in regard to the elephant before them and in regard to anything
else in the world. For a time he was silent, not knowing what reply to
make to the little one, after which he said:

"Very well! very well! I tell you it is all right! Nell, let go of me!"

And Nell at once hugged him and through her tear-dimmed eyes a smile
gleamed. Now she was concerned only about giving the elephant something
to eat as quickly as possible. Kali and Mea were greatly astonished
when they learned that the Bwana kubwa not only would not kill the
elephant, but that they were to pluck at once as many melons from the
bread-fruit trees, as many acacia pods, and as much of all kinds of
weeds as they were able. Gebhr's two-edged Sudanese sword was of great
use to Kali at this labor, and were it not for that the work would not
have proceeded so easily. Nell, however, did not want to wait for its
completion and when the first melon fell from the tree she seized it
with both her hands and, carrying it to the ravine, she repeated
rapidly as if from fear that some one else might want to supplant her:

"I! I! I!"

But Stas did not in the least think of depriving her of this pleasure,
but from fear that through too much zeal she might fall over with the
melon, he seized her by the belt and shouted:

"Throw!"

The huge fruit rolled over the steep declivity and fell close to the
elephant's feet, while the latter in the twinkling of an eye stretched
out his trunk and seized it; afterwards he bent his trunk as if he
wanted to place the melon under his throat and this much the children
saw of him.

"He ate it!" exclaimed the happy girl.

"I suppose so," answered Stas, laughing.

And the elephant stretched out his trunk towards them as if he wanted
to beg for more and emitted in a powerful tone:

"Hruumf!"

"He wants more!"

"I suppose so!" repeated Stas.

The second melon followed in the track of the first and in the same
manner afterwards disappeared in a moment a third, fourth, tenth; later
acacia pods and whole bundles of grass and great leaves began to fly
down. Nell did not allow any one to take her place, and when her little
hands grew tired from the work, she shoved new supplies with her little
feet; while the elephant ate and, raising his trunk, from time to time
trumpeted his thunderous "hruumf" as a sign that he wanted to eat still
more, but Nell claimed that it was a sign of gratitude.

But Kali and Mea finally were fatigued with