Читать книгу The Adventures of Diggeldy Dan - Edwin P. Norwood - Страница 6

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On as fine an evening as one might wish for and at exactly seven minutes past half-past twilight by the Petal Watch, Diggeldy Dan stood in the very center of the great menagerie tent, while before him were grouped all the animals of Spangleland.

Coming from their cages and from out their corrals or, like Elephant, Zebra, and Camel, being unhooked from their chains by Monkey and Dan, they had arranged themselves much as one sees them pictured in great atlases or on gayly colored posters, but never, strangely enough, at the circus itself.

In the front row sat Puma, Monkey, Seal, Leopard, Hyena, and Little Black Bear, and all their families. Next in order came Lion, Tiger, Ostrich, Great White Bear, Deer, Emu, Kangaroo, and their families; while, ranged behind these were Elephant, Camel, Hippo, Zebra, and Rhino, and their different cousins and aunts, with Giraffe and his folks still back of them.

There they sat, chattering and laughing and making quite as much of a clatter as people do at the theater, just before the curtain goes up.

“Now,” began Dan, pulling his hands from his pockets and clapping them together for silence, “it seems to me the first thing to do is to get ourselves organized.”

“Yes, yes, that is it,” answered the merry crew. “Let’s do that very thing!”

“We should begin, then,” continued Dan, “by choosing a chairman. Who, say you, shall it be?”

At this all the animals began to talk at once; but, as it was Tiger who seemed to be making the most noise, Dan said he should be the first to speak.

“Diggeldy Dan and fellow animals,” said Tiger, as he gravely stroked his chin with a huge paw, “I rise to name one who, because of the very place that he has long held among us, is especially suited to the office of chairman. One who, because of his great strength, his fairness, and kindly disposition, has long been known as ‘the King of Beasts.’ The one who—as you will remember—was the very first to be loosed from his cage. I, of course, am speaking of—Lion.”

“Hear! Hear!” came from all sides. “Lion, of course! Who else but Lion!”

“Let’s make the choice unanimous,” cried Rhino. And so, somewhat flustered, but by no means lacking in dignity, and escorted by Great White Bear and Little Black Bear, Lion came forward to accept the office to which he had been elected.

“My fellow animals,” he said, “realizing that there is still much to be done, I will be brief. First, let me thank you for the honor you have bestowed upon me and to assure you that I will do my best to serve you. While appreciating Tiger’s kindness in suggesting me for chairman, I cannot but feel that I should differ with him on one point—that is, with reference to the title ‘the King of Beasts.’ That is all very well in Jungleland, perhaps, but here in this great land of the free—with even ourselves set at liberty—I feel that the word ‘king’ should be replaced by ‘president.’ I believe that—”

But here cries of, “That’s right—Why, of course—President of Beasts!” and the like broke in upon the speaker, and the point was carried, even before Lion had finished his argument.

“Now, then, Mr. King—I mean Mr. President,” said Hippo, who had been holding a quiet consultation with the animals nearest him, “it would seem to me that we should elect a secretary before we go any further, so that an exact record may be kept of these meetings and, in due time, sent on to our good friend, Too-Bo-Tan.”

“A very commendable thought, indeed,” assented Lion. “Nominations are, therefore, in order for secretary.”

And, at this, the several animals who had had their heads together with Hippo all jumped to their feet and began to chant:

“Dan, Dan, Diggeldy Dan,

Dan, Dan, Diggeldy Dan!”

“Why, of course,” agreed all the rest. “Who else but Diggeldy Dan!”

“I’ll furnish a quill for the pen,” said Ostrich.

“I know where there’s an old circus poster with nothing at all on the back,” cried Elephant, as he made off toward the end of the tent.

“I’ll offer myself for a table,” volunteered Hippo.

“And I’ll supply the ink,” said Dan, diving into one of his funny deep pockets and drawing forth a top, some chalk, three marbles, and—last of all—a bottle of very red ink.

And so, almost before one might have said Jack Robinson, there sat Diggeldy Dan astride Hippo’s back with the poster that Elephant had brought spread out before him, the quill that Ostrich had furnished grasped firmly in his hand, writing away for all he was worth, while all the animals crowded around, all talking at once and each trying to remember just exactly what Tiger had said when he had nominated Lion and just what Lion had said when he spoke in reply.

Of course, all this took some little time and, indeed, Dan concluded the first chapter of the interesting document with one eye to his work and the other on the Petal Watch. And, just as he had crossed the very last “t” and dotted the very last “i” the great white flower began to close. At the first sign of it, away scampered all the animals to their cages and corrals while Dan, with the aid of Monkey, having locked all the doors and fastened each chain, scurried off to make ready for the circus, folding the precious poster and tucking it away with the Petal Watch as he ran.

“To-morrow at half-past twilight,” he cried in farewell.

“To-morrow,” answered Lion, from the depths of his cage, while from all parts of the tent came the voices that echoed—“To-morrow—to-morrow—to-morrow.”