Once there was a little baby boy called Bubba. Bubba had bright blue eyes and golden curls, and everyone who saw him loved him instantly. He had a nanny called Jiji who had cared for him ever since he was quite a tiny baby, and she was very fond of him.
Bubba’s Father was an Army Officer, and they lived in a beautiful white house on the Hills. Around the house was a garden, and outside the garden there was a jungle for miles and miles, and all kinds of birds and animals lived in the jungle.
Little Bubba liked playing on the on the patio with his pets, Miow Miow, the cat, and Wooff-Wooff, the dog, and they both loved him dearly. Miow-Miow never scratched him, and Wooff-Wooff stood on his two hind legs to perform funny tricks to make Bubba laugh.
Every morning after breakfast Bubba threw bread crumbs to the little birds on the lawn. The birds sat in the trees and waited for him, and sang about him till he came out of the house. Bubba loved to feed them and play with them. Miow-Miow watched the birds, but she never tried to catch them because she knew that Bubba loved them.
But one day when Bubba was feeding the birds, a big snake called Hoody, who lived in the garden, came creeping up near the veranda. He tried to catch some of the birds while they were eating, but Bubba saw him and called out, “Go away, bad Hoody, go away!”
Bubba’s nanny heard him and came running out to see what the matter was. Seeing her, Hoody crawled away into his hole under a big tree in the garden.
Now Hoody was a naughty snake, and was always up to some mischief. Hoody thought it would be fun to take bubba out in the jungle, where all the wild animals lived.
So one day, he went out into the jungle to see an old friend of his, Tig, the Tiger, and talk the matter over with him. Hoody asked Tig if he would like to meet a little baby boy, and Tig licked his lips and said, “H’M! let’s see.”
Then Hoody went further into the jungle and met Prowl, the Wolf. “How would you like to meet a little baby?” asked Hoody; and Prowl, the Wolf, licked his lips and said, “aHaa!” and nothing else.
A little further on Hoody met Bluf, the big brown Bear, and he asked him, “what will you do if you saw a little baby in the jungle. And Bluf stood up on his hind legs, and said, Oh! Would be nice, very nice indeed!”
And then Poonda, the big wild Elephant, came crushing through the jungle, and Hoody quickly scurried out of his way, so he doesn’t get trampled. “How would you like to meet a little .. ” he screamed out, but Poonda made a loud noise with his trunk and ran on. Nevertheless, Hoody was satisfied, and he laughed, thinking Poonda might trample Bubba when he comes to the jungle.
After this Hoody went home to his hole under the tree in Bubba’s garden, and watched and waited. One day, when Wooff-Wooff had gone off to chase a wild rabbit, Miow-Miow was fast asleep in the sun, and Nanny Jiji went into the house to fetch Bubba’s Noah’s ark, Hoody saw Bubba alone on the patio.
Hoody slid out of his hole quickly and came near Bubba, waving his head back and forth, and shooting out his little tongue, while the sun shone on his smooth shiny skin. Oh, pretty Hoody!” said Bubba, “you’re naughty. Go away!” “No,” said Hoody sweetly, “I’m not naughty, dear Bubba, and I know where some beautiful flowers grow. Come with me and I’ll show you!” “No,” said Bubba, shaking his head.
But Hoody continued to look at him steadily, and soon Bubba slid down from the verandah and came near him. Then Hoody laughed and drew back quickly into the thick part of the garden, and Bubba ran after him.
When the Nanny returned to the patio with Bubba’s Noah’s Ark, and she saw his little empty chair and Miow-Miow asleep in the sun, she was alarmed and ran around calling Bubba’s name. Then Bubba’s Mommy came out, and then his Daddy, and they searched the garden for a very long time, but could not find any trace of him.
Then Miow-Miow woke up and Wooff-Wooff came back, and they both wondered what was going on. Soon, some little birds overhead called out to them to attract their attention. They said, “Bubba followed Hoody, the Snake, into the jungle, and he will be lost and harmed by the wild animals unless he is brought back. Quick! Quick! Go after him!”
And so Wooff-Wooff ran to Bubba’s Father and Mother and tried to tell them. He ran backwards and forwards trying to point to the jungle, and barked and barked. Then woof-woof set out to the jungle to find Bubba, and Bubba’s parents followed.
Now after Bubba had followed Hoody a little way through the garden, the snake turned to a little path which led to a broken part of the garden wall. “You must crawl through here,” said Hoody, “the pretty flowers are on the other side.” So Bubba crawled through and found himself in the jungle.
Further on! further on!” cried Hoody, every time Bubba stopped to gather any, “there are prettier ones further on.” And so Bubba went on and on till he came to where Tig the Tiger lay asleep in the long grass. “Now’s your time,” whispered Hoody in his ear, “here’s the little baby I told you about.” And Tig sprang up with a roar.
But Bubba wasn’t a bit frightened, and he only laughed, and said “what a big, big Miow-Miow!” And he put his arms around Tig’s neck and nestled his head in his soft fur, and Tig liked it so much, he purred with delight just like Miow-Miow did when she was pleased. Hoody was very angry at this, and seeing that Bubba made friends with Tig, he called to Bubba, “Come, let’s go and find more flowers.”
And Bubba kissed Tig goodbye, and followed Hoody further into the jungle, till they met Prowl, the Wolf. “Here’s the little baby,” whispered Hoody. And Prowl said, “Ha!” and was going to spring upon him, but Bubba only laughed and said, “What a big Wooff-Wooff!” and patted him on the head, and looked into his eyes. Prowl then licked Bubba’s hands and frisked around him just like Wooff-Wooff.
This is silly,” said Hoody angrily. “Come now, it is almost sunset, and we must go home,” and he led the way to where Bluf, the big brown Bear, lived. “I’ve brought the little baby for you,” said Hoody.
And Bluf said, “Oh! very nice, very nice indeed!” And caught Bubba up in his arms and hugged him. “Just like my Nanny does!” laughed Bubba, and he patted Bluf’s cheeks and kissed him, and Bluf hugged him more to keep him warm.
Just then there was a loud trumpeting noise, and Bluf put Bubba down on the ground, and Hoody slid off into the grass, hissing. “Now Poonda is coming!”
But when Poonda came and saw the little baby Bubba, he remembered that he had not always been a wild elephant, but had once belonged to a nice man. So he picked little Bubba up with his trunk and placed him gently on his back.
And that’s when Bubba’s Father found him, after he followed wooff-wooff into the jungle. Wooff-Wooff traced the little boy by his scent, and found him riding on Poonda’s back. Then Poonda let Bubba’s Father sit on his back too. And so they returned in triumph with Bubba and his Father on Poonda’s back, and good Wooff-Wooff barking and frisking by his side. The naughty snake Hoody went into the jungle, and never tried to bother Bubba ever again.
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