Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1845-10-04
THE ELEPHANT,

A very intellectual elephant was shown,
some years since, IN a caravan Of wild
beasts, at a fair in the West al England
One Of those practical jokers, whose wit
lies in pouring melted butter into friends
pocket, or conveying putrid oyster into
his boot, had been doing out some ginger.
bread nuts Of the first quality to the eie-
plant, who received the instruments, small
as they were, with satisfaction and graft
tude, manifested the latter by the spontane
Gus performance OF some OF his tricks be.
tween the somewhat protracted intervals Of
supply. Suddenly, his benefactor pro
duced large paper parcel, weighing some
two or three pounds, and presenteded it en-
masse. The elephant took it as it was,
and consigned the whole TO his powerful
crushing mill. Hardly, however, had he
swallowed the dose, before he gave a loud
roar, and exhibited all the symptoms Of SUI
fering severely from internal heat, handing
yes, handing, for the trunk acted as dex
,erousIy as hand-the bucket 10 his keep
err, as if beseechng for water, which was
given to him, and of which he continued to
pour floods sufficient to drive mill down
his capacious and burning throat.
Hal said the Joker, addressing his vic.
tim, "hose nuts were trfle hot, old fellow,
guessr
You had better be off, exclaimed the
keeper, unless you want the tuCket at your
head, and sarve you right too
The dispenser OF ginger and pepper took
the hint; for there was an angry glare in the
drinkers eye, while the distressed beast was
pumping up his sixth bucket ful; and in
good lime he took it, for he had scarcely
cleared the entrance Of the show. when the
empty bucket was hurled after him by tn
elephant with such force and correctness o,
aim, that, if he had been a moment later,
his Joking would, in all probability, have
been terminated with his life on the spot
a year had past away, and the ayfar-
ers from the country villages trod over the
withered leaves that had, when fresh, green,
and vigorous, shielded their heads from the
burning summers sun as they again bent
their steps to the same annual fair, where
the elephant had been before exhibited, and
where he was again ready to receive com.
pany.
Our joker was again among his visitors.
and, torgetful Of his narrow escape from the
bucket, which, at the time, another wit ob.
served he had been near kicking, came, as
before, with one coat pocket filled with best
nuts and the other with hot nuts. he
gave the elephant two no three nuts from
the best sample, and then drew forth and
presented him with hot one. No sooner
had the elephant tasted it, than he siezed
the coat tails Of his tormenter, and with one
whirlng sweep Of his trunk lifted him from
the ground, till, the tails giving way, the
man dropped half dead with fright, and with
his coat reduced to jacket. The ele-
plant, meanwhile, quietly inserted the end
of his trunk INTO the pocket containing the
best nuts, and Iesurely proceeded, keeping
his foot on the coat tails, to discuss every
nut of them. When he had finished the
last, he trampIed upon the pocket contain
ing the hot nuts, till ne had reduced them to
mash, and then, after having torn the tails
to rags, threw the solid fragments at the
head OF his lacelious friend, anil the deris-
ion Of the assembled crowd.