_TOTHERWAYVILLE; THE ANIMAL TOWN_
"What place is this?" said Jimmieboy, as the express train came to a
full stop. "I didn't know fast trains stopped at funny little places
like this--and _do_ look! Why there is a horse sitting in a wagon
driving a pair of men up hill."
"Better not try to know too much about diss yere place, mistah," said
the colored porter of the car Jimmieboy was travelling in. "Hit's a
powahful funny sort o' place, but hit's just as well fo' you to stay on
de kyar an' not go foolin' outside less you's asked."
"I should say it was queer," returned Jimmieboy, "but I can't help
feeling that I'd like to know all about it. What is it called?"
"Totherwayville," returned the porter. "Hit's called like dat because
everything in it's done the other way from how you'd do it. If you
walked outside on de platform ob de station likely as not some little
dog would come up and tie you to a chain an' go leadin' you round town;
'nd you, you couldn't say a woyd. You'd only bark like as though you
only was a dog and dey'd give you bones to eat when dey didn't forget
it--less dey thought you was a cat, an' den dey'd most likely forget to
feed you on milk, de way you does with yo' cat."
"I haven't got any cat," said Jimmieboy.
"Dat's lucky fo' de cat," returned the porter. "Not dat I tinks yo'
ain't as good an' kind a little boy as ebber lived, sah, but just
because ebbery body dat owns cats sort of don't treat 'em as well as
dey'd treat a baby for instance. De kindest heartedest little boy in de
worl' would forget to gib his cat its dinner if he had a new toy to play
wid, or a new suit o' party dress to put on to show his poppy when he
come home."
The porter was called away for a minute by an old lady at the other end
of the car who wanted to know what time the seven ten train generally
started, and while he was gone Jimmieboy gazed wonderingly out of the
window; and I can't say that I blame him for doing so, for
Totherwayville was indeed a most singular place. There were very few
men, women or children in the streets and those that were there appeared
to live in a state of captivity. Small dogs led boys around by a string
or a chain; some of the boys wore muzzles. Here and there were men tied
to hitching posts, and all about were animals which Jimmieboy had always
hitherto supposed were to be found only in the wild countries, or in
circuses and zoological gardens.
Off in a field a hundred or more yards from the station were a lot of
monkies playing baseball, and drollest of all, in front of the
Totherwayville hotel, stood a huge lion smoking a cigar and talking with
an elephant.
"Well I never!" said Jimmieboy. "This seems to be a regular wild animal
place."
Just as he spoke a baby elephant came running down to the station
holding a small envelope in his trunk. When he got to the platform he
looked anxiously about him and then walking up to a funny looking
baboon, who appeared to be depot master, engaged him in earnest
conversation. The baboon took the envelope, read the address written
upon it and said "he would see."
Then he walked to the end of Jimmieboy's car and called for the porter.
"Well, whad yo' want?" asked the porter.
"Here's an invitation from the mayor to a young man who is said to be on
this car," said the baboon. "If he is, will you give it to him?"
"Certainly," said the porter, his face wreathing with smiles.
"Certainly. He's hyah."
Jimmieboy watched all this with interest, little thinking that the
invitation was for no less a person than himself. He soon discovered the
fact, however, for the porter came to him instantly and handed him the
envelope. It was addressed simply to:
MASTER JIMMIEBOY,
Care of the Porter,
Express Train, No. 6098.
Kindness of
Thomas Baby Elephant.
"For me?" cried Jimmieboy.
"Yassir," said the porter. "Hit's for you."
Hurriedly tearing the envelope open, Jimmieboy took from it a delicately
scented card on which was engraved:
The Wild Animals
Request your presence at their
wonderful Exhibition of
Trained Hagenbecks,
This Afternoon at Two
Absolute Safety Guaranteed.
R. S. V. P.
"Dear me!" cried Jimmieboy, excitedly, "I couldn't think of going. I
should be afraid."
"Oh, you needn't be afraid," said the porter. "Dey'se promised you
absolute safety, and I'll tell yo' just one thing. Animals soldom makes
promises, but when dey does, dey keeps 'em. Dey's sort ob different from
people in dat. Hit's twice as hard to get 'em to make promises but dey
seems to be able to keep 'em twice as easy as people. I'd go if I were
you. De conductor'll keep de train waitin' fo' you. Dere's on'y one man
aboard dat's in a hurry an' he's travellin' on a free pass, so de road
ain't liable fo' any delays to him. I'll go wid you."
"But how do you know it'll be safe," added Jimmieboy. "I want to go very
much, but----"
"Howdiknow?" said the porter. "Ain't I took little folks to see de show
befo? Oh co'se I has an' dey've had de best time in de worl', an' come
back cryin' cause dey couldn't stay a week."
"Very well, then," said Jimmieboy, "you can tell the baboon that I'll be
very glad to go."
The porter informed the baboon who in turn acquainted the baby elephant
with the fact, whereupon the baby elephant took off his hat and bowing
politely to Jimmieboy hastened back to the mayor's office with the
little boy's reply.
Shortly after the porter returned and said that he had fixed it with the
conductor and that the train would wait, and so Jimmieboy and his
chestnut colored friend started off. On the way he was gazed at
curiously by more wild animals than he had ever seen before, but they
were all very respectful to him, many of them bowing politely. Indeed
the only incivility he encountered at all was from a rude little boy who
was being led around by a handsome St. Bernard dog. The little boy
snapped at him as he passed, but he was promptly muzzled by his master,
and deprived of the bone he was eating for his luncheon.
After walking along for about five minutes they came to a great circular
building, upon the outside of which was a huge sign.