ever mentioned, can help readers you think the story m her impulsive 2 on why she ve the young 2erson who way you t four paragraphs : does changing the Vhich narrative point y? Explain, Adjectives describe hings are done, These r protagonist feels Hjectives and adverbs =a similar list of stare at her in the on these lists? Select er you have used er revealed her ds say to each other? right unfold “Blowing up an elephant is not an everyday job.” ‘The Elephant By Slawomiz Mrozck Translated from the Polish by Konrad Syrop himself to be an upstart. He regarded his animals simply as, stepping stones on the road of his own career. He was indif- ferent to the educational importance of his establishment. In his, 200 the giraffe had a short neck, the badger had no burrow and the whistlers, having lost all interest, whistled rarely and with some reluctance, These shortcomings should not have been allowed, especially as the 200 was often visited by parties of schoolchildren. ‘The zoo was in a provincial town, and it was short of some of the most important animals, among them the elephant. Three thousand rabbits were a poor substitute for the noble giant. How- ever, as our country developed, the gaps were being filled in a well- planned manner. On the occasion of the anniversary of the libera- tion, on 22nd July, the zoo was notified that it had at long last been allocated an elephant. All the staff, who were devoted to their work, rejoiced at this news. All the greater was their surprise when they earned that the director had sent a letter to Warsaw, renouncing the allocation and putting forward a plan for obtaining an elephant by ‘more economic means. “I, and all the staff,” he had written, “are fully aware how heavy burden falls upon the shoulders of Polish miners and foundry ‘men because of the elephant. Desirous of reducing our costs, I sug gest that the elephant mentioned in your communication should be replaced by one of our own procurement. We can make an elephant T HE DIRECTOR AT THE ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS HAD SHOWN ‘The Elephant» 103,ings. It will be carefully painted the correct color and even on clase inspection will be indistinguishable from che real animal. Ic is well known thae the elephant is a sluggish animal and it does not run and jump about. In the notice on the railings we can state that this particu- lar elephant is particularly sluggish. The moncy saved in this way can be tumed to the purchase of a jet plane or the conservation of some church monument. “Kindly note that both the idea and ics execution are my modest contribution to the common task and struggle. “Lam, ete.” ‘This communication must have reached a soulless official, who regarded his duties in a purcly bureaucratic manner and did not exam- ine the heart of the matter but, following only the directive about reduction of expenditure, accepted the director's plan. On hearing the Ministry's approval, the director issued instructions for the making of the rubber elephant. ‘The careass was to have been filled with air by two keepers blow- ing into it from opposite ends. To keep the operation secret the work ‘was to be completed during the night because the people of the cown, having heard that an elephant was joining the zoo, were anxious to see it, The director insisted on haste also because he expected 2 bonus, should his idea turn out to be a success. ‘The two keepers locked themselves in a shed normally housing a workshop, and began to blow. After two hours of hard blowing they dis- covered that the rubber skin had risen only a few inches above the floor and its bulge in no way resembled an elephant. The night progressed. Outside, human voices were stilled and only the cry of the jackass interrupted the silence. Exhausted, the keepers stopped blowing and made sure that the air already inside the elephant should not escape. ‘They were not young and were unaccustomed to this kind of work, “If we go on at this rate,” said one of them, “we shan‘t finish by ‘morning. And what am I to tell my missus? She'll never believe me if T say that I spent the night blowing up an elephant.” “Quite right,” agreed the second keeper. “Blowing up an elephant is not an everyday job. And it's all because our director is a leftist.” ‘They resumed their blowing, but after another half-hour they felt too tired to continue. The bulge on the floor was larger but still noth- ing like the shape of an‘clephane “Ie’s getting harder all che time,” said the first keeper. “Fes an uphill job, allright,” agreed the second. “Let's have a little rest.” 104 Siowomir Mrozek out of rubber, of the correct size, fill it with air and place it behind rail. While they w a valve. Could th his mate. ‘They decides turned the valve, beast standing in ‘columns, huge ¢ director had ma indeed. “First class,” “Now we can go In the mornii position, next to looked fierce an sluggish. Hardly Among the f the local school them an object: of the animal an “The eleph: pulls out young ‘The childre! ration. ‘They we stood still behin “.. The cle moth, [e's not s mal.” ‘The more ¢ Only the lives in the sea supreme.” A slight bre ‘The we teen thousand j Ac that mot few seconds it upward until it people on the