The Memoirs of a White Elephant

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Gautier, Judith, 1845-1917

Contributor:

Kite, S. B.

Smith, L. H.

Harvey, S. A. B. (Sarah A. B.), 1843-

Standardized Title:

Mémoires d'un Éléphant blanc. English

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource : multiple file formats

Place of Publication:

Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg,

Summary:

"The Memoirs of a White Elephant" by Judith Gautier is a fictional narrative written in the late 19th century. The story unfolds through the perspective of a white elephant named Iravata, who recounts his remarkable life in Asia, especially in Siam and India, detailing his experiences as a royal elephant and his bond with Princess Parvati. The tale promises adventure, emotion, and a unique exploration of the world through the eyes of a creature often revered and misunderstood. At the start of the memoir, Iravata reflects on how he learned to write, which is a rare achievement for an elephant. He lives in the Palace of Golconda, where he enjoys relative freedom and observes the antics of children attending school nearby, igniting his curiosity about human language and education. His passion for learning leads him to sneak peek at their lessons, eventually allowing him to craft the alphabet on a schoolmaster's tablet. Subsequently, his unique talent is revealed to Princess Parvati, affirming their bond and setting the stage for his many adventures, including serving as a guardian and companion to the princess, and later finding himself in complex scenarios filled with joys and challenges. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Credits:

Produced by Annemie Arnst and Marc D'Hooghe (Images generously made available by the Internet Archive.)

Notes:

Reading ease score: 77.4 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read.

Release date is 2014-09-27