himself.

Flop went along the street, whirling his tail in a little circle
like a pin-wheel, or a merry-go-round, and he was thinking how good
the Johnny cake would taste, when, all of a sudden, he heard a
noise.

It was a noise something like thunder, yet not quite so loud, and
Flop was wondering what it was, when, all at once, as he turned
around the corner, he saw a big elephant sitting on a stump, and
crying as hard as he could cry. And this elephant had made the
noise.

Ah ha! That's the time I caught you; I've got the elephant in this
story after all, so you can't have the ice cream cones this time.
But never mind, maybe some other day you may.

Anyhow, there was the elephant crying, and he shed as many tears as
you could cry in a year, even if you've been vaccinated. And Flop
instead of being afraid, went right up to the big creature and said,
most politely:

"What is the matter? Can I help you?"

"Eh? What's that?" exclaimed the elephant. "Bless my trunk strap!
It's a little pig. Oh dear!"

"What is the matter?" asked Flop.

"Oh, I ran a big sliver in my left hind foot," said the elephant,