belly and the sailed above th monkeys in the ‘They founShore Stories and place it behind rail. a While they were resting, one of them noticed a gas pipe ending in olor and even on close +g yalve. Could they not fill the elephant wich gas? He suggested it 10 real animal. Ic is well [is mate ind it does not run and “They decided to try, They connected the elephant to the gas pipe, ) state that this particu. gummed the valve, and to their joy in # few minutes there was a full sized y saved in this way can beast standing in the shed. It looked real: the enormous body, legs like © conservation of some columns, huge eats and che inevitable trunk. Driven by ambition the director had made sure of having in his 200 @ very large elephant indeed. “First class,” declared the keeper who had the idea of using gas, “Now we can go home.” In the morning the elephant was moved to a special run in a central position, next to the monkey cage. Placed in front ofa large real rock it looked fierce and magnificent. A big notice proclaimed: “Particularly sluggish. Hardly moves, ‘Among the first visitors that morning was a party of children from the local school, ‘The teacher in charge of them was planning to give them an object-lesson about the elephant. He halted the group in frone of the animal and began: “The elephant is @ herbivorous mammal, By means of its trunk it pulls out young trees and eats their Jeaves.” ‘The children were looking at the clephant with enraptured admi- ration, They were waiting for it to pull out a young tree, but the beast stood still behind its railings. The elephant is a direct descendant of the now. moth, It's not surprising, therefore, that it’s the largest living land ani- mal.” “The more conscientious pupils were making notes, *.. Only the whale is heavier than the elephant, but chen the whale lives in the sea, We can safely say that on land the elephant reigns supreme.” A slight breeze moved the branches of the trees in the 200. ... Phe weight of a fully grown elephant is between nine and chir- teen thousand pounds.” ‘Ac that moment the elephant shuddered and rose in the ais. For a few seconds it stayed just above the ground, but a gust of wind blew it upward until its mighty silhouette was against che sky, For a short while people on the ground could see the four circles of its Feet, its bulging belly and the trunk, but soon, propelled by the wind, the elephant sailed above the fence and disappeared above the treetops. Astonished monkeys in the cage continued staring into the sky. ‘They found the elephant in the neighboring botanical gardens. ecution are my modest soulless official, who sner and did not exam- ly the directive about s plan. On hearing the ions for the making of by two keepers blow. ration secret the work 1¢ people of the town, 0, were anxious to sce he expected a bonus, -d normally housing a nard blowing they dis- inches above the floor he night progressed pe ery of the jackass stopped blowing and nt should not escape, this kind of work. “we shan’e finish by never believe me if I -xtinet mam= wing up an elephant ector is leftist.” ot half-hour they felt larger but still noth- keeper. 1. “Let's have a litcle “The Elephant +105It had landed on a cactus and punctured its rubber hide. 3. Making ‘Phe schoolchildren who hac witnessed the scene in the 200 soon, similar started neglecting their studies and turned into hooligans, It is reported - Oud" | that they drink liquor and break windows. And they no longer believe diferen in elephants. : 4, Languc last sen ‘Slawomir Mrozek was born in Borzecin, Poland, in 1930. “eis re He studied architecture, oriental culture, and painting, and yt initially worked as a journalist. His writing established him as culty d one of Poland's best-known playwrights and satirists. In 1968, aie Mrozek moved to Paris because his work was banned due to | ina sertece wton its controversial nature. However, by 1970, it was once again | sera prin performed and published in Poland. | voice the sublet ot sve construction, actions i uncle. ‘a. What does the author achieve by including the line,"... only the cry of the jackass interrupted the silence”? Identify some other lines that create a similar effect. b. Despite its absurdity, the story is quite realistic in a number of ways. What techniques does the author use to create a sense of realism in the telling of the tale? ‘c. What do you think is the purpose of the last paragraph in the story? What would be lost if it were omitted? d. In what way might "The Elephant” be considered a satire (@ work that criticizes something—for example, a person, a characteristic, an institution, or a government—by depicting it ina humorous, sarcastic, or scornful way)? 2. Literature Studies Allegory Read only on the literal level, an allegory can seem unrealistic, ridiculous, or trite. On the symbolic level, however, an allegory takes on special significance. What do you think the various elements and characters in “The Elephant” might symbolize? Present your —______________ interpretation of ‘An allogory isa simple story, such as 2 fale or par, the moral lesson. ‘winse major purpose i o ach a mora lusson. An alegory ie presents. Saas a oo lon rl, eer sm 108 Slawomir Mrazek