Page:Dumbo (1939).pdf/2

TWO—POLTENSON—5488 was looking up very angrily at Dumbo.

“A great big animal uke you certainly has a cinch,” he complained. “You don't have to wotry about anyone stepping on you. But 1 do!”

Dumbo was surprised. “You're—you're ter- ribly mistaken, 1 don’t have it easy,” he said. “I’m very miserable—and so unhappy. I'd rather be a little bird like you.”

The robin scratched his head. He couldn't understand why an elephant would want to be alittle bird. He chirped, “You're making fun of me, that’s what you are. Imagine you want- ing to be a bird, so that cats and hawks and boys with BB guns can make your life miserable!”

“T admit that wouldn’t be so nice,” agreed Dumbo. “But I'd be happier than | am now. For, if I were a bird, 1 would have wings and 1 could fly far, far away from this circus.”

The little robin was puzzled. “Fly away from the circus?” he asked. ‘Why, | should think that a circus would be the very nicest place to live, Mr. er-er- what is your name?”

“My name’s Dumbo” replied the midget elephant, blushing.

“Mine's Red,” said the robin. “Isn’t Dumbo a sort of funny name?”

“Well, it isn’t the name I was born with. It’s only a nickname,” explained Dumbo. And then he told Red the sad story of how he had spoiled the elephant act, and how all the other elephants made fun of him.

When he finished, the big tears started to roll down his face. “And that’s why I wish I could fly away from the circus,” he cried.

“Hey, watch out,” Red shouted, as he hopped out of the way of a big tear. “You want to drown me?”

Dumbo apologized, and wiped his eyes with one of his extra-big-bright-pink ears.

“| don’t blame you for wanting to fly away from all this,” sympathized Red. “1 guess | do have an easy time compared with you.”

He examined Dumbo carefully from all sides, top and bottom. Then he said, “I don’t see how you can ever learn to fly. You have Ha wings, or feathers, or anything to help you

“Wes, I know,” said Dumbo sadly. “I never thought I’d really be able to. 1 only hoped.”

And he looked so unhappy that Red tried to cheer him up by saying, ““Now, now, Dumbo, there’s still some hope. We'll go to Wise One. He knows everything. He'll be able to tell in a minute whether you can ever learn to fly.”

“{ don’t suppose it will do much good,” said poor Dumbo. “But I'll go. Can you take me to Wise One now?”

“Oh, no,” explained Red. “You see, Wise One sleeps during the day. Anyway, I have tomake an appointment for you. I'll come and get you to-night.”

And Red flew through the air, and was out of sight in no time at all. Dumbo looked after him in wonder,

That night, when everybody at the circus was

—— asleep, Red flew into Dumbo’s pen, lighted on his head, and whispered, “Follow me.”

Dumbo ran after the little robin, who flew

___ slowly just above the midget’s head. An enor- mous round moon looked down on the two friends.

Ked led Dumbo to a clearing in the forest, near a great tree—the biggest tree Dumbo had ever seen. Red pecked on the tree three times. TAP TAP)! TAP?)

‘‘Who-o-o’s—who-o-o’s there?” boomed a deep bass voice.

ue Red Robin, oh Wise One,” answered Red.

Then Wise One appeared on the lowest ’

(ranch of the tree. He was a giant owl with ) big flashing eyes. mi

Ked introduced Dumbo to Wise One. Dumbo toid Wise One how unhappy he was, and of his wish to fly away from the circus.

After Dumbo had finished there was a long silence, during which Wise One THOUGH 1 and LHOUGHT and THOUGHT.

Finally, Wise One spoke in his deep bass voice. “flap your ears, Dumbo-o-o-o!”’

Dumbo moved his extra-big-bright-pink ears up and down so hard that he almost blew Wise One and Red out of the tree.

~ Wise One boomed, “Contro-o-ol yourself, contro-o-ol yourself. That's the first lesson in flying. Now, flap your ears again, but much slo-o-ower.”

Dumbo did. Then Wise One hooted loudly, “T SHOULD SAY THO-O-OSE EARS WOULD MAKE AS FINE A PAIR OF WINGS AS 1’VE EVER SEEN.”

Red whistled with joy. Wise One’s voice ois “No-o-o nonsense, no-0-0 nonsense,

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Red blushed so that his face became the color of his bright red breast,

“Please, sir,” said Dumbo, “I, I, I don’t want to be impolite, but I never heard of any- one using his ears for wings.”

“Yo-o-ou must believe in me, Dumbo-o-o,” said Wise One, “o-o-or else | shall not be able to help yo-o-ou.”

“Oh, I do, I do, sir,” cried Dumbo, hoping that he hadn't offended Wise One.

“Very well,’ said Wise One. “Now Red will take you home, and bring you back to-o-omorrow night.” And with these words, Wise One disappeared into the branches of the great tree.

Dumbo and Red were so happy, that they danced a little jig. They were very careful not to make any noise, however. Then Red hopped on Dumbo’s back and away they went.

Next day, Mother Ella kept asking Dumbo

> — what had happened to him. She had never seen her son look so happy. As much as Dumbo hated to keep any secrets from his mother, he didn’t dare tell her.

That night, Dumbo and Red sneaked out and went back to Wise One. Red pecked at the tree three times. TAP-TAP-TAP!

Wise One bustled out and boomed, ‘“‘Dum- bo-o-o, I want you to learn how to contro-o-ol

year ears—how to flap them slo-o-owly, me- dium, fast and in-between.”

“Yes, yes, yes, sir,” gulped Dumbo, very