Uncle Dick and Lisa's Old Time Animal Tales

Stories of elephantine intelligence are numerous, but most of them too well known to repeat here. One, however, recorded by a traveler, in a paper contributed to a scientific journal, and which is vouched for from personal knowledge, is worth a brief notice. The author was on a journey, and several elephants were engaged to carry his tent and baggage. One of them, euphoniously named Fattra Mongul, coming on the scent of a tiger, was seized with panic and ran off into the woods, the driver saving himself by clinging to the branch of a tree, and letting himself down. All attempts to recover the animal were fruitless, and the party proceeded on their way, giving up all idea of seeing him again. Amongst a herd of wild elephants entrapped eighteen months afterwards, was found the runaway, who at first was as uproarious and unmanageable as the rest, but on an old hunter, who knew him well, riding up to him on a tame elephant, pulling him by the ear, and ordering him to lie down, he immediately obeyed the familiar word of command and became perfectly tractable. This writer also mentions a female elephant which escaped from her owner, and was at large for fourteen years. On being recaptured, she remembered her former driver, and instantly laid down at his order.