Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-11-06
A Rurallst Terribly Honxed-A Red Bal

KurRtiBt TERRIBLY HOnXe0-A heu bhl-
loon Sold for an elephants Rgg.
The following anecdote is translated for
the Boston Saturday EUening Gazette:
At the last Fair at Tarascon there were,
of course, assembled a troupe of gymnasts,
jugglers, acrobstsr and multitude OF men
ageTies, in one of which was an Asatic ele-
phant, remarkable for the largeness OF his
ears. His owner called him Kiouki III.
Among the acrobatic troupe was maker
of red balloons, recently so popular in
England and America. He travelled with
the show, and seduced couple of sous from
the pockets of many patron OF it by selling
him balloon.
A countryman stopped one day at the
nenagerie tent, and, enticed by painted
representation of the elephant, paid his
money to see him. Astonished at his size,
he asked the balloon man as he went out:
"Does that beast bring forth young, or lay
eggg?" --,. l.-,...,. .,o
mountebauk replied:
"He lays eggs
81 thought So" -
sand if you wish one, to afford you the
happiness of possessing, under your own
roof an individual of this species, for franc,
l will guarantee that you shall carry home
what no one else in the country possesses"
The greenhorn did not hesitate to offer
his money, and the acrobat presented red
HBehold the egg had the honor to prom
Use YOU, 1t is one franc-and only for you,
because the Jardin des Plantes at Paris,
buys all my elephants eggs, at six francs
apiece, for the Algerine expeditions, where
they use all the elephants they can find for
the war against India. | chose the lightesi
egg could find for you, that you might not
wait too long for It to hatch. Its mother
having already sat upon it many days, il
will suffice you to wrap it up in wool and
Law it in dry place, TO obtain, without ex-
pense and without effort, the magnificent
Asiatic product which it containsW
astonishing but how in regard to suck
ling him?"
tEasy enough. No consequence what
uuadruped nourishes him. Lacking q COW,
a SOW, or even q goat, you can bring him VI
yourself on turtle soup" PITT
The countryman departed, charmed witt
his prize, and to keep it as safely as possible
wrapped it in o blue cotton handkerchief
which he had bought at the fair for his wife
But in spite of all the care of which the egg
that bore Kiouki II was the object, it wa;
written in the book of destiny that its pro.
prietor should not see it hatched under hi
roof
Some little distance from the village whert
our countryman resided runs a stream. HI
approached it for the purpose of imbiblnl
the clear water. For the purpose of making
a cup with his hands, he deposited his pre-
cious burden on the ground. He dranl
freely of the water; then rising, turned t,
his elephants egg. He looked to the righ
and to the left, but no eggl He looks abov
him, sees the egg rising ghigher-higher-an,
carrying with It his wife's handkerchief
He believed that the elephant was about +
be hatched, and it was not long after the eg
was out of sight that he returned home crest
fallen His wife asked him where the hand
kerchief was he had promised to bring he
Then he narrated the entire adventure. Tt
good woman opened her eyes and ears, an
seeing her husbands grief not only at Il
LOGS Of the elephant, but of the handke
chief, exclaimed: ia iG.
"Content yourself husband; I'll be conte
with my black handkerchief, and I'm glad
know that the poor baby hasn't gone
without swaddling clothesP