While the British troops were besieging Bhurtpore in India, the water in
the ponds and tanks in the neighbourhood becoming exhausted, it could
only be obtained from deep and large wells. In this service elephants
were especially useful.
One day two of these animals,--one of them large and strong, the other
much smaller,--came together to a well. The smaller elephant carried by
his trunk a bucket, which the larger, not having one, stole from him.
The smaller animal knew that he could not wrest it from the other, but
he eyed him, watching for an opportunity of avenging himself. The
larger elephant now approached the edge of the well, when the smaller
one, rushing forward with all his might, pushed him fairly into the
water.
Ludicrous as was the scene, the consequences might have been disastrous.
Should the huge animal not be got out, the water would be spoiled; at
all events, his floundering about would make it very muddy. The
elephant, however, seemed in no way disconcerted, and kept floating at
his ease, enjoying the cool liquid, and exhibiting no wish to come out
of it. At length a number of fascines used in the siege were brought,
and these being lowered into the well, the elephant was induced by his
driver to place them under his feet. In this way a pile was raised
sufficiently high to enable him to stand upon it. But, being unwilling
to leave the water, he after a time would allow no more fascines to be
lowered; and his driver had to caress him, and promise him plenty of
arrack as a reward, to induce him to raise himself out of the water.
Thus incited, the elephant permitted more fascines to be thrown in; and
at length, after some masonry was removed from the margin of the well,
he was able to step out--the whole operation having occupied fourteen
hours.
You will probably smile at the conduct of the two huge creatures. It
was curiously like that of human beings. A big boy plays a smaller one
a trick--snatches something from him. The other retaliates. An uproar
is raised, and often serious inconvenience follows. These two elephants
behaved just like two ill-tempered boys; and through them a whole army
was doomed to suffer for many hours the pangs of thirst. Remember the
golden rule, "Do unto others as you would that they should do unto you."