Tuskie.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9, 4 March 1905, Page 56

Tuskie.

Fuzzy was a little Indian boy. When he was so small that he could only laugh and cry, the king of the elephants had carried him off into the jungle. His parents searched for him everywhere, but they did not search the jungle. It is never wise to search the jungle unless you have a gun, and even then it is safest to sit in a high tree. The king of the elephants was very kind He taught him to walk and to run much faster than you ever run. And this is the way he taught him. Under a bamboo was a tiger. Under a palm tree was a banana. If Fuzzy got to the palm tree before the tiger he got the banana. If the tiger got there before Fuzzy he got the banana and Fuzzy. So you see that Fuzzy learned to run very fast. The elephant also took Fuzzy for long rides. He would wrap his trunk round the little boy, lift him high in tho air, and drop him on his back. Then they went together through the jungle. At first Fuzzy used to feel queer, but soon he liked it very much. He never had to pay a penny as you do at the Zoo; and when he was hungry the elephant gave him fruit and berries from the trees. When it was hot they plashed into deep pools where the reeds and grasses were as high as the elephant’s ears, and wild birds flew over their heads. Sometimes Fuzzy asked the elephant if he could go home. “Why cannot I got to my father and mother?" he would say. But the elephant always answered, “You are better here. When I carried you away I swore you should never return till they gave me back Tuskie.” “Tell me about Tuskie,” Fuzzy would say. And this is what the elephant used to tell him.

“Many, many seasons ago, I had a son —he was Tuskie. More sprightly than the jaekal, swifter than the tiger, stronger than the lion was Tuskie; but he was foolish, and did not fear men. I warned him to avoid the dwellings of men, for men are cruel, and do not love us.”

“My father is not cruel.” “It was your father who took my Tuskie. Foolish son, your father is a bereaver of familiM. He snares the wild creatures, and leads them in chains; he makes their lives a sorrow. He followed my Tuskie for many days, and caught him with traps and guns. Then he took him acroes the sea. Do you know what

the sea is like! It is a great green meadow that is never still. Animals cannot drink it as they do the pool at sunset, for it is bitter. Sometimes it is blue, sometimes it is green, and often it is covered with white flowers which men call waves. My Tuskie was taken across this sea, and he has been brought back but I have never seen him. Your father, they say, is often in the plain, snaring more wild beasts, but him I have never seen.”

“Take me to him,” Fuzzy would say: “I will set Tuskie free.”

“Are you not happy?” “Yes; but I want to see my home.’’ As Fuzzy grew older he thought more and more about going to his home. One day he met a jackal. “I have seen Tuskie,” said the Jackal. Everyone in the jungle knew about Tuskie. “Where is he?” asked Fuzzy. “In the village where the sun rises. There are many other beasts with him.” “Is my father there?”

“That I do not know. But you must make haste, or they will have gone.” Fuzzy ran as fast as he could and found the Elephant. He told him that Tuskie was in the village where the sun rose, and that they must go and set him free. The Elephant - was afraid. “If we go near them,” he said, “they will come out with guns and put us in cages.” “We ean run,” said Fuzzy. At last the Elephant said lie would come, for his love for Tuskie was greater than his fear. So Fuzzy was swung on to his friend’s back, and they started. The village lay many miles east of the jungle, and when they were dear of the great trees and the thick scrub there was still the plain to cross, .‘V when they had tramped across the last field the sun had set. But this was well, for the Elephant could not go near the. village in the daylight. When it was dark, Fuzzy and the Elephant crept close up to the village fences. Just over them they could see the tents and the fires, and hear the cries of the animals.

“We are behind what men call a Wild Beast Show,” said the Elephant. If only I could find my Tuskie!”

“Tuskie is here,” said a voice beside them.

Then Fuzzy and the Elephant saw that a long trunk came from under a tent just over the fence. It waved along the ground gently, but they eould not see Tuskie.

