Elemoont/Chapter 26

tells how the Martian Mosquito and the Hunter–for not–Elephants engaged in a battle with fighting elephants and lost it.

We left the Martian Mosquito and the Hunter–for–Elephants (whom the moon elephants persuaded to change into the Hunter–for–not Elephants) at that moment when the elephants decided to ascertain to whom the Martian mosquito was going to hunt. It is possibly that he wanted to hunt moon elephants? In addition, it was elucidated that he was disappeared! "Just he was here," was astonished the Hunter, "and now he had disappeared!" "He had disappeared!" confirmed the elephants, and all began to examine the footprints, which were left by the Mosquito. One of the Elephants–for–Hunters even sniffed the footprints drew about three tons of lunar dust into both his trunks.

"Well, what kind of dust is it?" asked the Oldest Elephant. "Aah…aah…ap–tckhy!" answered the Elephant–for–Hunters.

"What ‘Aah…aah…ap–tckhy’?" do not understand the Oldest elephant, "Tell us, what smell is it?"

"There is some kerosene in this affair," thoughtfully pronounced the Elephant–for–Hunters.

"Kerosene?" asked again the elephants all together..

"Yes, and it smells a Martian march which became dry a half million years ago, oil for rifles, eau–de–Cologne, and marmalade," said the Elephant–for–Hunters, "But it is desirable to ask the Elephants–Pathfinders that have four trunks and can make odor out twice as much."

"I'll call them," said another Elephant–for–Hunters, but suddenly he stumbled and stretched in lunar dust, "It seems to me, somebody has bitten me!"

"And me!" informed another Elephant–for–Hunters.

"And me!"

"And me!"

Soon all Elephants–for–Hunters began to slap themselves on their backs and sides with their trunks, shook their heads and ears. At last, the elephants did not bear and showed clean two pairs of their heels raising clouds of lunar dust. When the dust settled, the hunter saw that Martian Mosquito was standing close by him.

"Where did you disappear?" asked him the Hunter.

"I have bitten those boaster a little," answered the Mosquito, "so as to they didn't crane their necks and trunks."

"There is he who had bitten us!" roared the elephants and deploying they rushed to the attack.

"Wait a minute," said the Mosquito and disappeared again. In a minute confusion arose in the attacker's ranks: some elephants stopped, another who continued to go forward ran into them, and soon some kind of a pile of elephants was formed. You know, of course, that any pile of elephants is always a big pile. At last, the elephants again were dispersed and took cover behind the nearest crater and the Martian Mosquito appeared beside the Hunter as before.

"How did you succeed in doing it?" asked the Hunter.

"I use my knowledge of ancient fighting art methods. Their name is ‘B–ite’ explained the Mosquito.

"Teach me these methods," begged the Hunter, "until the elephants don't recover their wits and trample us."

"They will not trample us," promised the Mosquito, "The methods are very simple. The first, you must become invisible. The second, you imperceptibly approach to the enemy. The third, you maliciously bite him. The fourth, you rapidly retreat to advanced prepared positions."

"So simple?" was astonished the Hunter. "I'll try doing it immediately!" and he became to approach to the nearest elephant on the tips of his toes.

"Where are you going?" asked the Mosquito.

"There," showed the Hunter.

"However, you forget to become invisible! They will not let you come near!"

"Ah! Yes, become invisible…But how can I do it?"

"You have to sink into a fighting trance for it. In that state all body of any Martian mosquito begins to vibrate with such high frequency that people can't see him," explained the Mosquito, "In any case the elephants can't see him. The elephants have very small eyes."

"Okay!" said the Hunter and tried to sink into the state of fighting trance but it was no use. "I can't do it," said the Hunter with sigh. "I have some problems with my fighting trance because I became the Hunter–for–not Elephants!"

"And what animals did you hunt on the Earth?" asked the Mosquito.

"Ducks."

"Oh!" pronounced the Mosquito with respect, "Ducks are very ferocious creatures."

"Ducks? Mm…" doubted the Hunter but have no time to say more words since the elephants recovered and opened direct fire with cherrystones.

As you bear in your mind, the cherrystones on the Moon are special ones. There are fragmentation, high–explosive, jet–propelled, and armor–piercing cherrystones. The Elephants for–Hunters were angry with the Mosquito and began to cover the Mosquito and the Hunter with all kinds of the stones. Fragmentation stones exploded scattering thousands splinters around, armor–piercing stones made holes in lunar rocks and sped away farther exploding behind the horizon, jet–propelled stones brushed against our friends with their fire tails.

"It's time to use the fighting art ‘B ite’," said the Mosquito and became invisible.

"And as I see it, it's time to reel our fishing–rods!" said the Hunter and also became invisible.

"You do it!" exclaimed the Mosquito.

"What?" asked the Hunter loudly chattered with his teeth.

"You became invisible and much quickly then I usually do it. How can you succeed in so rapidly and frequently vibrating?"

"I did it from fear," honestly confessed the Hunter evading a blow of regular stone.

"Well, a mode is not important, the result is important," said the Mosquito, "Now we are invisible both. Let's go to bite the elephants!"

"I'll propose another version," answered the Hunter, "Let's escape and hide."

"It's not badly also," approved the Mosquito, "The great fighting art ‘B–ite’ rule 124 runs as follows: if you can't bite, you have not to bite!"

"It is a very human rule," agreed the Hunter evading again a cherrystone, which was a fragmentation one on this occasion, "Where they have so many cherrystones from? I didn't see any cherry garden here."

"Cherry garden on the Moon? You are mad! The cherrystones grow here just in the soil like potatoes. In the autumn, the elephants–pathfinders with four trunks for better scent find the underground beds by their smell and dig the stones. Then the elephants–hunters use them for its purposes…"

Talking this way the Martian Mosquito and the Hunter moved away from the battle place and hid behind a ledge of moon rock.

"Continue to vibrate for the time being," gave the Mosquito a piece of advice to the Hunter, "We should to be invisible some time. Otherwise, they can see us."

"I'll continue," promised the Hunter.

"But it is not worth to chatter with your teeth so loudly," remarked the Mosquito, "They can hear us."

"I can't vibrate without chatter!" raised an objection the Hunter, "It is the peculiarity of my fighting trance."

"Well," said the Mosquito becoming visible, "we have gone far away and may hope for they will not discover us."

As soon as he said it, the huge shade covers them: the elephant–pathfinder bent over them stirring his four trunks with satisfaction. "We can don't see or hear you, but we all have good noses and can sniff you up without fail! I propose you to yield yourself prison."

"Shall we give ourselves up?" asked the Hunter appealing to the Mosquito stopped to chatter with his teeth and also getting visible. "I'm bored to death to vibrate."

"And I am tired to bite," said the Mosquito. "Well, we agree, we yield ourselves prison!"

With those words, they surrendered.