THE ELEPHANT 135 



to lift the trunk, another to move it sideways, and another to coil 

 it up. A fourth set allows it to make use of the little finger-like 

 member, which you may have noticed at the tip, and to pick up 

 even tiny objects with it. 



The elephant can even throw with its trunk, and can take very 

 good aim too, as the following anecdote will show. 



Some years ago a man, wishing to play a trick upon an 

 elephant, procured a number of nuts, some of which were very 

 good, but others were so hot as to burn the throat of any who 

 swallowed them. Having given the good nuts to the animal he 

 then gave it the hot ones, which the elephant swallowed, thinking 

 they were like the first. As soon as it had eaten them it drank a 

 whole pailful of water, which happened to be standing by, in order 

 to cool its burning throat. . It then picked up the empty pail, and 

 flung it at the head of the foolish joker, with so true an aim 

 that the man only just contrived to avoid serious injury. 



There are two different kinds of elephant. One of these, 

 which lives in the dense forests of Africa, is called the African 

 elephant. The other, which is found in certain parts of India, 

 is known as the Indian elephant. 



It is easy to tell to which of these two kinds an elephant 

 belongs by looking at its ears. If these are small, so as not to 

 cover the sides of the head, it is an Indian elephant. But if the 

 ears hang down far below the neck, and are almost broad enough 

 to allow a man to hide himself behind them, then you may be 

 quite sure that the elephant comes from Africa. 



Again, only a few Indian elephants have tusks, and these are 

 never so long as those of the African elephant. 



Indian elephants are often caught and tamed, and they are 

 so intelligent and clever that they very soon learn to perform 

 all kinds of work. In many a town in India we might see 

 elephants building walls. They would have a bricklayer with 

 them, of course, who would spread the mortar. But all the bricks 

 would be arranged in their places by the elephants, who know 

 exactly where to lay them, and how to place them in position. 

 Or we might see another elephant making a road over a piece of 

 marshy ground by laying down a row of stout logs. 



