It Took A Lady To Show Him How To Start His Car

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 13, Issue 41, 14 January 1949, Page 5

It Took A Lady To Show Him How To Start His Car

He lives at Whakatane and had just concluded a short visit to the circus camped at the Domain. He hopped into his car. it is rather old, but still goes when handled by someone who knows. He kicked the self starter. It turned slowly and stopped. It was dead. He tried again. Same result. The circus piechanic was passing. “Won’t it go”? he askecl. “No,” came the answer. The mechanic sighed. It was quite obvious that the man behind the wheel knew very little about cars. “Let me have a look at it.” he said. " He tinkered round under the bonnet. Then: “Try it now.” The motorist obliged. “Try it with the ignition key turned on,” the mechanic remarked mildly, looking at the man behind the wheel. He did so. But still there was no kick. Mechanic: Engine’s flooded. Motorist blankly: What does that mean? Enter Betty Mechanic: She won’t go. I’ll get Betty, she can give you a push. That’s all it needs. Motorist: Betty? Who is Betty? The mechanic pointed across the paddock to a big brown-black mass busily tearing huge branches from a large tree. The motorist made the startled noise. He understood now. Betty was the 30 year old, five ton Malayan elephant of the circus. Betty was brought away reluctantly from her tree. Very gently she laid her head against the back of the car and slowly, but with gathering speedy both vehicle and animal moved forward. The car refused to start. Around and round the field Betty pushed the Whakatane man and his car, followed by a host of the local children, who gazed enviously at him, being driven by an elephant. The Lady Triumphs Finally the car gave in. With a grunt of disgust it choked a couple of times and then came back to life half-heartedly. There was a cheer from the youthful gallery.

Betty’s keeper gave her a fond scratch on the corner of one ear, while the motorist thanked the mechanic. He turned to thank Betty but she was playfully whanging her keeper over the head with her trunk. She seemed to have forgotten the car. The Whakatane man let in the clutch and in a cloud of burnt petrol fumes roared out of the gate. As he turned the corner he looked back to catch a last glimpse of Betty.

She had returned to her tree and was busily engaged in ripping off some of the larger limbs. The Whakatane man shuddered and made all speed for town.