St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1896-10-23
ELEPHANT STORIES.
THsY GO TO SHOW THAT THE GREAT
BEASTS CAN REASON.

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
to all occasions. He has also a strong
sense of humor, which at times is so
marked as to be almost human.
This sense of the humorous was M
usually well developed in an elephant
knew in the Jardin des Plantes in Par
is. He was kept in great Enclosure 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
great stone basin had been built and
filed 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 | noticed
the elephant walking around on the
stone edge of the basin, curiously watch
ing the hippopotamus.
l felt quite sure that the elephant was
up to some prank, and Twas not mistak-
en-; for, just as soon as the ears of the
hippopotamus came into view, the ele-
plant quickly seized one of them with
his trunk and gave it sudden pull.
The enraged hippopotamus lifted his
ponderous head clear of the water and
snorted and blew, but every time he
rose to take breath the elephant would
recommence his antics. Around and
/ around the beast would CO. keeping
sharp lookout for the little ears of the
| hippopotamus, which he would seize the
moment they appeared. His evident de-
light in teasing his huge neighbor was
= very comical, and there could be no
1 doubt that he thoroughly enjoyed it.
Again, one day the keeper placed
i some food for the hippopotamus in a
corner of the inclosure, and at once the
Q hippopotamus began to leave the water
!, to get it, but the elephant slowly am
bled over to the same corner, and arriy-
d ing there first he placed his four feet
d over the favorite food in such way that
e the hippopotamus could not get at it,
IS gently swayed his trunk back and forth
d and acted altogether as though he were
there quite accidentally, until the gar
% den was thrown open to the public and
r. he went forward to receive the daily
d contributions of bread, cake, pie, ETC.,
g which were always offered him by his
l. hosts of admirers.
Elephants appear to take much enjoy
ID ment in life and exhibit good natured
in spirit even while at work. In the ami
mails quarters at Bridgeport, some time
4. ago, two little elephants showed evi
~ dent pleasure in the tasks that were Sc
for them. Even in their stable, whel
g no trainer was about, one little elephan
r would stand on its head just it wa
ut used to doing in the circus and the otheI
r would look anxiously on until its owl
10 turn came to stand ON its head and b
d, admired by the other.
r, In his native cline, during the no
hours of the day, the elephant usual.
seeks the friendly shade Of a grove O
I'd trees so as to shield himself from TIT
t. burning rays of the sun. Some time agt
ut in Central park the elephants III sum
N mer were kept i'll an open lnclosur
in where there were no trees or shade o
st any kind, and during the hot days
It. when the mercury was well up Ill tn
IN nineties, the heat was almost unbear
lie able Intently watching the elephant
d, there were always many persons carry
ne ing sunshades Or umbrellas to protec
themselves from the suns rays.
Id wonder how many of these outlook
be ers realized that the elephants wer
carrying sunshades, too, for such wa
n, really the case. On the very hot day
o. the great quadrupeds would take tn
hay that was given them, or, when the
EFF could get it the newly mown grass, an
G. completely thatch their lacks with
to shield themselves from the sun. The
i will sometimes do this same thing j
fly time to protect themselves from bt
of ing bitten, for, strange as it may seen
to- the elephants skin is very sensitive.
up In Africa there grows Il tree Gale
he the heghk tree, which bears fru
known by the name of lolobes. Now IL
irs elephant is very fond of lolobes, but I'll
ZEN fruit grows so high up as to be quit
out of the animals reach. Of courE
I'VE that does not deter the elephant frol
He trying to get it. True he cannot elm
nd a tree, but he has big bump of ing
,k nuity and we may rest assured that
,n- gets the fruit by some means or other
nj Sir Samuel Baker, the great Africa
ip- traveller, was fortunate enough one Ola
be to see an elephant i'll the very act OF &c
err ting the fruit, The elephant would
for fire short distance from the tree al
et. then rush at the trunk at full spec
i've striking his head against it with sue
~ force as to make the tree tremble
MT, every limb and so shake down the frul
he repeating the charge again and aga
WIN until enough lolobes had fallen to sat-
i'm fly his appetite. Our Animal Friend
the
ice The wife of Lewis Narcotic, living
raj Hartland, committed suicide Saturd
ood by hanging She arose in the mornit
ing dressed herself in her best clothes, we
Nv W.. to the barn. where she took strap ire
49, n ba,paes t;ed one end to a beam a