going to be caught so easily. He did not care for society in any shape
or form, not even the society of a _koomkie_, so he took no notice of
her, but, after a few minutes' quiet contemplation, turned his head
the other way.

Kinka, however, was not to be daunted. Still plucking little twigs and
delicate buds and knocking them carefully and fastidiously against her
forelegs in order to shake off any little fragment of dust that might
have stuck there, she made her way steadily towards him, and as
Rataplan, even then, took not the slightest notice she became bolder,
and, trotting quietly up to him, began caressing him with her trunk
and making several other endearing signs which were enough to melt the
heart of any elephant under the sun.

Rataplan's heart was not exactly melted, but he was evidently
interested and touched by the delicate attentions, and he became a
little less morose and a little less moody; he even moved out of the
tangled mass of undergrowth in which he had been standing, and deigned
to talk to her a little bit; and Kinka made herself just as
interesting as she possibly could.

Soon Rataplan began to forget his hatred of company, his dislike of
his fellow-creatures; he began even to forget his evil thoughts and
his mad rage, and he was just beginning to think what a nice, little
elephant Kinka was when he felt, sharp pulls at his feet.

The next instant there was such a sudden pull on all his legs that,
with a huge thud Rataplan found himself lying on the ground. With one
furious cry of rage he did his best to turn, displaying a flexibility
of body and limb which was quite astonishing in so clumsy an animal.