Elephant dance (1937)

Record Details:

Title:
Elephant dance
Date:
1937
Publisher:
New York : Charles Scribner's Sons
Volume:
Elephant dance
Leaf #:
000146
Language:
English
Collection:
Books
Format:
Books
Contributor:
Media History Digital Library
Sponsor:
Media History Digital Library
Coordinator:
Media History Digital Library
Description:
Date Added:
July 11, 2024
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Night 'He was tied between two trees — stretched hind and Training forefeet between them. Slowly a group of men approached with burning torches. The elephant recoiled, because there is nothing that terrifies him more than fire. He swung his head from side to side, his eyes dilated and blood-shot, straining at the ropes; but the men approached nearer until they were surrounding him. Then they started chanting, and while one man waved a torch up to his eyes, the others gently rubbed his sides and legs with sticks. At first he was terrified, then bewildered. The chanting, the continuous motion of the rubbing, and the fire swinging before his eyes seemed to act like a drug. After half an hour or so he began to sway drunkenly on his feet, righted himself, swayed again and tottered. As soon as he was about to collapse the men stopped their chanting abruptly, raised a shout and prodded him with their long spears to startle him into a standing position again, only to repeat the whole operation. It wore the elephant out as nothing else could, — until after a few hours they left him to rest. 'The training as it goes on by day is more kind. The mahouts praise the sufferer. As he is marched up and down and up and down between them they chant to him; they praise his fine long tusks; they tell him of the big jemadar who caught him, of the rich man who will buy him, of the golden howdah he will wear one 98