BABY ELEPHANT GOES

Southland Times, Issue 24165, 29 June 1940, Page 11 (Supplement)

BABY ELEPHANT GOES

SHOPPING PRIZE It was Jumbo’s birthday, and he and his sisters and brothers were going shopping. He was left all alone because the others had all gone off to buy some presents for him. He felt very excited as it was his birthday, and wondered what pranks he could play. ' ~ Nearby there was a fruit-shop, and the owner of the shop was an old elephant. Jumbo ran in and shouted, “Fire! fire!” in a very excited voice. “Where?” asked the old elephant. • “Outside, of course,” replied Jumbo. . i • c The old man, much alarmed, ran inside to tell his wife, not thinking ot anything but the fire. Ha! ha!” laughed Jumbo, after the shop-keeper had gone. . Just then his brothers and sisters came along and saw Jumbo having a grand feast of different kinds of fruit. They all came running in and were about to help him with his feast when the old shop-keeper and his wife came in.. “Well!” he exclaimed, “I’ve a good mind to lock you up in one of the looms ot my house and leave you there for the rest of the day.” , While he was saying these words he took hold of Jumno and would not let him go. His brothers and sisters who had run away, now peeped round the doorway to see what was happening. Jumbo struggled and struggled., trying his best to get out of the grasp of the old shop-keeper, but it seemed hopeless. “It serves you right, you little scamp, for coming poking round my shop trying to take my fruit,” he said. He then hit Jumbo with a stick, and, thinking that was enough for such a small elephant, he then let Jumbo go. With a bound he was outside the shop and into the street, where his sisters and brothers awaited him. _ . x .1 r They all went home, as Jumbo thought he had been in enough trouble for that day. ■ . ■ When they reached home he opened all his parcels and played games. —Prize of 1/- to Cousin Doreen Taylor (10), Mokotua, Section 7, Otara R.D. PRIZE Mother elephant had to act in the circus, and she always had lots of ribbons round her neck and on her trunk. Baby elephant looked at her mother and wished she could be dressed like mother, too. One day when her mother was in the circus, the baby set off to buy some ribbons. She took her bag and some money and set off. She walked along

the street looking into all the shops until she saw what she wanted. The shopgirl was very frightened at first, but when Baby Elephant said she wanted some ribbons, the girl quickly showed her some. Soon the purchase was made, then Baby Elephant went back to the circus, happy and pleased. —Prize of 1/- to Cousin Sheena McEwen (8), 87 Morton street.

—VERY HIGHLY COMMENDED.—

One day Baby Elephant was going down the street carrying a bag and a basket on his trunk. He was shopping for his mother, who was sick. First he went into a lolly shop and bought some peanuts, then to the cake shop for buns. As he went along from shop to shop the people stood aside to Jet him pass. When he had finished shopping he went back to his mother. She said he was a clever little fellow for doing her shopping. —3 marks to Cousin lan McEwen A.C. (9), 87 Morton Street.

—VERY HIGHLY COMMENDED.—

Baby elephant lived in the jungle with his mother, father, and a twin brother and a sister. One day, Mrs Elephant anounced that they had run out of provisions for the winter. So Mrs Elephant sent Baby to Invercargill to buy lots of peanuts, wood, walnuts, acorns, and pork. So off went Baby to Invercargill. How the people stared when he strutted to the milk factory and tried to fill the order. The men chased him out and he ran into a fruit shop and again asked for the provisions. He was so surprised

when he was told that he wouldn’t get everything there, he stumbled against the glass counter and broke it. The man who was behind the counter started to chase Baby, so Baby tried to run, but the man caught him and had him put in prison, and he is still there. Next time you pass the Invercargill jail you will see jail-bird Baby Elephant.

,—3 marks to Cousin Pauline Poppelwell (9), 1 Ardwick Street, Gore.

