The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1860-11-16
AN ELEPHANT EGG.

ne folioWlng french aneCdote IS trauSla-
tep for the Boston Saturday Evening Gazette.
at the last fair at Tarascon there were OF
course assembled troupe of gymnasts, uglers
accrobatS, and multitude of menageres, 10 one
OF which was an Asatc Elephant remarkable
for the Iargeness Of his ears. His owner cali
ed him kIouki IL. .....
Among the accrobatIc troupe was maker OF
red balloons, recently popular in England
and America He travelled with the show,
and seduced couple OF sous from the pockets
Of many patron of by selling hlm a balloon.
counlryman stopped one day before the
menagerie tent, and enliced by painted rep
resentatIon ofthe elephant, paid his money TO
see him. AStonished at his size, he asked the
balloon man as he wen: out.
docs that beast bring forth young, or lay
eggs .... .
Without moments hesitation, the mounte-
bank replied.
''He lays eggs"
81 thought sos
''And If you wish one, TO afford YOU the hap
piness of possessing, uLder your own roof, an
individual of his species, for frame will
guarantee that you shall carry home what no
one else in the country possesses"
=
money, and the acrobat presented red bal
/ loon.
"BehoId the egg had the honor 10 promise
yo'- 1t 10 one franc only-ard only for you,
because the Jarein des Planets at Paris BUYS all
my elephants eggs at six francs apiece, tor The
Agerine expeditions, where they use all the ell
ephaniS they Can find for the war against ln-
diana. chose the lightest egg could find for
l hot ,.xbt l. q,
match. lis mother having already sat upon it
many days, ii will suffice you to wiap it up in
wool aud lay it in dry place, to obtain with
out expense and without effort, the magnificent
AslatIc product which it contains :"
"Aslonlshing but how in regard 10 suck
ling him p
Easy enough. No consequence what quad
ruped nourrshes him. Lacking "a cow, sow.
or even goat. you eau bring him up Yourself
on turtle soup"
The countrymaa departed, charmed with his
prize, and to keep II safely as possible, wrapped
II IN a blue cotton handkerchief which he had
bought at the fair tor his wife. Bot in spite
Of all The care Of which the egg that bore
/ kiouki ii was The object, II was written IN the
Book OF Destiny that ITS proprietor should not
sreIt hatched under his roof
Some lltte distance from the village where
our counlryman resided runs a stream. He ap-
preached 1t for the purpose OF lnbibing the clear
water. For th- purpose OF making cup with
hIs hands, he deposited the precious burden on
the ground. He drank freely OF the water
then rising, turned 10 his elephants egg. He
looks to the right and to ttre lei;, but no egg
He looks above him sees the egg rising higher
higher-and carrying with it his wite's hand
kerchef
He believed that the elephant was a.
bout to be hatched, and it was not long after
the egg was out of sight that he returned
home crest fallen. His wife asked him where
the handkerchief was he had promised 20 bring
( her. Then he narrated the entire adventure.
/ The good woman opened her eyes and ears
and seeing her husbands grief not only at the
/ loss OF the elephant bot Of the handkerchief,
exclaimed
'sContent yourself husband I'll be content
with my black handkerchief, and I'm glad to
know the poor baby hasn't gone off with swad-
ding clothes J"