Sara's Elephant Story: a Carbons Creek Tale

For the last two days people have been coming into the Carbons Creek Sentinel office with stories about an elephant loose on the countryside. No matter how I look at it, it has to be news. We slipped in a story in this week’s edition of the paper, which brought even more folks coming in and reporting sightings. Most of the reports were about an elephant just ambling along across country from Galestown toward Carbons Creek. I knew there was a circus up that way because there were flyers all around town advertising it. The question is why the elephant is loose and why it was heading our way.

Today I got a visit from Ed, one of our local saloonkeepers. He has been a solid citizen here, a bit flamboyant but always ready to lend a hand when people need it. That’s how I learned about Lulu the elephant that disarmed a wannabe gunman when Ed went to the circus. I also learned that Ed was enamored with a woman named Bridget. It also seems that the circus and the elephant belonging to the circus fascinates Bridget. And then it seems that Lulu, the elephant, is enamored with Ed.

At least that is the current theory as to why the elephant that stopped a gunfight with Ed and a stranger seems to be following Ed. After the entire circus is still in Galestown and it can’t be some other elephant. Not a common animal around here. Ed did say that the big animal was lovable in a way, but would not be a good house pet.

Another citizen came in and said the elephant was sitting in the street in front of Ed’s establishment. I just had to check that out. I stopped at the photographers shop on the way over. By the time we got to the saloon it looked like Lulu meant to go on in. She took her first step and it crushed the steps to the boardwalk.

I said that Ed was flamboyant and it seemed to be a good thing under the circumstances. He talked to Lulu and coaxed her away from the buildings. Unfortunately she bumped into the photographer and his equipment. His flash powder went off and frightened the elephant. However, the photographer did get a picture of Lulu. Quite dramatic picture once it was processed. It was a close-up of her face.

I’d gone over to help the photographer and Lulu lifted me up and I ended up on top of her. Meanwhile somebody had fetched Ed’s horse for him. “I’ll try to get you down, Sarah,” he said.

“Oh, never mind Ed. This is going to be a grand story when I get it all together. What better than becoming a part of it?” Ed saw the Sheriff and asked him to send a Teletype to Galestown.

We went about ten miles before we met some of the circus people.Lulu did leave a trail that they could follow. It is pretty hard for an elephant to go very far without leaving some trace. Ed was delighted to see Bridget with the searchers.

“Do you think this amazing animal went to all this trouble so as we could see one another again.Bridget, me love?”

“Now aren’t ye still full of the blarney. Why would this great beast care ‘bout the likes of you and me?”

“Maybe because she is smarter than either of us. She knows we belong together,” Ed told her. I think I agree with Bridget ‘bout the blarney part. I think maybe I agree with Ed that they look good together.

“This was a lot of fun,” I said, “but how about someone getting me down from here?” I don’t know if someone gave her a signal or if it was her own idea but Lulu lifted me down very gently. I’ll admit it was fun but now I had to interview the circus people and get a newspaper out.

I think my headline will be “Elephant Plays Cupid for popular Carbons Creek Citizen.”