“My long-lost Tuskie! Are you in the tent ?” “Yes—alone! ” “Bound or free?” “Bound with five cords. Men will come before long.” “I will creep under the tent and set Tuskie free,” said Fuzzy. “You stay here. When I whistle you must run

for the jungle as hard as you ean. Tnß* kie will go another way, but he will be free, and can join us when we arc all safe.”

Fuzzy climbed the fence softly, and crept into the tent. Inside he found Tuskie tied with many cords, which he cut with his hunting-knife. “That is all very well,” said Tuskie; “but how can I get out? The men will see me. They are returning now!” “Do as I tell you,” said Fuzzy, “and all will be well. When I whistle the King of the Elephants—your father—• will run for the jungle. The men will follow him; but he has got the start, and in the noise you can slip awar from this side.”

Fuzzy whistled; then, crawling again from the tent, he loosened it so that Tuskie could get out more easily. The King of the Elephants, once clear of the village, raised a loud bellow, and began to run for the jungle. He swung from side to side like a huge ship in a wind as he ran. Everyone in the village looked in amazement. The men dropped their axes, the women stopped cooking, the little children ran to their mothers crying. Fuzzy sprang in the midst of them, waving his arms. “The Elephant is loose!” he cried.

Then the people began shouting and quarrelling. They quarrelled so hard as to whose fault it was that it was a long time before they began to follow the Elephant, and none of them thought of looking the other way. If they had they would have seen Tuskie moving off amongst the shadows. Some of the men at last turned to Fuzzy.

“He's let him out. The raseal! Hold* himl” — _

“I did, and there’s two of them. Catchi me if you can!” cried Fuzzy. He sprang through the people and took to his heels —straight across the plain, after the Elephant, to the jungle. He heard cries and the hoofs of horses behind him, but Fuzzy could run faster than them all. Tie ran until he overtook the Elephant, and then they ran more gently together through bushes and tall grass, for they had now reached the border of the jungle. The

Elephant's feet sounded like thuds of damp earth as they struck the ground, and several times bullets came buzzing past their ears. But Fuzzy thought of how he had been taught to run, and of all the bananas he had saved by the skin of his teeth from the teeth of the tiger. At last, gasping and weary, he threw himself down in their home of boughs and soft leaves and slept until the morning sun burned on his face. When Fuzzy looked round once more Tuskie and the King of the Elephants were beside him. "We are safe,* said Tuskie, "and Fuzzy saved me.” "Yes, but if he returns to his people

they will kill him,” said the King of the Elephants. “Why?’ asked Fuzzy. “Because you have set free my son Tuskie. You shall live with us for ever.” “But will they kill me if 1 say 1 am their child?” “Yes.” “W’e’.l see about that.” said Fuzzy, ami up he sprang and ran and ran until he reached the village. The sun was so hot that he was almost blinded. He burst into the first tent he came to and threw himself down on the floor. Two women were busy in the tent, and one of them brought him a cup of milk.

“1 do not eat or drink,” cried Fuzzy, “till 1 see my parents.” “Who are your parents?’ asked the woman. “My parents are great people,” said Fuzzy. “All these beasts ami tents beong to them. I was taken from them by the King of the Elephants because they had stolen his son Tuskie.” the woman took Fuzzy in her arms and kissed him. “You are my child,” she said. “Last night.” said Fuzzy, “with my own hands I freed Tuskie. For doing that they said you would kill me.”

“My child.” said Fuzzy’s mother, kissing him many times “your father is alive no more. All that he had was mine—it i«* now yours. I)<> with it what you will, but stay with your mother.’ Then she stmt the maidservant who was with her to ca I the of the Iteasts ami the servants and the villagers, ami taking Fu/z\’s hand she went out ami showed them her new l\-found >on. \nd Fuzzy bowed to his mother and sa id : “My mot tier. I have hands ami I have feet. I will serve you by their labour all my life, but the birds and the wild beasts shall go free.”