Uncle Dick and Lisa's Old Time Animal Tales

     At Hamburg, the keepers of the Zoo thought that it would be more economical to give the elephant a stone floor as the wooden one had to be replaced too often. One was laid, but the elephant would not lie down upon it to sleep. Something told him that if he did he could not get up again. Hence he slept standing, or leaning against the wall. But the other night his feet slipped when dozing, and he came down. He could not get up in fact, and twenty men with ropes, pulleys, and ingenious contrivances worked all day trying to get up. He was finally raised until his feet were four inches above the floor, when the hinder ropes broke, leaving the poor beast hanging by the neck. He gave one piteous roar and was dead.