billy woke up.
his elephant was gone.
they took my elephant, he thought sadly.
he put his shoes on and went downstairs.
outside the dust was settling in the street.
mrs frietchie, the landlady, was sitting on the front steps of the boarding house.
they took my elephant, billy told her.
did they? good for them.
it was all i had. and it meant no one no harm.
it made people nervous.
it never bothered nobody.
it was an elephant. it made people nervous.
did you take it?
hell no. i’m an old woman, i don’t have the strength to take nothing from nobody.
did you see who did?
not me. i never see nothing, that’s my policy.
that’s the trouble with the world today.
the world is nothing but trouble, you ought to know that by now.
i would tell the sheriff, billy asserted sadly, but he might have been the one who took it.
why don’t you ask him?
i think i just might.
billy squeezed past mrs frietchie and put his shoes in the dusty street.
i suppose you got your rent?
not right now. i might after i see the sheriff.
why? you think he is going to pay you for that elephant that he probably didn’t even take?
you never know.
i know it ain’t going to rain today. look at that sky.
i got better things to look at. and to look for.
if you say so.
what’s for dinner tonight?
the usual.
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