A NEW BEGINNING

A DIFFERENT MALL THIS TIME.

I THINK THATS WHAT IT WAS CALLED, AT LEAST.

IT'S HARD THOUGH WHEN I'M NOT WITH IVAN.

I LOVED MY HERD OF ELEPHANTS WHEN I WAS IN THE WILD.

THINK HAPPY THOUGHTS. BUT NOPE, NONE CAME TO MIND.

A MAN TOOK OUT THE BOX I WAS IN, AND INTO THE MALL WE WENT.

"JUST LIKE THE OLD MALL," I THOUGHT.

THERE WERE VISITORS... A LOT OF VISITORS.

JULIA? GEORGE? WHAT WERE THEY DOING HERE?

I HEARD JULIA YELL. JULIA RAN OVER TO MY CAGE.

I WALK UP TO THE EDGE OF THE CAGE.

I'M GLAD TO SEE HER AGAIN. I WAS SO LONELY WITHOUT HER.

THEN SHE TELLS ME NOT TO WORRY BECAUSE IVAN IS COMING!

I COULDN'T WAIT TO SEE HIM!

IT WAS IVAN, I COULD JUST TELL!

AND OF COURSE, OUT CAME MY BIG, FURRY, FRIEND.

BECAUSE HE ALMOST PASSED OUT WHEN HE SAW ME.

IVAN SHOUTED. I COULD TELL HE WAS REALLY EXCITED.

I SCREAMED. HE CAME TOWARD ME AND GATHERED ME INTO HIS ARMS.

WE HUGGED AND HUGGED FOR SO LONG.

IF IVAN DIDN'T GET FOOD, HE WAS GRUMPY.

AFTER A WHILE, I WAS HUNGRY AGAIN... FOR A PINK FLUFFY CLOUD.

"YIPPEE!" I THOUGHT. "I CAN FINALLY TASTE THE CLOUD!"

"WHAT IF I DONT WANT TO?" I ASK. I REALLY DID WANT IT ALL FOR MYSELF.

IVAN SAID. ONCE HE TASTED IT, A WONDERFUL EXPRESSION CAME ONTO HIS FACE.

NOW I STARTED TO FEEL REALLY TIRED.

HE SAID WE SHOULD BOTH JUST GET SOME REST.

IVAN SAID.

THE ONE AND ONLY RUBY