A man was travelling abroad in a small red car. One day he left the car and went shopping. When he came back, its roof was badly damaged. Some boys told him that an elephant had damaged  it. The man did not believe them, but they took him to a circus which was near there. The owner of the elephant said, "I am very sorry! My elephant has a big, round, red chair. He thought that your car was his chair, and he sat on it!" Then he gave the man a letter, in which he said that he was sorry and that he would pay for all the damage. When the man got back to his own country, the customs officers wouldn't believe his story. They said, "You sold your new car while you were abroad and bought this old one!" After the man showed them the letter from the circus man , then they believed him. The car was damaged because  _  .
there was a traffic accident the circus man broke it it rushed into a shop the elephant sat on it