Read Chapter 9: “In the Jungle”
The sun was burning in the sky. Everybody was tired.
“We’re almost at the end of the trail,” said the guide.
“Where does this trail go?” Dad was curious to find out.
“Out of the jungle,” replied the guide.
Soon after they walked out of the jungle. They rested under a pavilion build next to a dam. The children admired the hugeness of the dam. The view was beautiful. A red fire truck approached the dam. Brandon and Alice watched the way the driver refilled the tank with water from the dam.
“Prepare yourselves,” said the guide. “Our car will be here in no time. You can see it in the distance,” he informed them, pointing at a truck that was coming up the road.
“Where are we going now?” Brandon wanted to know.
“We’re going to the elephant camp,” replied the driver.
The trip to the elephant camp took one hour. Everybody was quiet. The Lesters admired the scenery from the back of the truck.
When they arrived at the elephant camp everything was ready for another trek. The Lesters waited their turn to climb on the elephants. Brandon and Dad climb on a big female elephant, while Alice and Mom climbed on its baby elephant. All in all there were four elephants. Each elephant had a master of its own. They guided the elephants with hooks attached to bamboo sticks, while sitting on the thick necks of the elephants.
The trek begun. The elephants started moving slowly towards the jungle. They followed a dusty path. In the jungle the elephants often stopped to grab leaves from the nearby bushes or trees with their trunks. At a point dogs were heard barking and howling loudly in the distance. The baby elephant was the last one in line, following at short distance from its Mom. The moment the dogs started barking the Mom elephant suddenly stopped and begun trumpeting, refusing to go further.
“What’s going on?” asked Brandon in panic.
“Don’t worry,” replied the man on the elephant’s neck. “It just wants to protect its baby.”
The baby elephant started trumpeting too, moving faster than before. Mom and Alice were scared. As soon as it was in front of its Mom, both elephants ceased trumpeting.
“The Mom elephant wants to see its baby in front of her,” the man on the baby elephant explained to Alice. “It is afraid the dogs might hurt it.”
The rest of the jungle trip on the backs of the elephants was relaxed. After one hour, the trail brought them back to the camp. The Lesters climbed off the elephants and bought bananas for the big animals they’d just ridden.
“Next we’re going to go to the railway station, where you will take the train that goes over the Bridge on the River Kwai,” announced the guide. “We’re leaving in 20 minutes.”
Illustration by Eric Barrientos
