Chewing gum

Chewing gum becomes an improvised instrument of escape on Wild Island. Though scarce there and prized by the Seven Tigers, it initially fails to satisfy their appetite for Elmer’s father; his invented promise that it can be planted and multiplied gives the gum a new attraction and distracts the tigers from their prey.

Scarcity and Appeal

The Old Alley Cat has told Elmer’s father that tigers are especially fond of chewing gum and that it is very scarce on the island. When the Seven Tigers close in, he opens his knapsack and throws each of them a piece. The gift does not immediately make him safe: the tigers growl that, fond as they are of gum, they would still prefer to eat him, and move so close that he can feel them breathing on his face.

A Promise That Holds the Tigers

Elmer’s father changes the meaning of the gum by claiming it is special. If the tigers chew each piece long enough, he says, it will turn green; planted afterward, it will grow more chewing gum. The promise turns a small treat into the prospect of a continuing supply, and the tigers hurry to begin chewing so they can be first to plant theirs.

Their attention shifts from Elmer’s father to the supposed transformation. Each tiger checks another’s mouth to see whether the gum is ready, while the others do the same; this mutual watching keeps them occupied and makes them forget him. The gum works not by overpowering the tigers but by setting their desire for more against their immediate pursuit.

Aftermath and Narrative Role

The distraction leaves a trace beyond the encounter. Later, a Wild Boar reports that all the tigers are sitting around chewing gum and are too busy to talk. In the same account, the Rhinoceros is preoccupied with brushing his tusk. The report confirms that the tigers remain absorbed in the gum after Elmer’s father has moved on, extending the practical consequence of his ruse beyond the moment of danger.

As an object in the episode, chewing gum links scarcity, appetite, and ingenuity. Elmer’s father cannot rely on the tigers accepting a simple gift, so he gives it an invented future: each piece promises a crop. That story redirects the tigers’ attention long enough for him to escape, while their continued chewing lets the deception echo into a later scene.