The Eager Elephant Read Online Free PDF Page B

someanimals carry everything they need on their backs, like the tortoises. Every creature is different.”
    Bertie stretched out his trunk in front of his face and gave a noisy toot. He was even more proud of his trunk now that he understood how special it was!
    The zoo was busy now and the visitors they passed couldn’t believe their eyes as the funny group walked by. Zoe beamed proudly as they pulled out their cameras and phones to take photos.
    “Can I touch the little one?” one very tiny girl asked shyly.
    “Of course!” Zoe said. Leaning forward, she whispered, “Hold still!” in Bertie’s ear. The girl giggled as she softly patted his head – then laughed delightedly as the baby elephant curled his trunk round hermiddle for a hug.
    Suddenly a voice snapped, “David, there you are! I’ve been looking all over for you!”
    “Oh no,” grumbled Meep as Mr Pinch marched over. “Why does horrid old Mr Pinch always spoil the fun?”
    “I need to discuss the results from Weigh Day with you,” Mr Pinch continued bossily. “Come to my office, please. It will only take a moment.” He shot Zoe and Meep a mean look and added, “And then I’d like to know why certain people are not at school on a school day!”
    David hesitated, then nodded. “Will you be all right, Zoe? Carry on and I’ll catch you up in a minute or two. Don’t lose any elephants,” he teased, grinning.
    Zoe smiled back as David and MrPinch disappeared down the path. She wasn’t sure she could ever manage to lose something so big!
    Zoe waved to some other visitors and watched as David and Mr Pinch strolled out of sight.
    Walking through the zoo with
two
elephants was even slower than walking with just Oscar! All the visitors wanted them to stop and have their photo taken with Oscar and Bertie.
    “We’re never going to get to the lake!” Meep chattered in Zoe’s ear.
    “Let’s take a short cut through the hippo enclosure,” Zoe suggested as they passed the enclosure door. “I’m sure Hetty the baby hippo would love to meet baby Bertie!”
    She pressed her special paw-printnecklace to the door and led the two elephants inside.
    The hippo enclosure was a big, flat pasture full of grass for the hippos to eat and a big muddy lake for them to wallow in. Zoe shaded her eyes from the sun and saw the shapes of all the hippos, Humphrey, Hilda, Helena and baby Hetty, some in the pasture and some in the lake, their heads just poking out of the water like big rocks.
    When he saw the glittering water, Bertie trumpeted loudly in excitement.
    Before Zoe could stop him, the little elephant trotted straight to the water’s edge to dip his feet in, and started splashing around playfully.
    “Bertie, no!” Zoe called. “That’s not the water-lily lake, that’s the hippo lake. It’squite deep and I don’t think they want to be disturbed by a baby elephant. Please come out!”
    Oscar hung back near the enclosure fence, eying the water nervously. “It’s OK,” Zoe said as she turned to soothe the old elephant, stroking his warm ears and patting his trunk.

    But Oscar just looked more and more nervous. Suddenly he looked over Zoe’shead and gave a huge trumpet. Zoe heard the alarm in Oscar’s call and whirled round. She gasped, her heart thudding hard in her chest. While she wasn’t looking, Bertie had waded even further into the lake – and now he was struggling to stay above the water. The little elephant was in big trouble!

Chapter Nine
A Watery Rescue
    Zoe watched in horror as Bertie waved his trunk desperately in the air. He was wriggling and splashing around, trying to swim to safety, but something was wrong.
    Bertie gave a frightened trumpet and Zoe gasped. “Meep! Bertie’s stuck in the mud!”
    The little elephant was struggling in thewater, splashing and thrashing as he tried to get free.
    Meep squealed with fear, and Oscar let out another bellowing trumpet. Zoe had to do something, and fast!
    “Bertie! This way!” she shouted,