Rayna's Jungle Adventure

*Chapter 9: Colonel Hathi's March*

The next morning, the sun rose over the horizon and the trees. Bagheera, Rayna, and Tailsy were still fast asleep. Rayna huddled against Bagheera's side as he was sleeping while Tailsy remained on the branch above them, using his tail as a blanket. Suddenly, the ground and the tree they were sleeping in started to shake. Down below in a nearby grassland, a huge herd of elephants marched and lumbered along in a single file line. They were led by the herd's proud leader, Colonel Hathi. As they marched along, they were all barking commands through the jungle.

"Hup, two, three, four!
Keep it up, two, three, four!
Hup, two, three, four!
Keep it up, two, three, four!
Hup, two, three, four!
Keep it up, two, three, four!"

Rayna slowly woke up and yawned and rubbed her eyes while Tailsy climbed down and see what the commotion was. Rayna got off of Bagheera's back and looked down from the tree and was amazed at she sees.

"A parade of elephants." She speaks. Bagheera slowly woke up and groaned hearing the elephants below.

"Oh no, not the dawn patrol." He covered his ears and ignored what was going on below. Rayna thought she could take a closer look at the elephants. She swung down from the tree while Tailsy glides down and land on her head to see the better view of the marching elephants.

"What's the dawn patrol?" Tailsy asked.

"Company, sound off!" Hathi barked as he marched through the grassland. Rayna and Tailsy watched and listened to the herd.

"Oh, the aim of our patrol.
Is a question rather droll?
For the march and drill,
Over field and hill."

Then they all trumpeted in unison. Rayna smiles at this.

"It's a military goal!
It's a military goal!"

The two friends finally got close enough to the herd as they marched along. Tailsy never felt so tiny when he watched the elephants walk by him and Rayna. Then Rayna and Tailsy finally saw the last elephant marching in the herd and were surprised to see a small elephant running to catch up to the herd. This was Colonel Hathi's son, Hathi Junior, who always marched at the end of the herd. As he caught up with them, he did the same as them and marched in line.

"Hup, two, three, four!
Dress it up, two, three, four!
By the ranks of single file,
Over every jungle mile.
Oh, we stamp and crush,
Through the underbrush."

Then another trumpet from the herd was sounded, this time just by Hathi Junior.

"In a military style!"

"In a military style!"

Rayna went over to Hathi Junior's side. Her hands behind her back as she watches the little elephant marching. She couldn't help but to find it adorable.

"Hello there. What're you doing?" She asked.

"Shh. Drilling." Hathi Junior whispered.

"I see." Rayna said. She moved away as the elephants turn to another way. "Whoa. Have to be careful."

"Company... Halt!" Hathi said as the group stopped and went back to normal. Rayna and Tailsy watched as they sat on the nearby boulder. "Company... Left face!" Hathi barked, and his herd turned to the left of him.

"March, march, march," The brownish elephant named Winifred, Hathi's wife, spoke. "My feet are killing me."

"I'm putting him for a transfer to another herd." The elephant said next to her.