Elephi by Jean Stafford

Author:Jean Stafford
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Dover Publications
Published: 2017-08-21T16:00:00+00:00

The car shook and from somewhere deep inside it came a shrill, terrified voice. “An elephant! For Pete’s sake, go away. I’ve had enough trouble as it is without being stepped on by a great lout of an elephant.”

“No, no, I’m not an elephant. I’m a cat,” said Elephi.

“Then why didn’t you say so in the first place? What’s the big idea of making a fellow think he was going to have to bunk with an elephant?” said Whitey crossly. “Come around here and let me see if you’re telling the truth.”

“Where do you want me to stand?” asked Elephi because he was not sure where the car did its looking from.

“In front of my eyes, of course, stupid,” said Whitey.

Never before in his life had Elephi been called stupid and he didn’t like it in the least. Maybe Whitey was not going to be fun after all.

All the same, he went nearer to the car. At first he stood in front of the head-lights, but this was the wrong place, for Whitey said, “What are you waiting for? I’ll bet you’re not a cat.”

Good heavens, what a peevish car! But Elephi supposed that he would be out of sorts too if he’d been left in the cold snow all that time. He jumped up onto Whitey’s hood and stood before the windshield.

This was the right place. Whitey said, “So you are a cat. You’re taller than the one at home. And black. The one at home is yellow. Goes by the name of Dandy Lion, King of Beasts.”

“I’m Elephi,” said Elephi.

“Oh, go on,” said Whitey. “If you’re an elephant, I’m a Fifth Avenue bus.”

“I didn’t say I was an elephant,” said Elephi. “I said my name is Elephi”

“Elephi,” said Whitey and thought the news over for a while. “I’ve heard some strange ones in my time but Elephi is a new one to me. What does it mean?”

“I don’t think it means anything,” said Elephi Pelephi W.K. Cat. “Any more than Susan or Adam or What-you-may-call-it means anything. I’m named for a famous Greek cat of Delphi. The Cuckoos, who pay rent here, tell me that Elephi of Delphi is one of the most important cats in the Mediterranean.”

“Never heard of him,” said Whitey. Then, in a much friendlier voice, he said, “By the way, Elephi, do you happen to know what language we’re speaking? It can’t be my native Fiat Italian because you wouldn’t understand it, would you?”

“I was wondering about that myself,” Elephi replied. “I thought I was speaking American Short-Hair Catese as I usually do, but you wouldn’t understand that either, would you?”

“I picked up a few words of Catese from Dandy Lion,” said Whitey. “But not much more than ‘How do you do?’ and ‘Move over, please.’ Dandy doesn’t talk much for the simple reason that he doesn’t have much to say. He’s nice enough, but between you and me, he hasn’t got the brains of a potato.”

“It is well known that I have a very high I.

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