Elephant cowboys

I saw them moving crossed the fields and knew it couldn’t happen. Elephants. Elephants in our corn field? I thought I was seeing things. At 9 years old, I still pretended it was 1850, and I was a cowboy. A bank robber shot my best friend, Teddy Baret.

As marshal, I headed up the posse. I could see the robbers up ahead. One of them got the drop on me. He wounded me in the shoulder. I switched hands my left hand just as good as my right. I fired again, bringing him down. The rest of them gave up. I herded them back to town. It would have been Teddy’s turn to be a marshal, but my mother called us in to dinner. Mom smiled as she set the plates before us. Peanut butter and grape jelly and tall glasses of milk. We wait until she set down and said grace. Dad was gone to town for hog feed. I took a bite of my sandwich. My mouth full, I listened as Teddy told my mother about his mother baking a cake for his birthday next Saturday.

I glanced out the window, and then almost choked on my sandwich. I swallowed really fast. “Elephants. I see elephants.” I shouted, jumping up from the table, almost upsetting my glass of milk. I had never seen a real elephant, but was one no two going through our corn.

“I see them too.” Teddy shouted. We ran through the house to the front porch. My mother followed us, shouting. “Careful boys. Stay on the porch.” She put her hands on our shoulders. I wanted to run up to them. To ride one as I saw Tarzan do on TV, but my mother held me back.

Then I saw I was wrong. A man with a stick was herding the elephants alone on the road that bordered our corn field. He stopped in front of our house. He tipped his hat to my mother. “Afternoon madam. I’m John Malic herder of these two. Could I trouble you for a glass of water, please?” He took off his hat and wiped his brow. “Truck broke down, so I’m taking these two into town.”

“Of course.” She said them to us. “Boys, stay on the porch.” She hurried back into the house. We dared not get off the porch. But here were elephants not over 75 feet away. We stood there with our mouths open.

The man smiled at us. “Would you boys like a ride?”

By this time, my mother was back. “Certainly not.” She walked to the road and handed the man a glass of ice water.

“Thank you.” He took a deep drink. Then finished the water. Handing the glass back, he said. “Maam these elephants are so tame a baby could ride. These boys will have a thrill to last a lifetime.”

A thrill shot through my heart. Teddies face glowed. He had a big smile.

“Please mom, please. We’ll be really careful. Please.” I was almost ready to cry. I wanted it so bad.

“My mommy would let me.” Teddie said. I knew she wouldn’t.

Mom looked at the man and his elephants. “You sure it’s safe?”

“Yes, madam, perfectly safe.” The man said, smiling.

“They don’t bite, do they?” My mother asks.

“No, madam.”

We looked at her in anticipation.

“Ok, but only do the Baret’s home.” My mother said. Teddy and I walked to the elephants. We wanted to run, but mom would have shut us down. The closer we got, the bigger the elephants became. I almost changed my mind. The elephants were shaking their enormous heads as if to say, let’s get on with it. I tried to be brave. After all, Teddie was watching.

“Don’t be afraid, boys.” Then to the lead elephant. “Ruby trunk. Put your foot on her trunk.” I hesitantly put my foot on that snake-like thing most people called a trunk or nose. Then I was sailing through the air. I felt the man’s hands on my back. I closed my eyes. If I was going to die, I didn’t want to know it. I felt the great back of the elephant between my legs. I opened my eyes and smiled down at the worried face of my mother.

The man moved forward and repeated the process with Teddie and the other elephant. “Ruby Buck forward.” The man said. Then we were moving. I could feel the muscles of the elephant under me. My mother followed in case they proved dangerous. We passed corn and bean fields. They seemed different from the back of an elephant. I pretended I was Tarzan. Too soon, the ride was over.

Teddies mother ran out of her house. She had a worried look on her face. “They were perfectly safe, madam.” Mr. Malic pulled some tickets out of his back pocket.

“Boy, that was fun. Can we do it again?” I said, smiling.

“Yeah.” Teddie said.

“No.” Both mothers said in unison. Mr. Malic handed the tickets to the circus to our mothers.

So that was that. But at least we had our ride. That night I couldn’t stop talking a bout the elephant ride. That night I dreamed I was Tarzan.

I wanted to ride Ruby again but knew it would never happen. I was down by the barn handing dad nails as he repaired the door. Mom came down. That was unusual she often come out where dad was working. She nodded to her husband. He laid down the hammer.

“Buddy, you like riding that elephant, didn’t you?” He said.

“You bet. It was great.” I said, smiling.

“How would you like to ride her through the whole town? Right down main street.”

I just stared at him. “But you have to be careful of any sign of trouble and you jump right off.” My mother said.

“Wow, I’ve got to tell Teddy.” I said, digging in my pocket for nails.

“Teddy already knows. His father told him minute a go.” My mother said.

A few minutes later, Teddy came running into our barn lot. He was breathing heavy. He leaned over, put his hands on his knees. Teddy looked at me.

“Elephants ride.” He said, almost out of breath.

I grinned at him. “Yeah, ain’t it great?”

Saturday morning I stood with my parents just around the corner from the cheering crowds lining the street. My heart about to burst.

Teddy grinned at me and I at him. Mr. Malic helped us on to the backs of Ruby and Buck. We rode through the street like kings that morning, tossing out candy. Our classmates and their parents lined the main street. That afternoon we watched Ruby and Busk perform and bragging to everyone who would listen that we had ridden those very elephants.