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“What happened next?” asked the Horse, as the Elephant stopped to catch his breath. It rather made him out of breath to talk without his trunk.

“Well, after the boy’s mother glued my trunk on he played with me for a while, but he dropped me again, and my trunk broke off again in the same place. After that the boy’s father said I had better come to the hospital. So here I am.”

“But where is your trunk?” asked the Horse.

“Back under that piece of paper where I was sleeping,” the big animal answered. “It is to be fastened on me properly tomorrow. The toy hospital doctor first washed the jam off me. I was made clean again, and I was glad of that. Then, to keep the dust off me, he put me under that paper. But when I heard you speaking, White Rocking Horse, I just had to come out, trunk or no trunk.”

“I’m glad you did,” said the White Rocking Horse. “Really, when I look at you again, I get rather used to seeing you without your trunk, though at first I hardly knew you. Do you suffer much now?”

“Not as much as I did,” was the answer. “But I shall be all right after to-morrow, when my trunk is to be put back on. Then I suppose I’ll go back to that boy’s house.”

“I hope he treats you better,” said the White Horse.

“I think he will,” replied the Elephant. “When his father took me away he said the boy could not have me back after I was mended until he knew how to handle his toys. So I have hopes of being better off with my mended trunk than before.”

“Let us all hope so,” sighed the Tin Poodle Dog. “It’s queer how cruel some children are to us. They think, because we are toys, we have no feelings.”

“Yes, that is so,” said the White Horse. “But Dick, the boy who owns me, is very kind. It was an accident that my leg was broken. Carlo, a poodle dog something like you, my tin friend, only real, ran too close to me and knocked me down the steps,” said the Horse to the Tin Poodle Dog.

“Oh, so you are injured, too, are you?” asked the Elephant. “I have been talking so much about myself, Mr. Horse, that I never thought to ask what your trouble was. Will you kindly pardon me?”

“Certainly,” neighed the Horse, politely. “And now, as we are here by ourselves, and no one can see us, suppose we have a little fun-that is, as much fun as we can, broken and twisted as we are.”

“Hurray! That’s it! Let’s have some fun!” cried the Tin Poodle Dog, with a funny little bark.

So the Elephant with the broken trunk told about his queer race on roller skates, the Horse spoke of the Christmas tree, and the other animals related their adventures. They had a good time together until morning came. Then, when it was time for the toy hospital doctor to come to his shop, the Elephant got back under the paper that was to keep him clean until he was mended, the Horse slowly hobbled back to his place, the Tin Poodle Dog leaned up against the broken Jack in the Box, and all the toys became as quiet as though they had never spoken or moved about.

“Hum, lots of work for me to-day!” said the toy hospital doctor, as he put on his apron and his square, paper cap. “I must mend the broken leg of that Rocking Horse as soon as I fix the Elephant’s trunk.”

Then the toy doctor took the Elephant from under the paper and, after blowing off a little dust, began work. He made a new piece of trunk out of wood and cloth, and painted it until it looked just like part of the Elephant. Then the two pieces were fastened together with wooden pins, and also some glue.