CHARLEY'S WONDERFUL JOURNEYS, 



JOURNEY XII. 



" T UST look," said the leading Elephant, 

 I as the whole troop came to a halt 

 within a stone's throw of Charley, "there's 

 a white or pinkish-colored boy, and if we 

 manage carefully we shall be able to catch 

 him, and break him in to attend to the lit- 

 tle white Elephant." 



"If you please," said Charley, stepping 



"Yes, if you please," said Charley," I 

 should like to try it very much." 



"This is capital," said the little white 

 Elephant, " I never would let one of those 

 black fellows ride me, but I don't mind you. 

 Do you know how to mount ? Just put one 

 foot on the end of my trunk now I bend it 

 — ^you may step on my foot first, I have no 

 corns — take one ear in each hand, walk 

 right up to the top of my head — so — now 

 turn right round, and slide down on my 

 neck, and sit down comfortably. You'll 

 have good times with me; no fodder to cut 

 or carry, because I'm a white Elephant; only 

 to go out with the troop in the morning for 

 exercise, take me to water, and give me my 



"just put one foot on the end of my trunk and take one ear in each hand, 



forward, and raising his hat, " I should like 

 very much to have the little white Elephant 

 to ride and attend to." 



"Just listen to him," said the first speaker, 

 as a grunt of approval ran through the whole 

 troop. " Why, he talks as rationally as an 

 Elephant. He maybe able to teach all our 

 men servants to talk, and if they are too 

 stupid, he might help us learn their lan- 

 guage. Are you willing to enter our ser- 

 vice, and ride the white Elephant?" he 

 asked of Charley. 



bath, and then keep the flies off the rest of 

 the day. You needn't make any bread — 

 need he ? (this to the chief Elephant). The 

 man that bakes my cakes, can bake yours 

 also." 



Charley conceived a dim idea that the 

 possession of a white Elephant might prove 

 monotonous after a while, and that to be 

 possessed by a white Elephant might be 

 something still worse, and as the men kept 

 silent all this time, the remarks made by the 

 Elephants left Charley a little in doubt as 



