16 THE KING'S MAHOUT 



gle to guard it, and ropes of silk were considered 

 the only suitable tether for an animal accustomed 

 to the deference of a populous country. 



When My Lord the Elephant had rested at 

 the end of his silken tether sufficiently to become 

 reconciled to his encompassed condition, he was 

 taken in much glory to Bangkok, where, after 

 being paraded and saluted, he was lodged in a 

 specially prepared palace. Here he was sung to 

 and danced before, given exalted titles, shaded by 

 golden umbrellas and decorated with trappings of 

 great value. In fact the white elephant was once 

 made a great deal of, but never really worshipped, 

 as some writers have declared. Because of its 

 rarity it is still very highly prized by the king and 

 though capture is unusual enough to create excite- 

 ment, yet popular rejoicing and honors for the 

 catcher do not nowadays attend the event. But 

 the white elephants continue to stand unemployed 

 in the royal stables at Bangkok— where western 

 ideas are becoming evident in electric lighting and 

 trolley cars. There were four in the royal stables 

 at the time of my visit, leading lives of luxurious 

 ease. The real local consequence of the white ele- 

 phant rests in it being to Siam what the eagle is 

 to America, the lion is to England— a national 

 emblem. On a scarlet background it forms the 

 Siamese imperial flag, and gives name to one of 



