Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1853-06-18
ElphanilnC PrOlics.

The elephant nnd her calf now so familiar
to the vsiters of the London geological Gar
dens, reached them on the 10Th of May,
1851. The infant PRODIGY is the most quail
iied looking, old fashioned little thing TINT
can be imagined Young animals hive cerinin
characteristics, ns n general rule, which mark
them Mt once. No one can mistake ioal
with its long stilt-like legs and its bushy tail
for n small full grown horse, and the baggy
skin, clumsy legs, aud boiled eyes Of pup
py Enthusiastically stamps il as such. But the
young elephant Is, to ordinary observation,
full grown elephant seen through diminish.
ing glass. lie has the same rough, grey
skin, the snne eyes, the snnle general pro-
portions MS his mamma aud were it not that
he hetrays the heedlessness aud vvacty of
youth, with the peevishness at times OF
spoiled child, lie might pass for a specimen
OF some such breed among his rnce as the
shetland pony is among horses. We were
amused, says n writer in Ainsworth's Maga-
zine, with watching the lille gentleman one
day literally sucking his finger. lie coiled
his trunk so that the end went into his mouth,
and appeared to he rubbing his gums-per-
hnps one of his coming teeth might he trou-
bling him. lie then rolled the trunk about
llpUi oub elUc VI UlOulU 10 lilt OtlleT,
and appeared to suck the finger end, giving
sort of odd snort now aud then. His foot
itching, he raised il aud rubbed il with his
trunk, los Socrates is described ~ rubbing
his leg in the Phmdo nj Plato,) and after
again sucking Il in n thoughtful mood, he
suddenly ran backwards until he bumped
against his mamma, who welcomed him with
several carresses OF her trunk passed affec-
lu a. A.. - 4.
of fond maternal pride as any countenance
could express.
On blazing hot Sunday in July, we wit
messed an amusing scene with these ele-
plants. Heavy rain had reduced the clay
of the paddock in which they are kept
to soft mud, which had not dried on one
side, and had been worked by the feet
of the animals into mn unctious sticky mass.
The sun had dried the other side. The lille
fellow enjoyed his iberty,and was in MS great
spirits as schoolboy on fine holiday, ffol-
licking about with "de'il may-care" air,
picking up bits of dirt with his trunk, aud
putting them into his mouth. His mamma
watched him for some time, and seeing a
clod of most unconscionable dimensions non
in, she walked quietly up, took this out OF
his mouth with the finger of her trunk, and
tlHcW " uoWH WIN u look uIu nctlOn express
sing ms clearly as words" You naughty
child, how can you eat such filth" On
this the culprit gave rebellous toss of hi.
trunk, strobe into the water and threw sever.
al trunk'ihlls over his mamma, after which
the two went into the mud and he sat down
on his hNunches like dog. The parent deIib.
erately laid down on her side and proceeded
TO plasier herself all over with mud, daubina
it OH with her trunk. The infant podigy di,
the same, taking n most unnecessary nne
preposiurous quantity on his own person
aud dabbing il also on his corpulenl mamma
who returned the compliment with interest
When she got up-no easy matter, by III,
way, on account of her stouiness-one sid,
of her body aud one.half of her face wer
hidden 10y mass of clay fully two inche
thick, the eye being completely closed.-
With her trunk she first picked the dirt from
this organ,and after general shake, proceed
ed with all the solemnily and very much In
appearance of a tipsy "laborer in man
vineyards" to the water, in which size 500
disappeared, nothing but the end of he
trunk being visible above the surface. i