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Show LEGENDS OF THE ELEPHANT Many and Wonderful Are the Tales Told Concerning Its Virtues and Its Wisdom. Nil luridly we talked first about elephants, ele-phants, (if which he was almost as i-hlldlshly fond as I. But In contrast to rny poor knowledge, he possessed the rich lore of a man who had not only observed hallii for many years wllh loving Interest, hut had also listened lis-tened to ihe tales of mahout and shikari shi-kari from Slum to Ceylon. He poured out a hundred gifts from an apparently apparent-ly Inexhaustible slore. He told of "round ups" In i'.urma, when the wild herds are driven Into gigantic corrals to be tamed for the service of puny man. Then, turning to the names bestowed be-stowed by doting mahouts on these colossal darlings, he pointed out that& In this nomenclature of affection Lotus, Lo-tus, or Lily or I'earl was only a commonplace, com-monplace, while even Silver Star and Golden Joy seemed Inadequate. Folk tales, too, he repeated, among them the narrative of the wise elephant that used to be sent out from a certain cer-tain city the morning after the king's death to bring buck In its bejeweleil nnwdnh the man it hud chosen as successor suc-cessor to the throne. Finally, just as we were leaving (he bark of the stream, be spoke of the part played by the elephant lu the story of him who became the Light of Asia. Before the hirtli of Gautama, destined to be the savior of mankind, his mother dreamed dream-ed that a six-rayed star from heaven entered her right side, and of this slur the token was a white elephant witli six perfect tusks. Again, In the prophetic vision of his father, the see-nd see-nd Fear was ten huge silver-tusked elephants, signifying the ten great Sifts of wisdom. In strength whereof the prince should shake the world. In Buddha's middle years an enemy sought to take his life by sending against him a raging elephant, but the animal recognized the good head f the "Venerable Omniscient One" snd stood In peaceful adoration before Ihe divine person. Asia Magazine. |