Smyrna times., 1896-09-30
ELEPHANT STORIES.
THEY GO TO SHOW THAT THE GREAT
BEASTS CAN REASON.

How One Of the Hugo Fellows Amused
Himself at the Expense of a HippopOta-
mus-PrOtecting Themselves From An
noyance.
In my opinion the elephant is the
most intelligent of all animals. He
thinks for himself, and no matter in
what position he may be placed, or
what emergencies he may be called up-
on to meet, he seems to be endowed
with enough common sense to be equal
70 all occasions. He has also strong
sense of humor, which at times is so
marked as to be almost human.
This sense of the humorous was un-
usually well developed in an elephant I
| knew in the Jardin des Plantes in Par
is. He was kept in a great inclosure out
in the open air, so that he had plenty
| of room to roam about In the same in
closure was very large hippopotamus,
| for whose comfort and amusement q
| great stone basin had been built and
filled with water, and the hippopotamus
in turn furnished amusement for the
elephant. 1t was quite early one morn-
| ing-befOre the hour for admitting the
! public to the garden-when l noticed
the elephant walking around on the
stone edge Of the basin, curiously watch
ing the hippopOtamus.
felt quite suro that the elephant was
up to some prank, and was not mistak-
en-; for, just as soon as the ears of the
hippOpotamus came into view, the ele-
| phant quickly seized one Of them with
his trunk and gave it a sudden pull.
The enraged hippOpotamus lifted his
| pondcrous head clear of the water and
snOrtCd and blew, but every time he
rose to take breath the elephant would
recOmmCnce his antics. Around and
around the beast would go, keeping
| sharp lookout for the little ears of the
hippOpotamus, which he would seize the
moment they appeared. His evident de-
light i'll teasing his huge Eeighbor was
very comical, and there could be no
doubt that he thoroughly enjoyed it.
Again, enc day the keeper placed
some food for the hippOpotamus in a
corner of the inclOsure, and at once the
hippOpOtamus began to leave the water
to get it, but TIC elephant slowly am
| blCd over to the same corner, and arriv-
ing there first he placed his four feet
over the favcrite food i'll such way that
tho hipp0potamus could not get at it,
| gently swayCd his trunk back and forth
and acted altogether as though he were
there quite accidentally, until the gar
den was thrown open to the public and
he went forward tORreceive the daily
contributions Of bread. cake, pie, ETC.,
which were always offered him by his
hosts of admirers.
Elephants appear to take much enjoy
ment i'll Life and exhibit good natured
| spirit even while at work In the ami
mails quarters at Bridgeport, some time
ago, two little Gle lh;,nts showed evil
dent pleasure i'll the tasks that were set
for them. Even i'll their stable, " hen
no trainer was about, one little elephant
would stand Oh its head Just it was
used to dC-ng il tho circus and the other
would lCCk aaX-ouSly Cn until It's own
turn came to stand on its head and be
admired Ly tie othcr.
In his native cline. during the hot
hours Of the day, the elephant usually
seeks the friCLdly shade Cf Il grove Of
trees so as TO shield himself frCm the
burning rays Of the sun. Some time ago
i'll Central park the elephants i'll sum-
mer were kept ii an open inclCsure
where there were 10 trees or shade Of
any kind, and during the hot days,
when the mercury was we'll I'D i'll the
ninctics, the heat was almost unbear-
able. InteEtly watching the elephants
there were always MANY persons carry
ing sunshGdCs CT umbrellas to protect
themselves from the suns rays.
wonder low many of these oulook-
ers realized that the elephants were
carrying sunskadcS, tCO, for such was
really the case. On the very hOt days
the great CuadruPeds would take the
hay that was given them, or, when they
could get it the newly mOwu grass, and
completely thatch their backs with it
to shield tEt laselves from the sun. They
will sCnoli1I1s do this same thing in
fly tine TO protect themselves from be-
ing bitten, for. strange as it may seem,
the ELEPHANTS skin is very sensitive.
In Africa thCro grows tree called
the heglik tICc, which bears fruit
known by the name of lolobes, Now the
elephant is very fond Cf lolobes, but the
fruit grows 50 high up as to be quite
Out of the ANIMALS reach. OF course
that does ret dCs(r tae elephant from
! trying to gCt it True. he cannot climb
n tree, but lie las :! big bump of inge-
nuity and NC nay rest assured that he
gets the frult Y tlnG means or other.
D Sir San4C, E.ikor, Tie great African
= traveller, w;.s t,-tulate CnCuSh one day
> to see 81 tl' rhant in the very act Of get
! ting the fruit. Iho elephant would re-
tire short distance frOnl the tree and
{ then rush at the trunk at full speed,
3 striking his lead against it with such
: force as to make the tree tremble in
every limb and 50 shake down the fruit,
: repeating the Charge again and again
t until enough lOlobes had fallen to satia.
D fly his appetite Our Animal Friends.