ELEPHANTS 81 



keep a bank of his own, The "hank" is a 

 strong wooden box fixed securely over his 

 head with the words "ELEPHANT'S 

 BANK" painted on it; at the bottom is a 

 bell, and this bell Gunda rings every time he 

 collects a penny, just as a car conductor rings 

 up a fare. At one time it was found that, 

 although Gunda had collected a good many 

 pennies and rung up the same, the "Bank" 

 was empty ! This was curious, because Gunda 

 had never been known to make any foolish 

 mistakes such as swallowing anything which 

 was not eatable. 



But one day when going to brush the dust 

 off the top of the dividing wall of Gunda 's 

 den, the keeper found a heap of pennies col- 

 lected there, and the secret was solved. Why 

 he should have decided to put them on the 

 wall instead of in the box is not known, but 

 it is also curious that, since his hoard of 

 money was found and confiscated, Gunda has 

 never once put a penny there, but always 

 dutifully in the Bank. 



It is a long, long time now since this ele- 



