THE CIRCUS ELEPHANT

Southland Times, Issue 24106, 20 April 1940, Page 3 (Supplement)

THE CIRCUS ELEPHANT

—PRIZE— When Wirth’s Circus came to Gore, dad took us to see it. Ihe animals I liked best were the elephants. We fed them with peanuts. The trick I liked best was one where the trainer of the elephants lay down, and pretended that he died for his king. Two elephants came in and placed the Union Jack over him. One put his trunk under his legs, the other put his trunk under his neck, and they carried him .away. Elephants have very strong trunks and use them to do very heavy work. —Prize of 1/- to Cousin Roy Cunningharh (8), McNab-Conical Hills R.D. —PRIZE— The circus was coming to Brigton at last. For days the children had been waiting for it, but owing to unfavourable weather the performances had been delayed in other towns. One of the most enthusiastic of the younger folk was little Tommy Dickson, whose mother was very poor. Tommy knew his mother could not afford to pay sixpence for him to go to the circus, and it would hurt her to have to tell him, so he did not mention the grand performance to her. The next day the circus arrived and everyone gathered in the streets to watch the grand parade through the town. Little Tommy was among them, and when he saw all the animals he wished more than ever that he could go to the big performance the next day. When he arrived home his mother sent him on an errand to his friend’s place. On the return journey Tommy decided to walk through

the park. As he 'was sauntering along, whistling, he encountered a huge elephant standing by the river and having a drink. Tommy stood still and watched. Presently the elephant lifted his trunk out of the water and approached Tommy, who stood quite still as if rooted to the spot. When the big animal reached Tommy he curled his trunk around the terrified boy and lifted him gently on to his back. Poor Tommy was too frightened to scream for help, and as the elephant seemed quite harmless he just sat there and waited to see where his mount would take him. To his astonishment, the elephant turned in at the circus gates, and an anxious keeper ran out to meet them. Tommy told the keeper his story and when he finished he said: “I wonder what made him lift me on to his back? I was only whistling.” “I always do that when I want him to lift me on to his back,” explained the keeper. The keeper then told Tommy that he could come to the circus as often as he wished, and he gave him a free pass for his mother also. Little Tommy was very happy when he went home and told of the circus elephant. < —Prize of 1/- to Cousin Dulcie Tuffery A.C., (13), Dacre.

—VERY HIGHLY COMMENDED— Teddy the elephant was very excited because the circus had just arrived in New Zealand. It was early in the morning and he would have to work hard, but that did not worry him. His first task when he was off the boat was to pull along the heavy cages full of animals. He also had to carry tents and other luggage to the grounds where the circus was to be held.

his school friends, but how they cheered when they saw where he was. —3 marks to Cousin James Milne (14), Gore-Waikaka R.D. —HIGHLY COMMENDED— There was once an elephant by the name of Jumbo, who would do some very clever tricks at the circus shows held at night. One night, however, Jumbo was doing one of his tricks in the ring when a bad boy took a piece of notepaper from his pocket, rolled it into a neat ball and threw it at Jumbo's eye. There is an old saying that an elephant never forgets, and Jumbo didn’t forget, for the ball of paper made his eye smart. He walked over to the corner of the ring where a bucket of water stood, and picked it up in his trunk, went over to the boy and spilled it all over him. “Oh help, oh help,” screamed the boy, shaking his fist at the keeper. “Ha! ha!” laughed the crowd. The keeper led Jumbo away, leaving the bad boy dripping with water.. “Ha! ha!” laughed the keeper. “Jumbo can play tricks on you as well.”

The zoo was open to the public in the afternoon, so Teddy was fed with biscuits and sweets by the children. This was great fun! At last it was time for the evening performance. The tent was packed to the doors, but that did not frighten Teddy. He was the best performing elephant there, and his tricks and star turns won rounds of applause. His trainer was so pleased with him, that he gave him a special supper. —3 marks to Cousin Margaret Woods, A.C. (12), South Hillend R.D., Winton.

—VERY HIGHLY COMMENDED— Betty and Joan had been to the circus, and when they went to school the next day they told their friend Peggy all about it. As they had never seen an elephant before, they had enjoyed watching the elephant most of all.

—2 marks to Cousin Jack Rawle (15), Great North road, Winton.

—HIGHLY COMMENDED— Once there lived in a travelling circus an elephant called Kari, which was the joy and pride of his owner, Sam. An elephant is willing to be punished for having done wrong, but if you punish him for no reason at all he will remember and pay you back in your own coin. One day as Kari was coming out from his bath in the river a boy named Sadu hit him three or four times with a whip. Kari sqealed and ran away. The next summer Sudu again happened to be on the river bank near Kari. Without warning Kari rushed at Sadu like a mad bull, threw his trunk around the boy’s neck, flung him into the water, and held him there. When Sadu was at last pulled out of the water and stretched on the ground he was nearly senseless. By the next day Kari and Sudu were friends again.

“Did you know that the elephant we saw at the circus did tricks?” Betty asked Peggy. “No,” said Peggy, “but I do know what an elephant is like. It is a huge animal with a rough grey skin, and it has two ivory tusks, a trunk, and two big ears.” I saw the circus elephants pulling the cages in which were the other animals, from the station to the show ground,” said Joan. “I saw an elephant put out his trunk and lift a lady’s hat off her head!” exclaimed Betty. Just then the school bell rang, and the three friends had to stop their conversation about the circus elephant, and march into school to begin another day of learning. —3 marks to Cousin Audrey Blanks (13), Otapiri R.D., Winton.

—VERY HIGHLY COMMENDED— There was great excitement in Gore, for the circus was arriving, and opening that night. At eight o’clock sharp it began. In the grand parade was one elephant who did not feel at all like acting, so when he came opposite the main entrance he walked clumsily out of the tent. Men went after the badtempered elephant with whips, but it was of no avail. He was determined not to act. At last the men left him and went back, thinking they would catch him in the morning. But there was one little boy named Tommy who thought that he would try to bring him back. Through the streets and out into the open country they went, until at last they came to a small gurgling stream. On the green grassy bank the elephant lay down and the boy sat beside him. He spoke kind words and tried to persuade the elephant to go back. At last he gave in, and placing Tommy on his back with his powerful trunk, started off for town. The elephant went right back, and walked into the middle of the ring with Tommy on his back. Tommy was not a very great favourite among

—2 marks to Cousin Isabel McEwen, M.A.C. (11), 87 Morton street.

—HIGHLY COMMENDED— Jumbo was a circus elephant. When the circus came to town there were many elephants. Everybody seemed to like Jumbo the best. He was good tempered, and tne Children loved riding on his back. Jumbo loved cake and peanuts. Most of the children brought Jumbo packets of peanuts and some cake.

—2 marks to Cousin Keith Cloughly (7), Section 8, Glencoe R.D.

—HIGHLY COMMENDED—“My first home,” said the elephant to his friends, was in India. After a while, when I was bigger, some men caught me and trained me as a circus elephant. I did not like them as they ill-treated me. Mr Brown, my present owner, saw how they ill-treated me and bought me from them. That is how I came to be with you in this circus.”

—2 marks to Cousin Dorothy Maar Gibbon, A.C. (11), McNab.