Bozo, The Elephant {Insp}

"Bozo, The Elephant"

The story is told of the most famous elephant
in the world -- a huge, beautiful and gentle beast
named Bozo. Children extended open palms
filled with peanuts for the Indian elephant, who
gently plucked them from little hands and seemed
to smile as he ate his treats.

But one day, for some inexplicable reason, Bozo
changed. He almost stampeded the man who
cleaned his cage. He charged children at the circus
and became incorrigible. His owner knew he would
have to destroy the once-gentle giant.

In order to raise money for a new elephant, the
circus owner held a cruel exhibition. He sold tickets
to witness Bozo's execution and, on the appointed
day, his arena was packed. Three men with high-
powered rifles rose to take aim at the great beast's head.

Just before the signal was given to shoot, a little,
stubby man in a brown hat stepped out of the
crowd and said to the elephant's owner, "Sir, this
is not necessary. Bozo is not a bad elephant."

"But he is," the man argued. "We must kill him
before he kills someone."

"Sir, give me two minutes alone in his cage," the
visitor pleaded, "and I'll prove to you that you are
wrong. He is not a bad elephant."

After a few more moments of discussion (and
a written statement absolving the circus of
liability if the man should be injured), the
keeper finally agreed to allow the man inside
Bozo's cage. The man removed his brown derby
and entered the cage of the bellowing and
trumpeting beast.

Before the elephant could charge, the man began
to speak to him. Bozo seemed to immediately
quiet down upon hearing the man's words. Nearby
spectators could also hear the man, but they could
not understand him, for he spoke a foreign language.

Soon the great animal began to tremble, whine
and throw his head about. Then the stranger walked
up to Bozo and stroked his trunk. The great elephant
tenderly wrapped his trunk around the man, lifted
him up and carried him around his cage before
carefully depositing him back at the door.

Everyone applauded.

As the cage door closed behind him, the man said
to Bozo's keeper, "You see, he is a good elephant.
His problem is that he is an Indian elephant and
understands one language." He explained that
Bozo was frustrated and confused. He needed
someone who could speak his language. "I suggest,
sir, that you find someone in London to come in
occasionally and talk to the elephant. If you do, you'll
have no problems."

The man picked up his brown derby and walked
away. It was at that time that the circus owner
looked carefully at the signature on the paper
he held in his hand -- the note absolving the
circus of responsibility in the case he was injured
inside the elephant's cage. The statement was
signed by Rudyard Kipling.
Received on Sun Feb 17 08:06:16 2008