—VERY HIGHLY COMMENDED.—

“Jumbo! Will you do a little shopping for me today?” called Mrs Elephant to her baby. “Certainly, mother,” replied Jumbo. Baby Jumbo loved to go shopping, because he always felt so proud, being trusted by Mother. On this particular day he was permitted to wear his new green suit. He set off in high spirits. However he discovered after he had walked two blocks, that he had left his purse at home, so he trudged back for it.' Once more he set off from home.

When he arrived at the first shop he had to wait quite a while to receive attention, and then he could not purchase the required goods. The next shop he tried nobody was behind the counter, so Jumbo rang the bell. When finally someone answered Jumbo’s impatient summons it was a grumpy old man elephant. “Have you any tusk shine?” inquired Jumbo. “Of course,” snapped the old man elephant, “can’t you read the notice above the door?” Jumbo did not answer, but gave his order and went away gladly when he had obtained some of the best tusk shine for his mother. At the next shop a young lady elephant was serving the customers. When Jumbo told her what he wished to buy she gave him a smile and displayed just what he wanted. When she hadwrapped it up, Jumbo very extravagantly ordered an expensive green hat to match his suit, and as his mother had given him the exact change to do the messages with, he had no money to pay for it. When he told the young lady this she said he could bring it tomorrow, so Jumbo agreed. Soon Baby Jumbo was home again and Mother examined his parcels. She was rather annoyed when she discovered how extravagant her little son had been, but she soon forgave him

(when she found how well he had done her other shopping. —3 marks to Cousin Dulcie Tuffery A.C. (14), Dacre, Section 11, Otara R.D. —HIGHLY COMMENDED.— One day Mrs Elephant hadn’t any sand-paper with which to polish her tusks. “Baby,” she called, “would you like to go and buy me sand-paper?” Baby was soon dressed and had the money. “Mummy, what if they haven’t sand-paper?” “Never mind, dear” she said. It was not long before Baby was walking amongst crowds and crowds of elephants. When she reached the elephant’s grocer shop, she went in. There were many elephants in the shop. It seemed quite a long time before her turn came. At last it did come. “What for you, Baby?” said the elephant grocer. “I want some sand-paper,” she trumpeted in a sweet little voice. “Sandpaper—why, a baby does not need to polish her tusks.” “No,” said baby, “but my mother does.’ —2 marks to Cousin Peggy Cloughly (9), Section 8, Glencoe R.D. —HIGHLY COMMENDED.— One day, a little boy called Sambo took his baby elephant called Jumbo into a large city in India, to do some shopping for Sambo’s mother. Jumbo carried the shopping basket on his trunk, and Sambo had a list of the groceries that he had to buy. The little elephant had not been shopping before. The came to a market place on the side of a street. Sambo went up and bought the goods. After that they had a walk down the street, and had a look in the shop windows. At about three o’clock they went home. —2 marks to Cousin Warren Smith (13), Tussock Creek. —HIGHLY COMMENDED.— “May I do your shopping today, Mother?” asked Jumbo, politely. “Very well,” answered mother elephant. “Will you get a sheet of paper, and write down what I call out: 1 lb. butter, two doz. eggs, 1 loaf bread, and a sponge cake.” Off ran Jumbo down the little lane, to Mr Happy’s shop “Halloa! little boy,” said the shopkeeper, what do you want?” Jumbo handed a slip of paper to Mr Happy, and this is what it said. “Dear Inky, How are you? I hope this finds you well.

I am, Your loving boy, Jumbo.” He had given the shopman a letter instead of the note. When he arrived

home he told his mother about his mistake and she said. “You’ll learn next time Jumbo, won’t you dear?” And he did. —2 marks to Cousin Ronald Telfer (12), Brydone.

—HIGHLY COMMENDED.— One day Baby Elephant was at the circus watching his brothers and sisters acting, when a rather fat gentleman came along. Clumsily he trod on Baby Elephants bare foot. Blustering his apologies the fat gentleman went on his way. Poor Baby Elephant went home and bathed his foot in cold water. Next day he went shopping to buy a pair of shoes for himself with his own pennies. He escaped from the circus and limped off down the street. After making his purchase he returned to the circus. —2 marks to Cousin Isabel McEwen V.A.C. (11), 87 Morton street.