THE ELEPHANT. 21 



' In the national collection of animals at Paris, there 

 was a female Elephant, to which the keeper had fre- 

 quently forbidden the visitors to give anything to eat. 

 Of this interference the animal had several times expressed 

 her disapprobation, by sprinkling his head with water 

 from her trunk. One day a bystander offered to her 

 a piece of bread. The sentinel perceived it; but the 

 moment he opened his mouth to repeat his usual ad- 

 monition, the Elephant, placing herself directly before 

 him, discharged, full in his face, a copious stream of 

 water. A general laugh ensued. The sentinel calmly 

 wiped his face, and continued as vigilant as before. 

 Soon afterwards, he found himself under the necessity of 

 again cautioning the spectators on the subject. No 

 sooner was this uttered, than the enraged animal seized 

 hold of his musket, twirled it round with her trunk, and 

 did not restore it till it was bent nearly into the form of 

 a screw. 



The story of the tailor of Surat is well known. This 

 man used to sit and work in his shed, close to the place 

 where the Elephants were daily led to water. He con- 

 tracted a kind of acquaintance with one of the beasts; pre- 

 senting him, occasionally, with fruit and vegetables, as he 

 passed along. To receive these, the Elephant was accus- 

 tomed to put his trunk into the shop. One day the tailor, 

 happening to be in an ill-humour, instead of giving him 

 anything to eat, pricked him with his needle. The animal 

 instantly withdrew his trunk, and, without showing any 

 marks of resentment, went with the rest to drink. After 

 he had quenched his thirst, he collected in his trunk a 

 large quantity of muddy water, and, as he passed the shop 

 in his return, discharged the whole of it upon the unfor- 

 tunate tailor and his work ; thus, as it has been observed, 



