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| Gisco sensed that it was the
right time for the telling of tales. So, without preamble, began, "My father has told
me that in the eastern lands, across the sea, they have elephants. They are smaller than
these in your country, and only the males have tusks. Also, unlike the one we hunt, who
sleeps standing and eats mostly leaves and bark, the eastern elephant eats mostly grass
and sleeps laying down. The strangest part is that men have tamed these beasts and make
them do work. It is said they carry logs with their trunks and drag loads with ropes made
from metal links." Gisco held up his hands, fingers interlocked, to show what he
meant. This part of the story was met with half awe and half disbelief. Ddara, speaking for the group asked, "Men tame an elephant? Make an elephant do work? How can this be?" "I do not know, they must be of a meeker spirit in the East," Gisco replied. |
"In the history of our fathers, who came
from the far north, men rode into battle atop elephants. They must have been of a like
kind," Thos interjected. "Is it possible that the same beast can be that different in other lands?" Mluasi asked. "It may be so," Bulana offered. "Do not the tales from the west over the mountains speak of the elephant with straight, pointed tusks of a darker color." "There are tales from the dark forest to the northwest of a small elephant only slightly taller than a man," Ddara admitted. "Yes, tales and stories, but no one you know has seen one of these short elephants. And no insult to your father," nodding at Gisco, "or to your ancient lore," nodding at Thos, "but when I see an elephant do work or more, a man riding |
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