366 A Sportswoman in India 



it under his foot. He always picked a switch with 

 which he kept off flies. 



As long ago as the time of Pliny elephants were 

 observed studying their lessons ; he tells us that one 

 which performed badly in the day and was punished, 

 was observed at night endeavouring to practise its 

 tricks. The trainer of the Barnum herd once peeped 

 into the elephants' pen at night and found one of the 

 young ones trying to stand on his head a lesson he 

 was then being taught. After several attempts he 

 succeeded. 



The Duke of Devonshire's tame elephant used to 

 take a broom and sweep the garden paths and grass ; 

 he would also carry a great water-can and follow the 

 gardener round while he watered his beds. 



Elephants are invaluable to the Government. 

 Hundreds of them are, as is well known, employed 

 in lumber-yards, going through a regular daily routine, 

 knowing their hours for work and recreation as 

 well as the foreman himself. At the sound of the 

 morning bell they leave their stalls, assemble in the 

 yards, and take up their work left from the day before, 

 rolling the great logs and carrying the beams with 

 their trunks to the piles, where two of them will take 

 up each length of wood and hoist it into its place, 

 walking round afterwards and adjusting the work 

 like a man with a plumb-line. When the bell rings 

 for leaving off work, nothing will induce them to go 

 on, and it is said that they will not be taken in by 

 ringing the bell late. 



