Rataplan, a rogue elephant; and other stories

Ellen Velvin

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• Publié par: onta
• Publié le: 08 décembre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 41
• Langue: English

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The Project Gutenberg EBook of Rataplan, by
Ellen Velvin
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**Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla
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Title: RataplanAuthor: Ellen Velvin
Release Date: June, 2004 [EBook #5867] [Yes, we
are more than one year ahead of schedule] [This
file was first posted on October 23, 2002]
Edition: 10
Language: English
*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG
EBOOK, RATAPLAN ***
Juliet Sutherland, Charles Franks and the Online
Distributed Proofreading
Team
RATAPLAN, A ROGUE ELEPHANT AND
OTHER STORIES
By ELLEN VELVIN, F.Z.S.
Author of "Tales Told at the Zoo,"
"Jack's Visit," Etc.
With illustrations
by GUSTAVE VERBEEKTo
GRACE GALLATIN THOMPSON SETON
THIS BOOK IS AFFECTIONATELY
DEDICATED
TO THE AUTHOR, COMING AS A STRANGER
TO THIS COUNTRY, HER HELP, ADVICE AND
LOYAL FRIENDSHIP HAVE BEEN INVALUABLE
PREFACE
If an excuse for this book were needed, the
undying interest of young people in both wild and
domesticated animals would afford it. From time
immemorial they have been amused and instructed
by stories of animals, and it is not hard to trace the
educational and humane influence of such tales.
There are heroes and tyrants, cruel and gentle
natures in the animal world, as in our own, and,judged by our standards, their lives are pastorals
or tragedies, even as ours are, while their histories
are often even more interesting than those of men
or women. Then, too, young people should know
that these dwellers in forest wilds have, in part at
least, the same aims, hopes and fears as
ourselves.
In the preparation of this book the best of
authorities have been consulted, and careful study
given to the habits, traits and characteristics of the
animals whose intimate lives are told in these
stories. In addition, I have endeavored to tell young
people, as pleasantly as possible, that they often
make grave blunders in caring for their pets—
blunders due to ignorance as to the requirements
of their living toys.
ELLEN VELVIN.
New York City.
CONTENTSRATAPLAN, ROGUE
GEAN, THE GIRAFFE
KEESA, THE KANGAROO
CARA, THE CAMEL
SICCATEE, THE SQUIRREL
LEO, THE LION
CHAFFER, THE CHAMOIS
JINKS, THE JACKAL
PERO, THE PORCUPINE
TERA, THE TIGRESS
HIPPO, HIPPOPOTAMUS
OSRA, THE OSTRICH
SEELA, THE SEALBRUNIE, THE BEAR
MONA, THE MONKEY
BULON, THE BUFFALO
ILLUSTRATIONS
From Drawings by Gustave Verbeek.
"But, oh, what havoc he made"
"Groar joined in with might and main"
"Even his mother looked at him with surprise"
"Sat on one of the boughs and scolded as hard as
she could"
"He would take up some small animal and walk
coolly off with it"
"Chaffer was the first to meet the hunters face toface"
"Jinks never was so happy as when he was leading
his pack"
"Jock had never seen anything like it before"
"Tera sprang at the nearest calf, bringing him to
the ground"
"Osra and his wives took up the chickens one by
one, and swallowed them whole"
"Furious with rage, Brunie rose up and went to
meet them"
"Mona did his best to attract the parrot's attention"RATAPLAN, ROGUE
In one of the thick, shady and tangled forests of
Ceylon a fine, fully-grown elephant was one day
standing moodily by himself. His huge form showed
high above the tangled brushwood, but his wide,
flat feet and large, pillar-like legs were hidden in the
thick undergrowth.
He was not standing still, however—for no elephant
has ever been known to do that yet—his massive,
elongated head, with its wide, flat ears, its long,
snake-like, flexible trunk, its magnificent pair of
ivory tusks and its ridiculous, little eyes moved
gravely to and fro— up and down—in a wearied
but restless manner.
Every now and then he would lift one of his
massive legs and put it down again, or sway his
whole body from side to side, or throw his trunk up
in the air and then wave it round his head and over
his back in all directions.
But, in spite of his moody, wearied air, the
elephant's tiny eyes looked particularly wicked. And
wicked they were, and a true index to the mischief
going on in his elephant mind.
He had no herd round him, no brother or sister
elephant with whom he could wave trunks, nod
heads, or carry on a conversation in elephant
language; he was alone, and preferred to be alone,