98 My Friend the Elephant 



and when he extended his trunk toward me in a 

 friendly manner, I looked upon it as a recognition 

 of a formal introduction, and shook it quite cordially. 

 He seemed to understand my action, and passed the 

 delicate jelly-like membrane at the mouth of his 

 trunk over my hand, as if trying to learn more defi- 

 nitely what sort of a person I might be. I was 

 rather interested to know what his conclusions were; 

 but he did not make them known, contenting 

 himself by quietly holding my hand and looking at 

 me with what seemed to be several very merry 

 twinkles in his eye. 



The children who had been riding upon the ele- 

 phant were mostly sons and daughters of the rich 

 or well-to-do ; many of them were in charge of 

 nurses or guardians, while others were accompanied 

 by their parents, who paid the slight fee required 

 for the ride. Away at one side, however, I caught 

 a glimpse of a little gathering of urchins who, by 

 their appearance, I could readily see were children 

 of the poor. They were watching the merry-making 

 of the other children with eager, almost hungry eyes, 

 as they might have gazed into a pastry cook's window 



