The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1891-05-15
A CUNNING ELEPHANT.
How He Got Out of His Stable at Night
to Steal Fruit.

The Engligh commissioner at Shwey-
ghua, Burmah, recently had young
elephant given him by native gentle
man. The youngster was kept IN
stable in the garden and was locked up
at night by a door having a sliding
wooden bar running in iron staples.
Adjoining the stable was the commits
sioners garden, in which he took great
pride. The garden, full of fruit, was
we'll laid out and had the walks paved
with brick.
Shortly after the young elephant ar
rived the garden was found to be sys-
tematically plundered of its best fruit.
No traces were left by the thief, nor
were there any footprints to indicate
how an entrance could have been eff
fected. The commissioner issued or
ders for watchmen to surround the
place outside at intervals and lay in
wait for the thief, and in case of dis
covery permission was given them to
shoot the robbers, as warning to
other evil-minded perons. The morn
ing after this order was issued the
watchmen reported that no one had
passed their Gordon.
But the head gardener had told diff
ferent story. The damage done had
exceeded that of the night previous,
much fruit having been broken off and
left lying on the ground. The COM
missioner was now thoroughly eX-
asperated and admitted native watch
men into his cherised garden. They
received strict I'M unctions to take the
offender alive and to awaken him at
once and report who the daring thieves
were. At late hour in the night the
commissioner was awakened by his
Madrasse butler, who informed him
with much gravity that the thief was
discovered, but that they had not cap
tured him, desiring the bhayah himself
to come and see him. The commits
soner quickly donned his garments
and went out to the yard.
At the gate he met watchman, who
asked him to follow him as noiselessly
as he could. They proceeded down
one of the paths until the Waterman
stopped and whispered. "Look, thaken. -"
There was Master Elephant regaling
himself on the commissioners fruit
selecting the best and throwing down
any he not did fancy. The commits
sioner decided to wait and follow the
youngster when he had satisfied him.
self and see how he managed so break
out of his stable. After while the
elephant thought it time to retire and
returned toward his stable.
The young elephant entered the sta
BILE and pulled the door to with his
trunk; then the side of the roof was
seen to be lifted up and the elephants
head appeared just above the door.
Out came the trunk and reached down
to the heavy bar, caught hold of it,and
pushed it into its place; then the roof
was lowered and all was in good Or
der. On examination of the interior
of the stable it was found that the ami
! NAL had united the bamboo strips with
which the rafters were fastened to the
plates in the simple Burmese archi-
tectural style. The roof was thus lift
ed, allowing the animal to project his
trunk and reach the outer bar. His
"boyish" mouth had watered for a
taste of stolen fruit, so sweet to
youth. Then he thought of lifting the
rafters, untying the fastenings, and so
reaching the bar he had noticed was
on the outside of the door.