MARY'S TASTE FOR MUSIC.
I AN ELEPHANTASY. A curious court trial is in progress in Paris. The owner of a young elephant is suing a railway company, because the elephant has lost all taste for music following a train accident. Before the accident, Mary, the elephant, was a dexterous tambourine player. She was also a marvel with the trombone. Since the collision, in which she was so severely shaken up, Mary wants to have nothing more to do with music. She goes around in a sort of stupor. The shimmy and tango that she danced formerly with so much gusto hare lost all attraction. Her owner asked damages.
The matter was threshed out in court and the discourse of the lawyer who appeared for Mary's owner, was such an eloquent and interesting digression upon elephants in general that the five judges and the scribes beneath them sat for three hours with mouths agape, like little boys during story-hour at school.
The learned advocate began by saying that the elephant is a sympathetic, just and generous beast in the full sense of the -word. "That animal of colossal proportions and boundless strength never makes a malicious use of his power except when he has been maltreated," exclaimed the lawyer, in his peroration, and he then went en to illustrate his thesis with a recital of a series of incidents, each one even more interesting that the preceding.
He closed up his plea, with a story from Kipling's "Jungle Book," where the author meets a grave Hindu philosopher, who discusses with him the possibility of a terrible war which would wipe out the entire human race. "If mankind had disappeared 'who Avould be the lord of creation ?" ; 'I would propose the elephant." "No, not the elephant," said Kipling. "Why not?" "Because he is too hone3t!"
The judges in the Paris Court were almost moved to .team by the lawyer's recital of the elephant's virtues, and without withdrawing for deliberation, awarded the owner of Mary the damages he- sought. ,
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AS19300712.2.165.55
Bibliographic details
Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue LXI, 12 July 1930, Page 11 (Supplement)
Word Count
336MARY'S TASTE FOR MUSIC. Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue LXI, 12 July 1930, Page 11 (Supplement)
Using This Item
Stuff Ltd is the copyright owner for the Auckland Star. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0 New Zealand licence. This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of Stuff Ltd. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.
Acknowledgements
This newspaper was digitised in partnership with Auckland Libraries.
Log in