Level: B.A/ B.B.S || Lesson 30 The Four-Tusked Elephant (Armand Denis, Belgium 1896-1971)
Words Meaning
Unicorn = mythical creature like a house
Pygmy = a tribe of people in Africa
Non-committal = not taking either side
Scared = frightened
Stiff = very hard
Put off = post pone
Grin = smile broadly
Swindle = cheat
Rip = to break into pieces
Embarrassed = ashamed
Approaching = coming near
Possessed = belonged
Caution = careful
Anxious = worried
Enormous = huge
Grandiose = attractive
Hefty = huge
Deduce = reduce
Swindle = cheat
Plump = round fat
Genial = frank
Wicked = mean
Nuisance = trouble
Rummaged = scattered
Pile = heap
Rogue = dishonest person
Outskirt = border
Enrapture = enjoy
Suspiciously = with doubt
Marshy = muddy
Dispatched = sent
Pursue = look for
Despondently = sadly
Stench = unpleasant small
Jubilant = happiness
Expedition = journey
Lash = tie
Wrapped = covered
Sweep off = remove completely
Solitary = lonely
Snarling = crying
Fortnight = a period of fifteen days
Seize = catch
Specimen = sample
Stuff = filled
Pursue = look for
Cumbersome = difficult to carry
Summary
This story talks about the personal hobby of Armand Dennis to find a four-tusked elephant. He makes and adventurous trip to find the four-tusked elephant so, he went to Africa in search of four-tusked elephant. One of the pigmies informed him that such elephant was only available in the East part of the country. But the Putnam-owner of the camp discouraged him to find such elephant because it is terrible and can attack him. Armand had also heard that it could speak like human beings and it was king of elephants. The writer traveled with one of the pigmies and reached to a swampy land where they could find foot tracks of the elephants. Finally, they saw two tusked elephants. The Pigmies told him that four-tusked eelephants had gone way. Then he stopped at Butembro. It was the place where many people came to buy and hunt animals. The writer heard about a person who used to sell elephant’s tusks. At Butembro people were speaking in Flemish language. He heard that one African had sold tusks to a Greek trader. Xantos was a Greek trader. Xantos didn’t show the tusks to the writer. Xantos didn’t know the name of the African seller.
Later on Armand knew the seller’s name. He was Mombeli. Mombeli told that he had seen four-tusked elephant lying on the forest. Armand requested Mombeli to bring the head of the four-tusked on the forest. Later on he met Belgian administrator and asked him. While he was returning from Belgian administrator-Renaud, he saw something in the mud. And he took out. It was elephant’s head. The writer became happy to find the head of the four-tusked elephant. He went to Europe putting head on the back of his truck. It was attacked by the hyena and then he went home. His father had already sent all the tusks to New York then he went to New York to visit museum. They put the elephant’s tusk in the skull of the head. But Armand still got confusion for four-tusked elephant.
Four Levels of Interpretation
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Literal Comprehension
This is writer’s autobiographical note. When he heard about four tusked elephant from Pygmies of Ituri Forest. He wants to know about that elephant. But his friend’s Putnam and Texan advices him not to go in search of four- tusked elephant because it was the king of elephant and it could harm the writer but he didn’t agree with them and headed in search of the four-tusked elephant. He reached to the swampy land where he could see only foot prints of the elephant’s. he visits Mr. Xantos who tells him that the tusks have been south to the ware house of the trading company at house of the trading company atAbba. Then he visits Beligan administrator Armond and asks him whether Mombeli had left anything form him. Four months later he goes to Mombeli but he finds him missing. When he was returning form Renaud, he saw head of the elephant in the mud and takes out. The hyena attacks him but with a great difficulty he reaches his home town after 18 months. The tusks which he has been searching had already been sent to the Museum of Natural History of New York city. Finally, he fits those tusks on the skull of the elephant.
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Interpretation
The writer tires to show if someone has interest in doing something, he/she doesn’t go back. He keeps on doing that until he gets success. Similarly, the writer heard about four-tusked elephant and doesn’t go back until he finds its skull. If we try to do anything in life, we need to keep continuity until we get success. We shouldn’t go back if we get failure in course of our adventure.
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Critical Thinking
The writer presents this adventurous journey in search of four-tusked elephant. But he presents different places which are difficult to learn for readers. But it is difficult to know why he looks so deep interest in searching that elephant.
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Assimilation
After reading this text about the journey. I learnt that we should keep on doing something until we get success. We shouldn’t turn back if we get failure once or twice. Failure is the foundation of success.
Possible questions
- Chance plays a decisive role in scientific discoveries. In Armand Denni’s case, for instance, his search for the four tusked elephant received boost from a chance conversation of four people in the Butembro Motel and from the fact that these people spoke the language of Denni’s childhood. Can you describe other episodes where fortunate and unfortunate chance occurrences played a significant role in Denni’s ultimately successful quest for the four tusked elephant?
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