THREE WONDERFUL DAYS

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 5, 7 January 1928, Page 17

THREE WONDERFUL DAYS

There was great excitement in Mr. Brown's country-houso one morning. Bobbie and Helen had received an invitation from their Aunt to spend a few days at the City of Auckland, so their Father promised to accompany them. Evereybody was up curly, the farm work done before 9 o'clock, and the house looking spic and span, for this was the first time tho children had been to a city. Bobbie was bustling round cleaning shoes, Helen helping her Mother, and everybody talking and calling at once. "But in time everything was ready and Daddy and the tv'o children drove away to the ytation. "Oh! aren't wi going to have a love- j J.v lime," said Helen, when they were I seated by their Father in tho train. "What are we going to do first?" asked Bobbie, in a very matter of fact way. "I think we will go out to your Auntie's house first, and leave- what luggago we liavu out there; then wo will go and see the shops," said his Father. "What will we do next?" asked Helen. "Well, by then it will bo time to go back to Auntie's and go to !:ed. But to-morrow I think I will take you to the pictures," said Daddy. Just then the train stopped, and , there was a rush and scramble to get luggage out, and a taxi to be found, but eventually they wcro ready, and their Father led tho way to the taxi. When they were seated inside tho •Tnotor-ear Bobbie asked what picture they were going to see to-morrow. "Well, I anr afraid I cannot tell you until I see an Auckland paper, but I will tell you by to-night," said Daddy. They soon arrived at their Auntie's liouse, where they received a great ■welcome, and after lunch their Father took them to sco all the shops. They had to ride in on a tramcar, at ■which they were overjoyed, bt' all good things come to an end, and before long they reached their destination; They decided to walk then, as they wished to see the shops, and also buy something nico for their Mother. When they had grown tired of walking about and had bought something for Mother, Daddy took them to a restaurant for some refreshments, after which they went homo on the tramcar.. They arrived home feeling very tired, and Daddy decided he would just tell "what picture they were going to see tojnorrow and then they must go to bed. Tie. picked up the newspaper and scanned the entertainment page. At ]:ist he decided he would take them to son "Monscters of the Jungle." Next morning when they awoko they found that the snn had raced them out or' bed, instead of them racing it as they had planned to do the night before. They went to the beach in the morning, and had great fun on the sand and in the water, but what delighted them most was the trip over the water in a ferry boat, for they had never been in a bpat before. In the afternoon they went to the pictures and saw a great number of different animals in their haunts, herds of elephants, hippopotamuses, lions, and tigers. They liked the elephants best, and decided that they were much more useful than any of the others because they carried huge trunks of trees and did all kinds of useful work. When the pictures were over their Father said: "I think I will take you io the Zoo for the day to-morrow, as they say there is a huge elephant there, and you would like to see a real one, wouldn't you?" "Oh! Are wo really going to see a live elephant, Daddy?" asked the children. "Yes, and I think you will be ablo to have a ride on it, too," he replied. That night Helen said, "Please, Daddy, won't you tell us all about the elephant at the Zoo?" Wellington.

, "Yes, I read its history in Hit- paper, so I.will toil you all about it," said j their Father. I "There is an Indian Prince living .' in the Province of Bengal, who lias .'! . party of men to go out in the jungle j and catch elephants. Now elephants always go in herd-; and are extremely hard "to catch. ]f the wind in behind the men who are coining to catch them and the animals in front, they can scent the men, and move hurriedly but noiselessly away; but if tho v.' \<\ favours tlie inch they have quite ;i good chance of catching them. Well, tills Indian Prince had sent his men out, and they had been hunting all day without success when all of a sudden they came upon a large herd not far away, aud after a great deal of trouble they managed to'separate an elephant and her baby. When the Prince saw tho two, mother and baby, he decided they were very fine animals, and worth a large sum of money, but on second thoughts he decided not to sell tho baby, but to present it to the Auckland Zoo, which he had just heard was being constructed. So ho had "Dcesa," as he called the little one, put into a comfortablo van on a railway train, and ordered the van to bo padded and made as nice as possible with straw and hay for tho baby. He also put a Mahout in charge of her, and the two set off on their long journey in the train. Tho journey was' very tiring, and more than once did Deesa try to force open her van, but it was made of iron and was too strong. When at length they reached Calcutta where Deesa was to be shipped she was transferred from the train van to another box-like van, and lifted by a huge crane on to the ship which was to sail for New Zealand. Tho Mahout was to accompany her, and look after her on the boat. He was also to remain in New Zealand and train her. On the journey the poor animal was very sick, and tho Mahout did not think sho would live, but she did not die, and towards the end of the journey she was quite well again. Then sho had to go throug-h all the shifting again from the boat by another big crane, but now sho is at the Zoo, and is carrying children round on her back, and is no longer a baby, but a "huge elephant. "It is just like a story you read about in a book," said Bobbie, "but won't it be grand to sec her to-mor-row. '' "I am afraid you won't see her at all if you don't hurry up and go to bed," said his Father. Next day Daddy and the two children set off for tho Zoo, and just as they got inside tho gates they saw Deesa going down to her pond for her morning swim. Seated just behind her large flappy ears was the little dark man known as tho Mahout. When she was in her bath she put down her trunk, and filled it with water, then she squirted it all over the people. For this act she was made to come out of her bath and receive a whipping. After this she had a Howdah placed on her back and was led over to a kind of platform by the Mahout. Then he asked which children would like rides, and, of course, Helen and Bobbie just broke loose from their Father's hands and rushed up to the platform, where they were- lifted into little seats and strapped in. Then they began their wonderful tour on the elephant's, back. When they came back to the place from which they had started they did not want to get off, "But," said Daddy, "there are other children who want rides on Deesa," and the children, who hated to bo called greedy, jumped off and were promised that nest time they came to the Zoo they would have an--1 other ride on Deesa. They very reluctantly returned home next morning, but are hoping to return to Auckland for another pleasure trip very soon. SHIELEY MAEEIOTT.