170 WILD NEIGHBORS chap. 



The elephant has been called by many students 

 of his character the most intelligent of all beasts. 

 Whether he is entitled to this distinction is a ques- 

 tion still undecided, but it is to my mind an evi- 

 dence of high intelligence on their part that they 

 are reluctant to practise stage-tricks which must 

 seem to any self-respecting animal in the highest 

 degree foolish. That elephants have a very keen 

 sense of dignity and propriety is plain. They are 

 influenced by kindness, susceptible of insult and 

 ridicule, and remember for a long time an injury, 

 seeking steadily a safe opportunity to avenge it 

 upon the person who did them the harm. They 

 take great pride in their trappings and proficiency 

 and are jealous of rivals. This feeling an intelli- 

 gent trainer will take advantage of. 



African elephants, by the way, are said to show 

 little aptitude for tricks ; but this may be a false 

 observation due to the fact that very few African 

 elephants have been available for experiment, in 

 modern times, at least. Probably the tamed and 

 trained elephants of ancient times were mainly of 

 the African species. 



The first of the elephant's lessons is to stay in 

 the ring and walk around it without running away. 

 Some elephants show early that they never can be 

 persuaded not to bolt, whereupon their schooling 

 is abandoned ; and all are prone to stop their 

 tricks abruptly and go out — no doubt in disgust 

 at the uselessness of it all. 



