Modoc: The True Story of the Greatest Elephant That Ever Lived

341 Pages·1998·1.02 MB·English

by  Ralph Helfer

Modoc
R A L P H H E L F E R
The True Story of
the Greatest Elephant
That Ever Lived
To My Daughter
Tana
Contents
Author’s Note vii
1 ON A GRAY, FOGGY MORNING THEY CAME,
rising on the… 1
2 “MORNING, HERR GOBEL.” 6
3 DURING THE SLOW SEASON CURPO was allowed
to take care… 13
4 SATURDAY MORNING. There was no great fanfare
about it. Modoc’s… 25
5 “Hi, I’M GERTIE,” said a voice. 30
6 “NOW YOU KIDS BE CAREFUL and I don’t want
you… 33
7 THE SIDESHOW, which many patrons considered
a “freak show,” featured… 38
8 TRUCKS, SKIPLOADERS, AND ROUSTABOUTS
were busy moving circus equipment and… 51
9 WHEN BRAM ARRIVED at the circus grounds it
looked as… 59
10 NEWS ARRIVED FROM THE PORT that The
Ghanjee from India… 62
11 THE JOURNEY FOR BRAM was one of wonderment
and danger.… 72
12 “WHAT IN THE HELL do you think you’re doing!”
The… 81
13 THE WEATHER HAD TAKEN a turn for the worse.
Winds… 87
14 BRAM TOOK A MOMENT to gaze around the hold.
Litter… 95
15 “Help!…Help!” 99
16 HOURS HAD PASSED. The fog thinned, and in
places had… 109
17 “I’M SORRY, but the doctor left strict orders that
the… 113
18 “WAKE UP! WAKE UP, SIR” 120
19 A FEW DAYS HAD PASSED when a small Indian
man… 130
20 BRAM AWAKENED IN A BASKET CHAIR, hung
from the high… 141
21 THE SUN BROKE INTO DAYLIGHT like an egg
being cracked… 145
22 THE LIGHT OF THE FULL MOON moved through
the trees… 152
23 AS THE WEEKS WENT BY Bram and Mo lived
wherever… 156
24 A HUNDRED YARDS DOWNSTREAM Bram found
a place where the… 166
25 FOR A MONTH HE PRESSED ON, rarely stopping
except to… 170
26 THAT NIGHT BRAM LAY AWAKE; his thoughts
were of Gertie.… 181
27 A NOTICE IN THE VILLAGE said that Kalli Gooma
would… 191
28 BRAM AWOKE TO A LOUD COMMOTION. The
early morning sun… 200
29 BRAM AND SIAN WERE TO BE MARRIED! It said
so… 206
30 THIRTY-FOUR ELEPHANTS STOOD READY. Eight
had been outfitted with machine… 217
31 BRAM’S MIND AWOKE long before his body, to a
slow-turning… 229
32 THE CARAVAN WAS WAITING. Modoc and the
other elephants that… 238
33 SHE WAS THE BIGGEST FROM THE START. Even
old Bertha,… 245
34 THE LINES AT THE TICKET BOOTH stretched
down the block… 256
35 MO DIDN’T FEEL WELL. Her last performance had
been a… 266
36 “ALWAYS WALK IN THE VALLEY OF LIFE. The
mountains on… 274
37 BRAM NEVER DID GET OVER CURPO’S DEATH.
He blamed himself… 282
38 “I’M SELLING MO.” 288
39 AN ANIMAL COMPANY called Gentle Jungle
Exotic Animal Rental had… 294
40 “THEY HAVE ANIMAL RENTAL COMPANIES
HERE,” said Gertie. 309
41 “MO IS LOSING HER SIGHT IN THE OTHER EYE,
Bram. 313
Epilogue 322
Move Up, Mo!… 323
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Other Books by Ralph Helfer
Cover
Copyright
About the Publisher
Author’s Note
The story of Modoc is true. When writers attempt to write a
story based on the truth, they must first take all that they them-
selves have seen and know it to be a fact. Next comes research
and documented proof which may—or may not—be true. And,
finally, there is “hearsay”—that which people tell you is factual.
All this is put in a bowl, mashed and ground, and spread onto
the pages in as close a semblance as possible. Then a little (poetic)
political license is taken.
Therefore, the story of Modoc is true—at least as far as I know.
It’s the best I could do.