ELEPHANT. 13<> 



A soldier of Pendi cherry, who frequently carried 

 ene of these creatures a certain measure of arrack, 

 being one day a little intoxicated, and seeing himself 

 jpursued by the guard who were about to conduct him. 

 to prison, took refuge under the elephant, where he 

 fell sound asleep. The guard attempted in vain to 

 take him from his asylum : the elephant defended 

 him with his trunk. The next day the soldier be- 

 coming sobfr, was terrified at seeing himself placed 

 under so enormous an animal; but the elephant ca- 

 ressed him with his trunk to remove his fears, and 

 niake him understand that he might depart in safety. 



The elephant is sometimes seized with a sort of 

 phrenzy r which renders him extremely formidable, 

 so that 'on the first symptoms of madness he is com- 

 monly killed, in order to prevent mischief: yet in 

 those fits he has frequently been known to distin- 

 guish his benefactors; so strongly are gratitude and 

 magnanimity impressed on his nature. 



The elephant that was kept in the menagerie at, 

 Versailles, always discerned when any person de- 

 signed to make a fool of him, and always remembered 

 an affront, which he never failed to revenge at the 

 first opportunity. Having been cheated by a man 

 who feigned to'throw something into his mouth, he 

 struck him with his trunk and broke two of his ribs, 

 and afterwards trampled him under his feet and broke 

 one of his legs. A painter being desirous of drawing 

 him in the attitude -of having his trunk erect and hi; 

 mouth open, ordered his servant to snake him retain 

 that posture, by constantly throwing him fruit; the 

 servant, however, at last deceived him, which so rout- 

 ed his indignation, that, perceiving the original cause 

 of this deception to be the painter's desire of drawing 

 him, he reven'ged himself by throwing, with his 

 trunk, a large quantify of water oh the paper, wliicn. 

 completely spoiled flic design. 



The elephants exhibited in Europe are 

 of a diminutive size, as fhe coldness of the <'" 



both che'cks the growth 'arid abridges the U(: of tiicso 

 aninrah. Ttrat w'hicU frits just been mentioned, and 



