The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1916-12-30
ELEPHANT STORIES.
Interesting Yarns Gathered by Several
Collectors.

The elephant of the Jardin des
Plantes at Paris used to play his visi-
tors a trick which could not have been
thought of but by an animal of much
intelligence, says the Presbyterian.
His house opened upon an Enclosure
called the elephants park, containing
4 pond, in which he would lay himself
under the water, concealing every part
of him except the very end of his trul
"a mere speek that would hardly be
noticed by stranger to the animal s
habits.
| A crowd would often assemble round
the Enclosure, and, not seeing him in
/ it, would watch i'll expectation that he
would soon issue from the house, but
while they were gazing about, a copi-
Gus sprinking of water would fall upon
them, and women and men, with their
| fine hats and coats, would run for
shelter under the trees, looking up at
the clear sky, and wondering whence
such a shower could come.
Immediately afterwards, however,
they would see the elephant rising
slowly from his bath, showing, as it
seemed, an awkward JOY at the trick
that he had played. In the course OF
time his amusement became generally
known, and the moment the water be-
gan TO rise from his trunk the spec
tators would take flight, at which he
appeared exceedingly delighted, get
ting up as fast as he could to see the
hustle he had caused.
A writer in the Christian Register
says that once in New York an ele
plant was to be taken to her new home
in Central park. She was taken from
the train and had gone but a short die,
lance when she absolutely refused &
. take another step. Now you can imag
: inc that a big elephant in the streets
of New York, who refused to move
either forward or backward, presented
a very serious question to those whc
had her in charge.
Suddenly one of the men thought
that probably the elephant was dis
; trustful of what was to be done Will
her, and the best thing to do would bt
to bring another elephant from til,
park. This was done. AS soon as tn,
new elephant was chained to the olt
resident of Central park she showed
every desire to accompany her fricn.
to the new home.
3 Perhaps the elephant was homesick il
, New York, with its hustle and confu
! sion, and thought herself the only on
of her kind in the city, but when sh
: saw another elephant, she knew tina
at least she would have one companion
, or perhaps, in elephant language, tn
old resident made her understand III
delights of life in Central park.
N India @ha1y all ~,
Shahji, a Hindu prince, who, on Ger
tain occasion, showed himself alnos
as clever as Archimedes The story !
retold in the Youth s Companion:
A high official had made a vow tia
$ he would distribute to the poor tn
$ weight of his own elephant in silve
e money, but how should he go abou
| it TO learn what the weight really was
t All the learned and clever men of tn
i court labored in vain 10 construct
E machine of sufficient strength to weig
:. the elephant.
At length Shahji came forward an
suggested a plan that was as simpl
as II was ingenious. He caused tn
unwieldy animal TO be conducted alon
: q stage specially made for the pul
" pose into fat-bottomed boat. Their
having marked on the boat the heiel
D which the water reached after the eli
/ plant had weighed it down, he ha
:, the animal led ont and stones subst
r tuted in sufficient quantity to sink Tin
I boat to the same line. The stones wer
then taken to the scales and weighed
S, one by one. Thus, to the admiratio
:, of the court, Shahji discovered the tru
r weight of the elephant.