Water for Elephants

pg. 100-195

The Benzini Bros. Circus had left town and up north to another location for a circus. When the train had stopped Marlena, August, and Jacob went to a near town restaurant because the food took hours to get ready for the whole performers and workers. As soon as they got to he restaurant August orders there food snappy because he was in a hurry to get back and to start the show. As soon as those three got back Uncle Al said he wanted to talk to August about a situation with one of the animals. It turns out that the main act Marlena and her horses would not continue because Uncle Al got rid of the horses and used the money for something else. August was furious when he heard Uncle Al had done that. Instead Uncle Al had bought a bull for the main act. Now this was not an original bull with horns, it was an elephant. the elephants name was Rosie. She is 53 and the other owners describe her as a dumb elephant. August was surprised about Rosie, but a couple of days later he warmed up to Rosie and ended up finding her brilliant. So much training and focus was on Rosie for the next three days. Uncle Al gave August a bull hook for Rosie; if she had gotten out of hand you would stab her with the bull hook. As soon as there first show came up Rosie made her appearance walking in with Marlena on top of her and doing just fine. When August came to Rosie she was scared because of the bull hook. When August was stabbing her because she was so scared of the hook Rosie ran out screaming from the tent. This act was not part of the show so Marlena found a bar that helped hold up he tent and grabbed onto it while Rosie ran out. Marlena did a couple of spins and flips while the audience thought this was part of the show, she landed with a front flip landing on her heal wrong. August ran out to check on her. Soon Rosie was heading for town and she found a stand with vegetables and fruits on it. August told Jacob to go and get Rosie from town. Turns out Rosie found a home that had a garden and was eating food out of it. Jacob took her home and told August that she came home on her own and she was just not ready for the show. August grabs the bull hook from Jacob and runs to Rosie's cart stabbing her over and over with the bull hook. Jacob tried to stop August but August almost hit Jacob in the face with the bull hook by pushing him to the ground and threatening him. As soon as August was finished Jacob went to August to get the bull hook and August later felt bad about Rosie. So August gave Jacob all of his whiskey to Jacob to help Rosie heal her wounds. A couple of days later Rosie was feeling better, but Marlena's heel was all bruised and she could barely walk on it. The next day Rosie was again in he circus except this time she did better. She did some tricks that Jacob and Marlena had taught her. That night August took out the performers to a secret bar in town since this time was during prohibition. They went there and August went to go and buy drinks and Marlena had asked Jacob to dance. At this time Marlena's heel was feeling and looking better. So they danced and August was starring at them when he got back to the table. Soon the door slammed open and everybody was running because the police came and found all the people drinking. Marlena runs out with Jacob where as August was already out and heading back to the train. Marlena and Jacob where down an alley talking to each other and soon before they both knew it, they kissed each other. Marlena then ran away and said "Don't follow me." That night Jacob went to his bunk and Kinko, Barbara, Camel, and Grady were all drunk with more people. Jacob also got drunk and before he knew it he could barely see. When Jacob was drinking Kinko said "This is my new roommate and friend Jacob. I want you guys to make him feel at home." Jacob then finally felt like he was part of the group. Then he met Nell Barbara's friend. Soon those three went into a room alone and before Jacob knew it Barbara and Nell where on top of him. The next morning Jacob woke up hungover so bad he could not do anything, he could not even remember the night before. Kinko said Jacob had threw up on Barbara which ended the great session Barbara and Nell were doing to Jacob. Kinko also said that Barbara shaved Jacobs area, so he woke up with itchy genitals. Then after that conversation ended Kinko said to Jacob that he can just call him Walter. Jacob finally felt at peace and friends with Walter. Walter and Jacob were talking saying that Jacob actually hates August for how he treats people and what he did to Rosie. Walter also agreed with Jacob because August did not pay the performers for one whole month and Walter hates it. Queenie also got drunk last night and he did not look good so Jacob told Walter to get some honey from the cookhouse and if that did not workout, Jacob said he would check Queenie for parasites tomorrow. Soon later that day a doctor had came to look at Marlena's heel to see how it is heeling. The doctor said the bone was only bruised and she sprained her ankle a little bit. Grady then at this time found Jacob saying you need to come and see Camel. Grady said he is not feeling well and that he can't feel his legs. At this time Jacob then told Marlena to send the doctor over to cart number 43 to check on Camel. Jacob arrived and said whats wrong and Camel said he can't feel his legs or arms. Camel even said there was something wrong with his man stuff. Walter finally came over and said he probably has "jakes." Jacob did not know what that was so Walter told him it was a plaster that is in liquor and it can harm your body and maybe kill you. The doctor then came over and verified if it was jakes, and it was he also said Camel could only last about a month. Jacob felt so scared he did not know what to do.

I think these one hundred pages that i read were really great and i just love the part when August gets so intense with Rosie and tries to kill her. That art i know is so sad but if you read the book it is just so intense and it makes you think forward what he will do next to Rosie, Marlena, or even Jacob.

