Here's a great story about elephants: Bandula, an elephant in captivity, was so smart, she learned how to disengage the complex hook on her shackles AND she assisted her fellow inmates in escaping from theirs!
Unfortunately, this picture is of Lakshmi, a shackled and sad-looking elephant who cannot escape her captors. Lakshmi's 'duty' all day is to stand in the same place in her own waste while the little man at her feet pokes and prods her with a stick. People come to be blessed by Lakshmi. They do this by putting a coin in her trunk, she delivers the coin to the man with the stick, he signals to her with a poke of his stick to touch the head of the person who gave the coin, thus 'blessing' the person. If you try to give Lakshmi something to eat, like grass, you do not get a blessing. I know. I bought some grass and gave her grass instead of money.The man with the prodding stick likes money, not grass. He actually likes money, not Lakshmi. I actually like Lakshmi, not the man with the prodding stick.
Lakshmi was probably captured as a baby and she has been in captivity every since, conferring blessings upon hundreds of people every day. That is what her life consists of. She has the saddest, most mournful eyes. I wanted her to stampede down the alley and escape. But she can't. She's stuck. I felt sorry for Lakshmi and I only took her picture because I promised I would do that for Mrs. Ottley's fourth grade if I ever saw an elephant.
Wouldn't you like to see her stomp that little man with the stick, pancake flat? ME TOO!
So let's all think of a way to help Lakshmi escape. Okay???
I think you should work that "little" man over a good one with his stick...It reminds me of the donkeys in Tijuana, painted like Zebras....WHY??????? This poor, dear creature. Could you fit her in your suitcase? I have land she could live happily on...She and Duchess would get along brilliantly!!!! Bella, not so much...food fights, but I could handle that. Don't you wonder how the world thinks? What goes on in their minds? If this Elephant is giving blessings shouldn't it be treated with more reverance? I just don't understand humanity or its lack thereof sometimes...blessings to you from God, not Lakshmi...diane
ReplyDeleteDiane, we have so much in common. Our hearts think alike. I tend to express my outrage in humor, but it's just as present as yours. I'll have to blog about 'tourists' one of these days and the difference between a tourist and a human being. That's bound to make somebody angry. Oh well.
DeleteHow much does it cost to buy an elephant? The man is making a profit now, but if we could figure out a way to end his business then maybe he'd sell her. If people knew priesthood blessings are free (and more effective), I bet they'd stop paying to have a pachyderm touch their heads, and then the man with the stick would be out of a job!
ReplyDeleteOkay here are some responses from 4th Graders...
ReplyDelete"Give the man a bucket full of money and tell him he can have it if he can count it. As he counts the money quickly undo the elephant and run for your life."
"Knock out the man and quickly unhook the elephant and take him away."
"Give the elephant a stick and teach him how to use it on the man."
"Tell the people who come to give the elephant money to stop. If people won't pay to be blessed, maybe the man will let the elephant go."
"Maybe the man could get money from people for rides instead of blessings. Then the elephant could move around and could get some exercise."
"People shouldn't give the man money until he cleans around the elephant. It probably smells gross anyway."
Pretty good for 10 year olds. More to come...
Well, although you're right, the elephant does appear to be quite sad at least she looks relatively "healthy" and as if she is being fed. The elephants we rode in Sri Lanka were not so fortunate. Some were just skin and bones. As bad as the street dogs. I feel feel sad for most elephants. If they were not so smart, they wouldn't know any better. But they do and they are often not treated well,
ReplyDelete