Jumbo then told the kangaroo where they were going and what they were
going to do.
Madam Kangaroo said, "It is very fortunate that you found me, for when
you drop a rock on the stuff to make it go off, you will want some one
that can jump out of the way quicker than scat, and no one can jump as
well or as fast as I can."
They hurried back to the cave, and here they found all the animals
waiting for them. While they were away the alligator had come, but he
had gone down to the beaver's dam to stay, because he liked the water
so well, and he had not had much to play and to live in while he was in
the circus.
The Papa Bear told the elephant to hurry up and put the stuff in the
cave, where they were trying to knock the rocks down. The Circus Bear
and the monkey rolled the box over and over to the place, and then the
elephant reached in with his trunk and put the box just where it should
be. Then they found that there was no way to drop a stone on the box
so that it would go off and make the rocks come down. The badger said
that he would dig a hole straight up and down like a well, right over
the box, so that they could drop a stone straight down on the box and
make it go off. So he scratched away just as he had scratched when he
made the chimney, and before you knew it, the hole was dug and all was
ready. The kangaroo took a great stone in her forepaws, and stood over
the hole ready to drop it on the box. The owl told them all that they
must get as far away as they could, for the rocks would be sure to fly,
and might hurt them. Then he told the beaver that as soon as all were
ready, he must strike the water with his tail, and the kangaroo would
then drop the rock on the box. So the little Cub Bear hid behind a
tree, and every one got ready. Then there was a "Bang! Bang!"
The kangaroo dropped the rock on the box, and gave three great jumps
out of the way; and there was the greatest "Bang!" you ever heard. It
made more noise than all of the firecrackers you ever saw would make,
if they should all go off together. My! how the little Cub Bear did
jump! And when he looked around, there was the mule, Jenny, kicking and
kicking and kicking. She had been hit by a rock. It did not hurt much,
but, of course, she had to kick anyway. As soon as it was safe, all of
the animals that were there ran down to the cave. The elephant went in,
and instead of his tail sticking out of the cave as it had before the
stuff went off, he disappeared entirely. The little Cub Bear then ran
to the cave, for he thought that the elephant had fallen into a great
hole.
He could not see the elephant at all, so he called, "Jumbo, Jumbo,
where are you?"
"Here I am," said Jumbo, and his voice sounded far away, for the
explosion had opened the way into the great cave, and the elephant was
already far back in it. All of the animals came running up, and how
glad they were to think they had such a beautiful home. The floor was
almost as level as the floor is in your house. It was a long way up to
the ceiling or roof. There were great pillars coming down from the
roof to the floor, and everything was so clean and nice that almost any
little boy or little girl would like to have lived there. Then there
was ever so much room in the beautiful new cave. There was room for the
great tent, that they all used to live in at the circus, to be put up
without touching the roof. There was that little stream of water that
the muskrat told them of, where all could drink. The animals went out
to get their things, and when they had put them all in the cave, it was
dark and time for little bears to go to sleep.
The little Cub Bear soon went to sleep, and what do you think he
dreamed about? I do not know. Perhaps it was about heaven, whose
streets are paved with gold, and whose gates are of pearl. Perhaps, who
can tell?