THE ELEPHANT AND THE EGGS.

Mataura Ensign, Issue 1146, 12 February 1903, Page 6

THE ELEPHANT AND THE EGGS.

Once upon a time, far away in Africa, then was an elephant. Now this was not one of your common, every-day elephants, but an intelligent, aristocratic, and kind-hearted animal. He had a big heart—bo big, in fact, that he had to keep on growing bigger every day, so as to make room for it. Well, one beautiful morning, when it wasn't raining or just going to rain, as is the way in New Zealand, this elephant went out for a walk all by himself, away out on the sandy desert. He wanted quietness, so as to consider the problem of the " ultimate persistence of foroe," for he was thoughtful. As he roamed about, he suddenly came across three ostrich eggs, halfburied in tbe sand. The sight aroused him. " Oh," said be, " here is an evidence of thoughtlessness! Some ostrich has left these eggs to be hatched by the sun, but anyone might know tbat they are liable to be destroyed by the rude wild beasts tramping upon them, or by some selfish man stealing them away. What shall Ido 1 Now, this elephant was young, but you would never have told that by the size of his ears. Well, he said, " I'll be a mother to them, and I'll hatch them out." For, oh ! he was euob a kind-hearted elephant. Gently and gracefully he laid himself upon these eggs, jost as he bad seen the big birds do; and lo! the eggs came out! But not as the kind-hearted elephant expected. He was sadly disappointed, and went home quick for a bath—'twas all he could do Now, this fable teaches us that one requires more than kind-heartedness and thougbtfulness in coming to conclusions—one requires common sense.

For instance, some people set out to buywell, say tea, and forget to use their common sense. They mean well, but this won't take the place of even tho commonest kind of sense. These good people think that when you buy tea there is snob, a big profit in it that the dealers can afford to give bonuses and presents ol every description; but they forget that somebody's got to pay for these 1 presents, and in the cad the money has to come out of the tea. Now, if you buy a pound of 2s tea with a present, you get Is (id worth of tea and (Id worth of present, for tea merchants aren't philanthropists; but if you buy a pound of pure Ceylon packed and soldered Cock-o'-the-North tea for 2s, you get no present, but just what you buy—tea, and the best value in New Zealand for 2s in both " strength and flavor," for all you pay goes into tea. Now, isn't that guid sense ? Just you try this celebrated Hondai Lanka tea in paokets or boxeß as it comeß from Ceylon, and you won't be disappointed like the elephant, but as pleased as we are over the tremendous increase in our sales. When you ask for it, see that Hondai-Lanka is on the outside; if not, shop elsewhere-it is not genuine.