pg. 196-331

Jacob, Walter, and Grady have to hide Camel from August because he is hurt and all he is doing is just taking up more room on the train and eating more food. Rosie, Uncle Al, August, and Jacob have been working with Rosie for the past two weeks because they want Rosie to be perfect for the next show coming up. Jacob says she is ready to perform and by the next show Rosie does a spectacular job at it. Jacob was finally considered into the circus family because he has been there for long enough and he basically helped the Benzini Bros. Circus get out of debt. After when August told Jacob that August left to go do the show and Marlena stayed to tell Jacob that after the show there would be a surprise get together for August with just Rosie, Jacob and Marlena. When the show was over August came to the surprise get together and sooner before Marlena and Jacob knew it August was furious because Marlena is constantly with Jacob and August gets jealous and mad. August thinks Marlena has slept with Jacob behind his back, but she hasn't. So August and Jacob get into a fight and they are really beating each other up over the subject. Marlena keeps telling August she is not cheating on him, but then sooner before Marlena knew it, August had slapped her so hard by the eye she had gotten a bruise. Jacob got even madder and beated up August more. Finally Jacob goes to his room and tells Camel and Walter he needs to leave because August will either through him off the train or kill him in his sleep. Marlena comes to the room and also likes the idea of leaving so they both left. They ran to the closet town to stay at a hotel, but the hotel would not let them in because they both were not married and didn't have any money. They went to the next hotel in the next town and finally someone let them stay because of there physical conditions they were in. Marlena was still frightened because she says August is going to find them, and that they need to leave the hotel as soon as they can. So that night Marlena stayed at the hotel and Jacob went back only to look after Walter, Camel, and Rosie. When he got back Jacob found Rosie and started to clean her up form the circus. August came over and wanted to talk to Jacob about the other night. August tried to call it off and act like nothing happened to save his reputation. Jacob would not let that happen because Jacob did not like the idea of Marlena getting hurt now and in the long run also. So they started fighting again and August just stopped and instead he flicked his cigarette into Rosie's mouth. After that he walked away and Rosie started to cry because it had hurt her. Jacob went back to the hotel and Marlena was crying because she knew she had to perform tomorrow at the circus, but she was scared to go back because of August. Soon Jacob told Marlena that everything would be okay and they ended up kissing each other and then eventually had sex. That morning they both left and told each other they loved each other and everything would be okay. They went back and Marlena did the show but was scared. Uncle Al also wanted to talk to Jacob when he got back because he wanted to make sure if Marlena was okay, but Uncle Al made clear that August had to be okay and not abuse Marlena anymore. Soon that day Marlena sat with Jacob at lunch, just as friends and she told him that she was late and scared. Jacob did not understand until Marlena said that she thinks she is having a baby. Jacob got even more scared because he knew he was not financially stable to support a baby. Jacob was wondering where Camel, Bill, Earl, and Walter were and he went into the cart where they should have been but they were not in there. Instead they found Queenie curled up into a ball in the corner shaking as hard as she could. Grady had told Jacob what happened to them and he said that August threw them off the train. Camel and Walter hit the rocks and they both die, Camel hit his head and died instantly, and Walter was thrown on his legs and was suffering until he died. Bill and Earl just missed the rocks and they survived. They said that someway they would get August back for what he did to them. Jacob was so sad when he had heard this, he did not know how to react so he told Marlena. Soon the show had started and Jacob had to hide so nobody could find him. Grady and Jacob went into the cafeteria tent to get some food and Grady paid for Jacob because he was broke. Suddenly Grady was hearing the music "The Disaster March" and Grady ran was freaking out and running to the show seeing what was going one. Jacob didn't even know what that music was so his heart was pounding and scared as possible. Soon before they both knew it Earl and Bill had let all of the animals out of there cages and let them run into the show breaking it off. Grady ran to Bill and Earl trying to stop them or should i say helping them basically, but Jacob tried to run to find Marlena. He saw her right next to August while he had his hand grasped tightly around her arm holding on to her so tight. Rosie was chained right behind them because of the show. Jacob could not get to Marlena though because of all the people running the other way. Jacob was scared and was telling Rosie no don't do it Rosie, don't do it. Right before Marlena knew it, Rosie grabbed her stake that was in the ground and sliced it right through August's head. Then Marlena was so in shock and Jacob had a feeling that would have happened. Rosie dropped her stake and just stood there. Marlena went running to Jacob gasping for air and just happy she feels safe with him in his arms forever. Soon they left the tent and Rosie was right behind them walking out. Soon the tents were folded to the ground and investigators were there to examine August and how the animals got our of there cages. Police came also with another circus that came to perform and get the animals. Marlena just went back to the hotel to rest the next couple of days while Jacob stayed there and took care of what was left of the circus. The Nesci Brothers came to perform and the police were going to reward all of the animals to them, but Jacob wanted for sure Rosie, Queenie, and Bobo. He loved Bobo the monkey and especially Rosie because she saved Jacobs life from being hobo and hopeless and Rosie saved Marlena's life from August and Uncle Al. Nobody knows what had happened to Uncle Al, most people said that he had ran away or some say he had died in the stampede, either way he was gone for good from Marlena and Jacob. So when Jacob got back to the hotel he told Marlena that he had gotten Bobo, Rosie, and Queenie. Marlena was scared because they had no money three animals and no jobs or a home and a baby on the way. Finally they talked about Jacob getting his license for veterinary science them two and also the animals joining the Ringling. A couple of months went by and Jacob got his license and they tried out for the Ringling. They got in because of what acts they could do with Rosie. Soon they got money, a house, and had the baby, and Jacob said he could have never been proud of the moment and what he gotten over this long adventure. There first son Walter had been in the Ringling for the first seven years in his lifetime. After the Ringling they lived together on a farm with five children and still with the possession of Rosie, Queenie, and Bobo. They lived together all there lives. Marlena cherished Jacob and Jacob cherished Marlena and they loved the lives they had together.

I think this book is so cute because I love the romantic, murder, party, fun part about this book. It just all fits with each other and it makes the book so amazing. I never thought an elephant can be my favorite character in the book. I also love all the parts of August, Uncle Al, and the whole cast. I would really recommend people to read this book because even if it is not your favorite genera of the book, I guarentee you will fall in love with this book.