The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-03-13
THE SACRED WHITE ELEPHANT.
BY GEORGE SAND.
wR,rrrS ESPECIALLY FOR THE HELENA INDEPENDENT.

AsJ who had travelled extensively In Asia
and who talked willingly of the
cnrious and interesting things which he
had seen.
Az he was describing the manner of hunt
ing elephants in the laos. M. Lechisn
asked If he had ever killed one of these ami
mails himself.
Never" replied Sir William. "Tha
elephant has always seemed to me- so near
10 man in point OF intelligence and reason
that / should have feared to interrupt the
career Of a soul in the path of transforma-
tion.'
..Ahr, exclaimed somebody. "You have
lived 80 long in India that doubtless You
share this ideas about the migration OF souls
which prevails there"
after 8 certain fashion. it is true" re-
Piled the Englishman; ''but VIZ might find
a more entertaininE subject of conversa-
ton for the children who are listening"
For my part," said one of the little
girls, ''this interests and plsases me. Could
you tell me VIVA. I was before / was q little
girl? | think myself that ] must have been
a bird, for / seem to be always regretting
the time when I flew about among the
trees and did exactly as ! liked"
THAT regret may be a proof Of recolleo-
tion.n said Cir William. Each of as feels
a predilsction for some given animal, and
an inclination to identity himself with that
ANIMALS impressions, as If he had already
felt them on his own account"
'sWhat is the animal Of your Predilec-
tion?' I asked.
"Whils l was English he replied. u
placed the horse in the first rank. When !
became an Indian I set the elephant before
all others. In India everything tends to
an iaealization Of the elephant. HIS is rev.
erenced everywhere in the past. nnder one
form or another. I do not believe, what
ever the old travellers may say about it,
that he was ever personally worshippsd as
= god; bat he has been, and still is. regard
cd as q symbol and a palladium. Thu white
elephant Of the temples of Siam IS always
considered a sacred animal"
..Tell us about the white elephant" cried
the children. .sIs he really white? Have
you seen himYo
ing at him in the midst of the triumphant
fsasts over which he seemed to preside shat
q singular thing happened to ma thing
which l hesitate to speak OF. in zeal fear of
not being able to conv1ncs you OF my SIN
certify"
terrupt or criticise."
II consent then said Sir William. "If
it was a simple dream that came to me dur
ing tho presided over BY the
white elephant, it was SO precise and so
striking thai I have not forgotten its most
trihinR circumstance. ], too. had been an
elephant, and b IS more q white
elephant, and therefore . sacred elephant,
and I reviewed. my whole existence from
my babyhood in the iungles and forests Of
the peninsula of MALAYSIA.
1t ID with that country, then 50 little
known to Europeans, that my first mem
cries are connected, and with a time which
must date back to the most hourishing
period of Buddhism. lived in that strange
desert, the golden Chersonesus of the an
clients, 4 peninsula three hundr and fifty
leagues long and thirty Leagues wide. It is,
in fact only q range of mountains thrown
out into the sea and crowned with forests.
These mountains are, not very lofty, but by
reason of their isolated positions between
two seas they ara imposing. Thel. slopes
ars in places inaccessible to man. He had
gained no mastery there at tho time of
which / speak. I grew up free and happy
on these heights, in the sublime light of a
pure and ardent sky, cooled by the eleva-
tion and by the b,eezss from tho sea. How
beautiful il was, that sea of MALAYSIA. with
its thousands OF green isles and its rocks as
white as alabaster, on the deep blue of the
waves.
I'm the rainy season. in the shelter Of the
giant trees, We enjoyed tho warm moisture
of the foliage. he vigorous vegetation. a
little beaten down under the heat of the
torrid summer seemed to share our we'll
being, and to drink afreah from the sources
of life. We SLEPT in the perfumed shade of
mangoes, bananas, balm trees and CHINA
mon trees. We had more plants than we
needed for tho satisfaction OF our vast but
frugal appetite. We despised the treacher-
GUS csrnlvo!es; We never allowed tigers to
approach our pastusage. Antelopeg,e oryxes
and apes sought our protection. Beautiful
birds alighsed on our bodies and assisted in
Cur toilet.
My mother and / lived alone, not ming
ling with the numerous herds OF common
elephants. wha weee smaller and Of q diff
ferent color. | do not know whether We
ware of a different race from them. The
white elephant is SO rare that he is re-
gardod as an anomaly, and the indians
consider him an luceruation OF the divin-
ity. When such an animal dies in a Hin
doc temple he receives the funeral honors
of q king, and many years often go by be-
fore his successor can be found.
we were what are called solltnires. We
found mons to dispute a place with US. We
wandered from oas region to another on
this mountain chain, according to our sap
rice or to our need of food.
my noble mother loved nae, took me
everywhere with her, and lived only for ms.
She taught me to worship the sun, and to
kneel every morning at his glorious appear,
ance. raising my white and satin-Hkinned
trunk TO salute ths father and king Of the
earth. Our thoughts we're lofty and oul
hexrts were full of tenderness and limo.
osncs.
Ono morning thirst obliged US to de-
scend the bed of one OF those torrents which
spring in rapid, graceful leaps from tn
mountain-top down to tho sea. 1t was nea
the end of this dry season. The sprin,
which trickles from the summit of Noun
Ophlr had not poured a single drop into it
messy basin. We wanted to reach tho jun
gle. where the torrent had formed a series o
little lakeH, pale diamonds strewn among tn
deep green of the fig trees. Suddenly W
were startled by strange cries, and crea.
turcs unknown to mo, men and horGes, fel
upon us. Ihese dark men, 40 like apes,
did not fear, and tbs animals which the
mounted were terrified at the sight of ua
We were in no immediate danger of death
Our white coats inspired respect, even il
those ferocioug and cruel Malays. Doubt
less they would try to capture us, but the,
dared not make uGe OF their arms. III
mother repulsed them proudly at e! ut an
without anger She knew that they coul,
not take her. Then they Judged that b
roason of ray youth they would more easil
capture mo, and they trisd to cast lasso
about my legs. My mother set herself be
tween them and ma. and defended me des
perately. The hunters, seeing that the
would be obliged TO take her life in orde
to CAPTURE me, hurled against her 2 shove