]fj2 THE ELEPHANT. 



of his anger was slain. The keeper's wife beheld i\w. 

 horrid action, and in phrenzied anguish threw herself 

 and two young children at its feet, exclaiming, at the 

 same time, that, as it iiad destroyed their supporter, 

 it would be an act of kindness to kill them ! At the 

 sight of the prostrate children all its fury seemed to 

 subside, and he gazed upon them for some moments 

 with an appearance of regret ; then taking the elder 

 from the ground with his trunk, he carefully placed it 

 upon his back, and ever after showed the utmost obe- 

 dience to the poor fatherless child's commands. 



An elephant at Adsmeer, which had often been 

 driven through the market, regularly received, from a 

 woman who kept a stall, a handful of her greens ; and 

 Iseing one day seized with a periodical fit of madness, 

 broke the fetters which confined it, and ran towards 

 the spot. All who beheld it approach were struck 

 with dismay, and fled precipitately from its sight, and, 

 amongst the number, his friend the green-woman, 

 who, in her alarm, forgot to remove her child. The 

 frantic animal ran directly towards her seat, overturn- 

 ing whatever impeded his flight; and the moment he 

 beheld the terrified little creature lying upon the earth, 

 overwhelmed with fright, he raised him from the ground 

 with the utmost tenderness, and carried him to a place 

 that was perfectly safe. 



THE RHINOCEROS. 



The rhinoceros is an animal which ranks next to the 

 elephant in point of size as well as strength : it is 

 usually found to be about twelve feet long from the tip 

 of the nose to the insertion of the tail ; the same in 

 circumference, and about seven in height; the legs 

 not being near so long as those of the elephant. 



