For Archie was a small boy and the
Elephant was one of the largest toys.
Once, on the way from the house to the barn, Archie, carrying the
Elephant, stumbled and nearly fell.
"Oh!" cried the little boy, as he slipped along the snowy path. "Oh!"
The Elephant wanted to cry "Oh!" also, but he dared not. He felt shivery
and frightened, though, as he saw the banks of snow on either side of
him.
"I don't want to be pitched into another drift, head first," he thought
to himself.
But Archie did not fall, and the Elephant did not get a second bath in
the snow, for which he was very glad.
Into the warm barn trooped the children with their Christmas toys, some
old and some new. Jake, the man who looked after the horses, giving them
oats from a big bin, and hay from the loft, opened the doors for the
children, and laughed to see how happy they were.
"We're going to play here and have a lot of fun, Jake!" called Archie.
"See my big Elephant! I just got him for Christmas!"
"He is a fine fellow," Jake agreed. "Shall I put him in a stall as I do
the horses?"
"No, we are going to keep him here to play with," said Archie. "And I
think I'll get a little hay to make believe feed him.
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