Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1852-05-27
MltstelIaneous.
From Household Words.
Geological Stories.

Travellers's tales have peculiar reputation
for the marvellous, and many travellers have
been accused of fiction. Whether zoologists'
tales are in all cases to be trusted, we havel
now and then doubt. They are true in the main
but sometimes, possibly, the first narrator of an
unusually good story has judiciously abstaned
from sitting it /; and once in the Geological
Story Book, the pleasant tale has stood on its
merits and been handled tendery, as is the way
with ornaments; no man too roughly scratching
at them to find out of what materials they are
composed.
An elephant-we must at once append one
tale about the elephant, whose great sagacity
makes him the hero of thousand and one-an
elephant belonging to an officer in the Bengal
army, was left during the long absence of his
master to keeper who, as ever elephant ost-
ers will do, cheated him Of his ration. When
the master came back, the poor haf-sarved
elephant testified the greatest joy the keeper
in his masters presence put, of course, thefu al
lowance offUod before the elephant, who ilnmed-
lately divided it into two parts; one representing
his short commons, which he devoured grecdily ;
the other representing the amount of which he
had been defrauded in his dinners, he left. The
. officer of course understood the hint, and the
man confessed his breach of trust,
We must get rid Of another story of an ele-
t phant; like the last perfectly credible. Ele-
J phants have more sagacity than dogs, and Of
e dogs few tales that are current are doubtful
This is the tale of an elephant in the Jardin des
t Plantes, for which we are obliged to Mr.. Brod-
r Grip. A PALMER used to study from the animals
; in the garden, and was minded once to paint
e the elephant. But of course re must paint him
I in attitude and even the sagacity of an ele-
phant failed to understand that the artist wished
him TO keep his mouth open and hold up his
t trunk. The artist, therefore, got little boy
and entrusted TO his care bag of apples, which
J, he was to throw into the elephants mouth Ole
: by one, obligIng him in this way to keep bis
trunk uplifted. The apples, says Mr.. Brod
Grip, "wele numerous, but the painter was moi
Landseer, and as he had MT The faculty Of
seizing and transferring character with Edwin IS
T magic power and rOpldity the task was tedious.
By the masters directions, the boy occasionally
deceived the elephant with simulated chuck
and thus eked out the supply. Notwithstanding
the just indignation of the baked expectant, his
' gourmandiSe checked his irritable impatience
5 and keeping his eye on the still well-fIled bag
e he bore the repeated disappointment, crunchinG
G an apple, when it CHANGED to come, with appar
y ent glee. At length the last apple was throw
: and crunched, The empty bag was laid aside, ant
n the elephant applied himself to his water.tank al
J. if for the purpose of washing down his repast
Is A few more touches would have completed thu
3 picture, when an overwhelming dOuche from hi
10 well.adjusted trunk obliterated the design, AM
g drenched the dscomftted painter. Having, b,
eff this practical application of retributive justice
It, executed judgement on the instgator, the ele
re phant, disdaining the boy, whom he regarded a
he the mere instrument of wrong, marched proudl,
es round his enclosure, trumpeting forth his tri
y umph"
ht We have left that story in the pleasant word
n of its accomplished narrator Mr.. Thomso
now shall tell us one in bis way, and then W
III will go on with our own random recollectioDs
Iy the pleasant book, by means of which thes
a gentlemen have poisoned our heads with talei
VS. This illustrates the faculty of imitation =" A
or orang outang brought up by Pere Carbassor
ct became so fond of him, that wherever be wen