FOR THE LITTLE ONES

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 83, 8 April 1933, Page 3 (Supplement)

FOR THE LITTLE ONES

ROSIE REBELS. AN ELEPHANT ON HOLIDAY. My Dear Little Friends, — I do hope that none of my little friends will follow Rosie's example, for she did a most dreadful, though easily understandable, thing—she refused to return home after her holidays. No, Rosie was not, as you may think, a little girl living in New Zealand; she was a huge elephant belonging to an English menagerie. Rosie' combined business with pleasure by giving children rides in the amusement park in Skegness, a seaside holiday resort, and we can imagine that the big elephant was very popular with the tiny holiday makers. Rosie must have enjoyed every minute of her sojourn by the sea, for when at last the time came for her to return home, she absolutely refused to board the train. A small crowd had followed Rosie through the streets and they watched her trainer coaxing the mountain of obstinacy for two hours, at the end of which time the elephant was no nearer to her box than before. At last she was taken back to the amusement park and left there till the following day, when another effort was made to place her on board the train. By this time the story of Rosie's rebellion had spread, and' more than a thousand people assembled whilst the trainer and the railway staff did their best to coax the elephant into her travelling box. Every method failed, and at last the trainer decided to use more severe measures. He took a stick, and at the sight of it Rosie promptly stood on her head. The joy of the onlookers was immense. Trick after trick the huge beast performed—it seemed that she would do anything except get into the box and return home. When nothing more could be done the trainer wired to the menagerie: "Can't get Rosie aboard." In the night a new trainer arrived, and, awakening the elephant from her slumbers, marched her towards the station. Perhaps the sea did not look so inviting by moonlight; perhaps the sea air and exercise made Rosie sleepy and she was anxious to get back to sleep again. Whatever the reason, the elephant walked into her box without any trouble, and so was transported home after her holiday by the aea. Undoubtedly we all feel that a few days' extra holiday would do us good, but we dare not revolt as Rosie did, for without a couple of tons of bone and sinew to back our will, rebellion would be useless.