ELEPHANT GAMES
What a paradise for me were the years during which I was the Slave of
that Child!
She accepted me at once, and a sympathy and understanding that was
extraordinary existed between us. She was beginning to talk, and
from her, with no trouble at all I learned Hindostani; till then an
interpreter had been attached to my service, with no other duty than
that of translating into Siamese such words as it was necessary for me
to understand. I had, of course, remembered a few--but very few--and
rarely an entire sentence; but with Parvati, who was, herself, slowly
but surely acquiring a _language_--I acquired it too.
I was the one to whom she talked most, and whenever I failed to
understand her she would go obstinately over and over the same words.
Generally it was about some new play that she had in her mind. With a
playmate like me you can imagine that the games were far from usual!
"Swing me!" she would say.
Then I would bend my trunk inward a little, so as to form a sort of
living arm-chair, which would support her lightly and prevent her from
falling, and swing her gently back and forth. Her laughter was like a
shower of pearls, but she was never satisfied.
"Harder! Harder!" she would cry, and I quickened the motion and sent
her higher and higher, until, when I felt it was becoming dangerous, I
stopped.
Then she would get angry and try to beat me. But her tender little
hands hurt themselves on my rough skin, and she would stop, ready to
cry, and say:
"Hateful thing! You prick me!"
To comfort her I would stroll towards the fountain, and she would
follow clapping her hands....
"Oh, yes--yes, make the water-spout."
This consisted in drawing up an enormous quantity of water (we are
capable of holding in our stomachs an incredible amount), and of
raising my trunk and spouting it out in sprays, jets, and showers. The
sun shining on the little drops made them sparkle with all the colours
of the rainbow.
With uplifted head and with ecstatic eyes, Parvati would look on. She
did not laugh nor exclaim, but said gravely:
"That is beautiful!"
Her one fixed idea was to get on my back and go for a promenade. But a
fall from such a mountain as I would have been terrible for her, and I
opposed a firm resistance.
At the same time I studied how I might find a way of gratifying her
with safety.
After much reflection I thought of something. I pulled a number of
pliant flexible reeds, and with great effort and much patience, I
managed to twist them together in a manner to form a kind of basket
or hammock which could hang from my neck, and in which I carefully
placed my little Princess. In this way it was as if she were resting
on my heart, and I could watch over her, shelter her from the sun, and
protect her from any danger.
She was enchanted with my invention, and Saphire-of-Heaven was equally
pleased; only the Queen ordered my shapeless work replaced by a more
complete and perfect construction. The promenade now became one of our
favourite pastimes.
We went all about the city, under trees that shaded fountains of
porphry.
The Brahmans who passed in their shining white robes, murmured a
benediction on the daughter of their king; the cavaliers whom we
met riding on horses whose manes were braided and decorated with
fringes, or mounted on elephants richly caparisoned, saluted her with
affectionate smiles; the noble ladies stopped their litters drawn by
white oxen to speak a few words with her. But what most pleased her was
the People, who shouted with joy, when they saw her coming, suspended
like a Pearl from my neck! The merchants, the blacks, who all greeted
her with acclamations--and above all the children, the crowds of
little friends, for whom she was like a Fairy Queen.
We stopped before the temple of Vichnu which rises like a great
bee-hive of stone against the blue sky. And in a moment we were
surrounded by a world of little children, half dressed, and running
bare-footed in the dust, laughing, screaming, and making a joyous and
deafening noise.
The Princess leaned forward, and, holding up her little hand, imposed
silence upon her subjects. They became instantly mute, and ranged
themselves in a circle about us.
"Which of you has been good?" inquired she with a majestic air.
"Me ... Me ..." the entire assembly replied invariably with one voice!
"If you tell lies Brahma will know it, and Allah too, and you will be
whipped!"
"No! No! _Very_ good!" was the answer on all sides.
"Well then, we will go to the Bazaar!"
At this the shouts began louder than ever, and like a cloudy of
sparrows, as soon as I moved on, all the little urchins jumped and
capered around us in the dust; some of the boys went so far as to turn
summersaults, a performance which it must be admitted enchanted the
Princess.
A purse filled with rupees was attached to one of my tusks, and we
bought at the Bazaar all sorts of dainties and pretty things.
Each child, after pondering deeply--usually with its finger in its
mouth--announced what it would best like to have; mangoes, bananas,
oranges, sherbet, pastry-cakes, preserves, or perhaps a necklace
of "vamba" beads as red as coral, bracelets of enamelled clay--a
parasol--slippers; some asked for a tunic, or a veil of muslin....
I, myself was never forgotten. I also was expected to choose what I
would like, and I always selected a pastry-shop, where my appetite was
allowed full sway. I gobbled pies, cookies, cream-cakes, biscuits,
buns--the entire stock. I was terribly ashamed of my greediness, but
could not restrain myself. I was the one whose tastes were the most
expensive!
[Illustration: "WHICH OF YOU HAS BEEN GOOD?" SHE INQUIRED]
The change for the last rupee I scattered in a shower, and while the
little ones were engaged in picking up the bits of money we left.
Sometimes they ran after, and rejoined us. Then they formed a ring and
joined hands in a gay dance, holding us captive in their happy circle.
Parvati in her basket would stir restlessly: she longed to get down and
mingle in the dance, but her dignity of Princess forbade such a thing.
When I suspected that her feet were getting the better of her, I broke
through the circle with a stern motion, and carried her rapidly away.