Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-05-15
The family Girele.
Old Soup.
BY MRS. E. w. LATIMER.

The following curious anecdote is from
book about elephants, written by Il
French gentleman, named Jacolliot, and
we will let the author tell his own story:
In the autumn of 1876 was living in
the interior of Bengal, and went to spend
Christmas with my friend, Major DAILY.
The majors bungalow was on the banks of
the Gauges near Cawnpore. He had lived
there good many years, being chief of
the quartermaster' department, ut that
station, and had n great many natives,
elephants, bullock-carts and soldiers un-
der his command.
On the morning after my arrival, after
a cup of early tea (often taken before day
light in India), l sat smoking with my
friend in the the veranda of his bungalow,
looking out upon the windings of the sa-
cred river. And, directly, / asked the
major about his children Ga boy and a
GRID, whom | had not yet seen. and beg
ged to know when should see them.
Soupramany has taken them out fishing.
said their father.
Why, is mt Soupramany your great war
elephant? | cried.
Exactly SO. You cannot have forgotten
Soupramany!
Of course not. was here. you know,
when he had that fight with the elephant
who went mad while loading transport
with bags of rice down yonder. saw the
mad elephant when he suddenly began to
fling the rice into the river. His mahout'
tried to stop him, and he killed the ma
bout. The native sailors ran away to hide
themselves, and the mad elephant trump
citing, charged into this inclosure. Old
Soupramany was here, and so we're Jim
he threw himself between him and the
children. The little ones and their nurses
had just time to get into the house when
the fight commenced.
Yes said the major. Old Soup was a
hundred years old, He had been trained
to war, and to fight with the rhinoceros,
but he was too old to hunt then.
And YET, said |, becoming animated by
the recollections of thai day, what gal
liant fight it was! Do you remember how
we all stood OF this porch and watched it,
not daring to fire shot lest we should hit
Old Soupramanyp Do you member, too.
his look when he drew off, after fighting
an hour and half leaving his adversary
dying in the dust, and walked straight o
the corral, shaking his great ears which
had been badly torn. with his head bruised,
and great piece broken from one of his
tusksp
Yes, indeed, said the major. Well, sine
then, he is more devoted 10 my dear lutte
ones than ever He takes them out whole
days, and am perfectly content to have
them under his charge. don't like trust
ing Christian children to the care of ma
lives; but with Old soup know they Can
come to no harm.
What you trust children under ten
years of age to Soup, without any other
protection?
l do, repied the major. Come along
with me. if you doubt, and we will sur
prise them at their fishing.
followed Major DAILY, and. after walk
ing half mile along the wooded banks of
the river. we came upon the little group
The two children-Jm, the elder, being
about ten both sat still and silent, for IA
wonder, each holding Il rod, with line,
cork, hook and bait, anXiously watching
the gay corks bobbing in the water. Be
side them stood Old Soup with an extreme
" large bamboo rod in his trunk, with
line. hook, bait and cork, like the child,
ren's. | need not say took small notice
of the children, but turned all my atten
ton to their big companion. | had not
watched him long before he had II bite
for, as the religion of the Hindoos forbids
them TO take life, the river swarms with
fishes.
The old fellow did not stir; his little eyes
watched his line eargerly; he was no nov
ice in :" the gentle craft" He was waiting
till it was time to draw in his prize.
At the end of his line, as he drew it up,
was dangling one of those golden tench SO
abundant in the Ganges.
When Soupramany perceived what a
fine fish he had caught, he uttered one OF
those long, low gurgling notes of satisfac-
ton by which an elephant expresses Joy
and he waited patiently, expecting Jim to
take his prize off the hook and put on
some more bait for him. But Jim, the
little rascal, sometimes liked to plague
Old Soup. He nodded at us, as much as
to say, Look out, and you II see fun, now
Then he took off the fish, which he threw
into water-ja placed there for the pur-
pose, and went back to his place without
putting any bait on Old Soups hook. The
intelligent animal did not attempt to throw
his line into the water. He tried to move
Jim by low, pleading cries. 1t was curl.
GUS to sec what tender tones he seemed to
try TO give his voice.
Seeing that Jim paid no attention to hi.
calls, but sat and laughed as he handled
his own line, Old Soup went up to him
and with his trunk tried to turn his head
in the direction of the bait-box. At last
when he found that all he could do would
not induce his willful friend to help him
he turned round as if struck by q sudden
thought. and, snatching up in his trunk
the box that held the bait, came and laid
it down at the majors feet; then picking
up his rod he held it out to his master.
What DO you want me to do with this,
Old SonpP said the ma or.
The creature lifted one great foot after
the other, and began to utter his plaintiye
cry. Out of mischief, took Jmmy's part,
and, picking up the bait-box, pretended To
run with it. The elephant was not going
to be leased by me. He dipped his trunk
into the Ganges. and in an instant squirted
stream of water over nue. with all the
force and precision of fre-engine. TO the
immense amusement of the children.
The major at once made Soup sign to
stop. and, TO make my peace with the fine
old fellow, bailed his hook myself.
Quivering with joy. as u baby does when
1t gets hold at last of playthlng some
one has taken from ii. Old Soupramany
hardly paused to thank me by soft note
OF joy for batting his line for him, before
he went back to his place. and was again
watching bis cork as it tremblod in The
ripples Of the river.