I 5 2 
ELEPHANT LIFE LN ENGLAND 
home as circumstances permitted. It first kicked 
into quiet a collie dog which had resented its in- 
trusion. Next it picked up its kennel and pitched 
it over the garden wall. Then cautiously approaching 
the kitchen door, it looked in to see if any provisions 
were lying within reach. Meantime the fishmonger, 
who was taking a nap on his sofa, was apprised that 
there was an elephant in his back-yard. Trespass, 
whether by man or beast, is a thing no British house- 
holder can put up with ; so the fishmonger took down 
his whip and went to turn it “ off his premises.” 
“ Jim ” was at that moment looking in at the door, 
and elephant and fishmonger met on the threshold. 
Victory lay with the latter, but only to a limited 
extent. For the elephant, still bent on finding pro- 
vender, broke in the door of the stable in which the 
tradesman kept his pony. The door was only six and 
a half feet high, and the elephant more than eight. 
But it stepped in, and being familiar with the economy 
of a stable, looked for the corn-bin. This found, it 
emptied the whole of the contents on the floor, and 
soon ate up a bushel of oats. This was not to be 
borne ; so the plucky fishmonger determined to 
“ catch ” the robber when it emerged from the stable. 
This it did rather sooner than it had intended, as the 
pony, frightened at its strange visitor, avenged the 
collie by kicking the elephant’s ribs. Outside, the 
indignant fishmonger and his man had barred the 
passage by drawing a light van across it, and, armed 
with whips, mounted guard on the other side of the 
