Manxmouse (Essential Modern Classic) by Paul Gallico

Author:Paul Gallico
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Published: 1968-09-18T04:00:00+00:00

A mouse, particularly a Manx Mouse coloured blue, with no tail to be stepped on, can go practically anywhere at night without being seen. Manxmouse blended in perfectly with the dark shadows thrown by the bright circus lighting. He crept beneath the beast wagons and cages and avoided the main tent. He skirted where the horses were tethered and at last came to where six enormous Nellyphants, or elephants as Burra Khan had called them, were chained in a row by one hind leg and one fore leg. There they swayed, standing in straw some six inches deep, grumbling, muttering and phoophing to themselves, or picking up bunches of hay with their trunks and scattering it over their backs.

Manxmouse’s plan for creating a diversion, by which he meant an uproar so that no one would notice the return of the unhappy tiger, was a simple one. It was based upon what he had learned from Nelly.

He certainly had not the slightest intention of running up inside the trunk of any of the elephants, but when it came to squeaks, rustles in the straw and tickling of feet, he felt that he could do a nice, competent job.

And so he slipped out of a patch of shadow and quick as a flash disappeared beneath the bedding close by the first elephant in the line.

She was peaceably thinking elephant thoughts, when suddenly she stopped and her trunk stiffened. “Hoo!” she cried. “What was that? Oh, oh – I felt something.”

“What’s the matter, dearie?” queried her husband who was swaying next to her.

“I don’t want to say…” she said, “but I think…” And suddenly she lifted her unchained foot high into the air with a shriek, “Hoo! Oh! Ah! My foot! It’s tickled!” And then raising her trunk on high, she trumpeted the alarm, “Mowwwwwse!”

Immediately the other elephants took up the cry and the panic was on.

“Ooooh! Ouch! Help!”

“Mouse! I felt it! Police! Fire!”

“Haaaaaaalp! It’s here now, under my feet!”

“No! I’ve got it! It’s trying to run up my trunk!”

“Mouse! Mouse! Mouse! Call out the Army!”

“Ooooooh! It’s going to crawl up my leg! I can’t stand it! Hasn’t anybody got a gun?”

“It’s squeaking and rustling right under me now! Assistance! To the rescue, somebody!”

“Come on, boys and girls! Let’s get out of here!”

And with that, lunging with all their strength, the elephants began to heave at the stakes that held their legs and the night was filled with the rattling of their chains, their shrieks and trumpetings and thumpetings. Manxmouse emerged from under the straw at the other end of the line and sat up to watch the effect. It was far better than ever he had expected.

Beast men, roustabouts, trainers and performers came pouring out of their wagons at the racket. They were headed by the proprietor of the circus who was shouting, “To the elephants, everybody! Something’s got into them! If they break loose as well as the tiger, I’m ruined!”

Jingle-jangle! Clangety-clang! Bangety-bang! Smash-crash-bash! Wurroo-wurraa! Poom-Boom! Was there ever such a

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