A LESSON IN GOOD MANNERS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 393, 6 September 1911, Page 3

A LESSON IN GOOD MANNERS.

A missionary friend of mine, who was an eye-witness to the occurrence, related the following : "At the country house of the Governor of the French settlement of Chandernigore there was a little elephant, very tame, and treated as a pet. It was allowed to roam all over the house, and was accustomed to come into the din'ng-room after dinner to seek contributions from the guests. One day, when a large party was seated at dessert, the elephant came round, and, putting his little trunk between the guests, asked from them gifts of fruit. Cne gentleman refused to give anything, and as the animal would not leave him, at length, greatly annoyed, he took his fork and gave the elephant a stab in the trunk. The animal went off, finished his rounds ; but shortly after it went into the garden, tore off the bough of a tree which was swarming with large black ants, returned to the room, and shook the bough smartly over the gentleman's head. In a moment he was covered with the ants, which bite severely. They filled his hair, crept down his neck crawled up his sleeves. He brushed some off, stamped, raged, and did Irs I.est to get rid of the plague ; but h 3 could not manage it, and was oblig :d to undress and get into a bath to free himself from his tormentors, while the remainder of the gu:sts laughed at the occurrence, and yetted the elephant more fondly than lefore."