The Elephants and the Oranges.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 170, 18 September 1886, Page 6

The Elephants and the Oranges.

In his " Leaves from the Life of a Special J Correspondent," Mr O'Sheagives the following anecdote of an adventure with a herd of elephants: — "A young friend asked me once to show him some elephants, and I took him along with me, having first , borrowed an apron and filled it with oranges.' This he was to carry,, whilst accompanying me in the stable, but the moment we reached the door the herd set up such a trumpeting — they 'had scented the 3 fruit - that- hedr6pped the 'apt on and it's contents, and scuttled off like a scared rabbit. There were eight ' elephants, and when I picked up the oranges I fbuudl had twenty five. ' I walked deliberately' along" the line giving one to each ;4; 4 when I goc to the extremity of the harrow stable, I turned, and' was about to begin the distribution again, when I suddenly; reflected ..that if .elephant No. 7 in the row saw me give t\yo t oranges in succession to No. ( 8, he^might'imagine he was being cheated, , and give,, mo a snWk with ' his proboscis— that is where the elephant falls short of the human .being - so I went to the door and began cfe novo as before. Thrice I Nyent along the line, and then I was in a iftic. ! I had one orange, left, aiid I had , to get' back to the,dopr v Every elephant in r the herd, had his "greedy gaze focussed on that orange.' It' was as much as njy life was , worth to givb it to any^ one ,of , them. What. , xmi Ito do 1 ,1 held! it^ lip conspicuously,, coolly pealed t it, apd ( si\cked ii myself. t \ It - was "most 'amusing to'hotice the way.those , - elephants nudged, eaoh *" other and „ shook ' fcheit f %o^erous l Uicl^ r f They ; thorou^ly -