The Elephant Tree - part 3

we left our story with our narrator being accused of selling out the elephant for an Oreo cookie and being accused of being a politician...

“Hey elephant,” a strange voice said.  “What are you doing in a tree?”

“Oh, hello donkey,” mister elephant said.  “I’m hiding from the boy.”

“It looks like he found you,” donkey said.

“No he didn't ” mister elephant answered.  “The man with the stinky feet sold me out for a cookie.”

“He must be a politician,” donkey said

“I am not a politician.  I was just concerned for the boy.”

“You’re it mister elephant,” the boy said.  “It’s my turn to hide.  You count to one hundred while I hide.”

“I can’t,” mister elephant said.

“You can’t count to one hundred mister elephant“, the boy and the donkey said in unison.

“Don’t be ridiculous, I can count to one hundred,” mister elephant said with disdain. “But, I cannot get myself out of the tree.”

“Why not?”  I asked.  “You put yourself in the tree so you should be able to get yourself out of the tree.”

“That is not necessarily true,” mister elephant replied.  “Just because I was able to put myself in a tree doesn't mean that I can put myself out of the tree.  Cats do it all the time.”

“This is not good,” the donkey said.

“Let’s call the fire department,” the boy said.

“No,” both the donkey and mister elephant yelled in unison.

“Why not?” the boy asked.

The donkey said, “It’s because of the press.”

“What does ‘the press’ mean?” the boy said.

“The press is the newspapers and the TV news,” I answered.

“Are they bad?” he asked.

“No, they are not bad,” mister elephant said.  “But, they will tell the world about me in this tree and donkey on the ground and then someone will say donkey put me in the tree because I represent the Republicans.”

“And then someone else will say it’s not fair for mister elephant to be higher up than me,” donkey said.  “Then someone will put me in a tree.”

“Then,” mister elephant said, “They will put me higher up the tree until the branches won’t hold me anymore and they will break and I will fall out of the tree.  Then someone will blame donkey because he represents the Democrats.  I would rather stay in the tree.”

“What are we going to do?” the boy said

“I’m hungry,” mister elephant said. “And I’m thirsty.”

“You can have my peanut butter and jelly sandwich and Oreo cookie,” the boy said.

“I ate my Oreo cookie,” I added.  “But, I’ll get you a hat full of water.”

“Great,” mister elephant said.  “A baseball hat full of water, an Oreo cookie and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich are not what I would call a gourmet meal for an elephant!”  All of that should last me about thirty seconds.  Look at me folks I am an elephant. E-L-E-P-H-A-N-T…elephant.  I usually get about a ton of hay per day.”

“I wouldn't be so uppity if I were you,” I said.  “You put yourself in the tree.  You only have yourself to blame.  You do not want us to call someone that could help so you’ll have to eat what we can give you until we figure out how to get you out of the tree.”

Another voice was heard from below the tree.  It was the boy’s mother and she was very, very upset.  “Young man, you were supposed to be home one hour ago.  I was worried and upset.”

The boy, testifying in his own defense, said that he was helping his friend, mister elephant. 

The mother was leery, very leery.  “I do not see an elephant.  All I can see is a mangy old donkey, and a man with a wet baseball cap.”

Mister elephant said from the tree above her, “Ma’am, do you suppose you could fix me a few peanut butter and jelly sandwiches?”

The mother looked up and saw mister elephant in the tree above her and fainted.

“Oh great,” the donkey said.  “Now we have an elephant in a tree and a dead woman under the tree.”  We better hope the fire department doesn't show up now.  We will all be arrested for murder.”

“Is my mother dead?” the boy gasped.

/ / / // 

to be continued....