STORIES OF ELEPHANTS.-PART I.

1. The elephant is the largest of the quadrupeds, as well as the strongest, and yet in a state of nature it is neither fierce nor formidable. It never abuses its power or its strength, and only uses its force for its own protection, or that of its community.

2. The elephant, however, in addition to its bodily strength, presents many remarkable features of character. It combines the fidelity of the dog, the endurance of the camel, and the docility of the horse, with great sagacity, prudence, and courage.

3. The senses of smell, hearing, sight and touch, excel those of perhaps any other animal of the brute creation. Its powers of mind are not less well developed than its senses. Obedience, love for its master, docility, remembrance of ill or good deeds. done to it, are marked features in the character. of this animal. The following stories will illustrate some of its wonderful powers.

THE ELEPHANT PORTER.

1. In the year 1811, a lady was staying with her husband, an officer in the East India Company's service, at a house near the fort of Travancore in India.

2. She was very much astonished one morning to observe an elephant, unattended, marching into the courtyard carrying a very heavy box with his trunk. He put this box carefully down, and then went away and fetched a similar box, which he placed by the side of the other. He continued this operation

for some time, until he had accumulated a great pile.

3. This pile of boxes he arranged with the greatest regularity, and now and then would stand and examine it to see if the lines of the boxes were straight.

4. The boxes contained the treasures of the Rajah of Travancore, who had died during the night. The English commander had taken possession of his property, and the boxes that the elephant had brought to his house, contained the most valuable part of the treasures, which he was having removed for greater security.

THE ELEPHANT NURSE.

1. An English officer relates, "I have often seen the wife of a camp follower give a baby in charge of an elephant, while she went out on some business, and have been highly amused in observing the sagacity and care of the unwieldy nurse.

2. "The child, which like most children, did not like to lie in one position, would, as soon as left to itself, begin crawling about. It would get amongst the legs of the animal or entangled in the branches of trees on which the elephant was feeding. The elephant would every now and then disengage its charge in the most tender manner, either by lifting it out of the way with its trunk, or by removing the impediments to its free progress.

3. "The elephant was chained by the leg to a peg that was driven in the ground, and if the child crawled beyond the length of its chain it would

stretch out its trunk, and lift the child back to its place as tenderly as possible."

pru-dence

char-ac-ter

con-tain-ed o-be-di-ence as-ton-ish-ed

pos-sess-ion el-e-phant

ob-serv-ing re-mem-brance ten-der-ly for-mid-a-ble se-cu-ri-ty

Which is the largest quadruped? What animals does it resemble in character? In what does it resemble the dog? In what does it resemble the horse? In what does it resemble the camel? Where was the lady staying that saw the elephant porter? How did the elephant carry the boxes of treasures? In what place did it put them? How did it arrange the boxes? What was it careful to see? What had the elephant nurse to do? When the child crawled under its legs, or got amongst the bushes, how was it removed to a place of safety?

1. In the year 1879, Wombwell's menagerie visited Tenbury, previous to entering the town of Ludlow. Amongst the collection was a very fine female elephant named "Lizzie."

2. Nearly five years ago, when the menagerie previously visited Tenbury, this elephant, after a hard walk, was allowed to drink a quantity of cold water, and being heated by the walk was attacked with colic.

3. The poor animal suffered intensely. Mr. Turly, a chemist of the town, was called into the menagerie

when the life of the animal was all but despaired of. By his vigorous efforts and skilful treatment the valuable beast was saved.

4. After this lapse of time "Lizzie" did not forget her "doctor," for on the procession passing down Teme Street, she immediately recognized Mr. Turly at the door of his shop, and going to him, gracefully placed her trunk in his hand.

5. Mr. Turly visited the exhibition at night, and had a reception on the part of his former patient which he had not calculated upon. Gently seizing the gentleman with her trunk, with which she encircled him, to the terror of the audience she bestowed upon him the strongest marks of affection, and it was some time before Mr. Turly was released.

THE THOUGHTFUL ELEPHANT.

1. An elephant in Adsmeer which often passed through the bazaar or market, as he went by a certain herb woman, always received from her hand a mouthful of vegetables.

2. Being one day seized with a fit of madness, he broke his fetters, and running through the market put the crowd to flight, and overturned many of the stalls. Amongst those who ran away was the herb woman, who, in her haste, forgot her little child at the stall.

3. When the elephant came to the spot where his benefactress was accustomed to sit, he saw the child, and taking it up gently with his trunk, conveyed it to a place of safety.