Dido did not have to do his tricks every day now. But once a week or so his master came to put him through them, to see that the bear had not forgotten how to dance, or turn somersaults.
It was nice and warm in the big circus barn, and the animals had enough to eat, so they had a very good time of it.
“Still I liked traveling about the country with George and Tom,” said Dido. “It was real jolly sleeping out of doors, except when it rained. And I like going about with the circus, too.”
“Oh, you will be able to go about again,” said Tum Tum. “When warm weather comes we shall travel once more.”
But something happened which nearly stopped all the circus animals from ever traveling about the country again.
One night Dido was awakened in his cage by a queer smell. And there was a funny feeling in his nose and throat as if he wanted to sneeze.
Dido stood up in his cage and looked across the barn. He saw smoke, and he knew what smoke was, for he had often seen Tom and George make a fire in the woods to boil coffee. And Dido saw fire with the smoke. Then he knew what the queer smell was that had made him want to sneeze. It was the smoke in his nose.
The fire grew brighter and the smoke thicker. Dido stood close to the bars of his cage and called to Tum Tum, who was asleep standing up, as elephants often do.
“Tum Tum!” called Dido in animal talk, “the circus barn is on fire! The barn is on fire! What shall we do?”
Tum Tum awoke with a start. He looked at the fire, which was in one end of the barn, farthest off from the animal cages.
“Oh, my! A fire!” cried Tum Tum. “That is terrible! We must get out somehow!”
“That is easy for you to do,” cried Dido, “for you are not in a cage. But what shall I do?”
“We must call to the circus men to come and let you caged animals out,” said Tum Tum. “I’ll call,” and he made a loud trumpet noise.
“They had better hurry,” said Dido. “The fire is growing hotter. Once my masters made a fire in the woods, and it spread in the dry leaves so they had to get water and put it out. Oh, Tum Tum, can’t you let me out of my cage?”
“Yes,” said Tum Tum, “I will. I can open many animal cages with my trunk.” Tum Tum was a trick elephant and could do many things. He soon had opened the cage of the dancing bear, and Dido could jump out. By this time the other animals were much excited by the fire. Some of them broke out of their cages by themselves. Others Tum Tum let out, helped by Dido.