Bertie. For every five steps she took, Oscar took just one slow, giant step. Zoe could feel the path shake beneath her feet as the huge creature plodded along next to her. Bertie kept rushing to look inside each new enclosure they passed.

  Lots of the other zoo creatures grunted, squeaked or roared hello as the group walked past. Oscar and Bertie raised their trunks to say hello back. After a few minutes, Bertie turned to Oscar and Zoe and gave a puzzled squeal.

  Zoe giggled. “You haven’t seen any animals with trunks like yours, Bertie, because there aren’t any! Only elephants have them.”

  Bertie shook his head in disbelief, but Oscar nodded gently, agreeing with Zoe. The little elephant trumpeted again curiously.

  “Well, I use my hands to pick things up, and Meep uses his little paws,” Zoe explained. “Some animals have strong jaws and teeth to carry things, like the lions and tigers. The pelicans use their clever bills to scoop up fish. And some animals carry everything they need on their backs, like the tortoises. Every creature is different.”

  Bertie stretched out his trunk in front of his face and gave a noisy toot. He was even more proud of his trunk now that he understood how special it was!

  The zoo was busy now and the visitors they passed couldn’t believe their eyes as the funny group walked by. Zoe beamed proudly as they pulled out their cameras and phones to take photos.

  “Can I touch the little one?” one very tiny girl asked shyly.

  “Of course!” Zoe said. Leaning forward, she whispered, “Hold still!” in Bertie’s ear. The girl giggled as she softly patted his head – then laughed delightedly as the baby elephant curled his trunk round her middle for a hug.

  Suddenly a voice snapped, “David, there you are! I’ve been looking all over for you!”

  “Oh no,” grumbled Meep as Mr Pinch marched over. “Why does horrid old Mr Pinch always spoil the fun?”

  “I need to discuss the results from Weigh Day with you,” Mr Pinch continued bossily. “Come to my office, please. It will only take a moment.” He shot Zoe and Meep a mean look and added, “And then I’d like to know why certain people are not at school on a school day!”

  David hesitated, then nodded. “Will you be all right, Zoe? Carry on and I’ll catch you up in a minute or two. Don’t lose any elephants,” he teased, grinning.

  Zoe smiled back as David and Mr Pinch disappeared down the path. She wasn’t sure she could ever manage to lose something so big!

  Zoe waved to some other visitors and watched as David and Mr Pinch strolled out of sight.

  Walking through the zoo with two elephants was even slower than walking with just Oscar! All the visitors wanted them to stop and have their photo taken with Oscar and Bertie.

  “We’re never going to get to the lake!” Meep chattered in Zoe’s ear.

  “Let’s take a short cut through the hippo enclosure,” Zoe suggested as they passed the enclosure door. “I’m sure Hetty the baby hippo would love to meet baby Bertie!”

  She pressed her special paw-print necklace to the door and led the two elephants inside.

  The hippo enclosure was a big, flat pasture full of grass for the hippos to eat and a big muddy lake for them to wallow in. Zoe shaded her eyes from the sun and saw the shapes of all the hippos, Humphrey, Hilda, Helena and baby Hetty, some in the pasture and some in the lake, their heads just poking out of the water like big rocks.

  When he saw the glittering water, Bertie trumpeted loudly in excitement.

  Before Zoe could stop him, the little elephant trotted straight to the water’s edge to dip his feet in, and started splashing around playfully.

  “Bertie, no!” Zoe called. “That’s not the water-lily lake, that’s the hippo lake. It’s quite deep and I don’t think they want to be disturbed by a baby elephant. Please come out!”

  Oscar hung back near the enclosure fence, eying the water nervously. “It’s OK,” Zoe said as she turned to soothe the old elephant, stroking his warm ears and patting his trunk.

  But Oscar just looked more and more nervous. Suddenly he looked over Zoe’s head and gave a huge trumpet. Zoe heard the alarm in Oscar’s call and whirled round. She gasped, her heart thudding hard in her chest. While she wasn’t looking, Bertie had waded even further into the lake – and now he was struggling to stay above the water. The little elephant was in big trouble!

  Chapter Nine

  A Watery Rescue

  Zoe watched in horror as Bertie waved his trunk desperately in the air. He was wriggling and splashing around, trying to swim to safety, but something was wrong.

  Bertie gave a frightened trumpet and Zoe gasped. “Meep! Bertie’s stuck in the mud!”

  The little elephant was struggling in the water, splashing and thrashing as he tried to get free.

  Meep squealed with fear, and Oscar let out another bellowing trumpet. Zoe had to do something, and fast!

  “Bertie! This way!” she shouted, waving her arms. “Head to me!”

  But Bertie was panicking so much, he didn’t even seem to hear her. Zoe looked around desperately.

  “I have to go in after him!” she said, starting to pull at one of her shoes.

  “You can’t, there are hippos in there!” Meep squeaked in alarm.

  Zoe knew that none of the animals at the Rescue Zoo would want to hurt her, but she’d never swum with the hippos the way she could with the dolphins and other animals. It was too dangerous.

  “I have to do something!” Zoe gasped.

  She grabbed a branch from the ground and pulled it up to the edge of the lake. Meep grabbed the end too, and together they held it out, getting it as close to Bertie as they could.

  “Bertie!” Zoe called. “Grab this!”

  Bertie saw the bran
ch and reached his trunk out in the right direction, but he was too far away.

  Zoe held the branch out as far as she could, but it was no good. Water was going in Bertie’s eyes and up his trunk, and he coughed and spluttered as he tried to keep his head above water.

  “Someone help!” Zoe shouted, looking around desperately.

  Then she heard an enormous splash. Oscar had jumped into the lake! Zoe stared in amazement as the big elephant strode through the muddy water. “Oscar’s coming, Bertie!” she cried, clinging to him. “Just hang on!”

  When Oscar was close, he stretched out his massive trunk towards the little elephant. Bertie reached out, his small trunk twisting round Oscar’s huge one. With a great squelching sound, Oscar pulled Bertie out of the sticky mud.

  Then he started walking backward, towing Bertie closer to the shore with every step.

  Finally they reached the edge of the water, and Oscar pulled Bertie out.

  “Bertie!” Zoe flung her arms around the elephant, and so did Meep, who for once didn’t mind that Bertie was dripping wet. Zoe took some big, deep breaths.

  She felt very shaky but she was so happy that Bertie was safe!

  The little elephant seemed just as pleased to be out of the water as Zoe was. He shook like a dog, then pressed up against one of Oscar’s huge front legs, his trunk curled around it, hugging Oscar as hard as he could. Oscar was stroking Bertie’s head with the tip of his own trunk and speaking to his young friend in a gentle, reassuring rumble.