Atticus makes an attempt to lecture them about trying to live up their name after being pressured by Aunt Alexandra, who's known to judge families based on how long they live in one place for generations.
This upsets Jem and Scout because it is a strange side of their father that she has never seen before, that's why Atticus returns to his original principle.
(To Kill a Mockingbird- Harper Lee)
I cannot find my elephant.
He must have run away.
He isn’t on the sofa
where he promised he would stay.
I’ve looked around the living room,
the kitchen and the hall.
My elephant is missing
and I’m not sure who to call.
I’ll need to get a bloodhound
who can track him by his scent,
or hire a house detective
to discover where he went.
He isn’t in the basement
or the attic or the yard.
You’d think, to find an elephant
would not be quite so hard.
Perhaps I’ll make some posters,
and I’ll offer a reward.
I’d make it more, but fifty cents
is all I can afford.
If you should see my elephant,
he answers to “Jerome.”
Please tell him that I miss him
and I wish he’d come back home.
He knows the way. It’s up the street
and down our garden path.
And next time I won’t warn him
when it’s time to take his bath.
