THE ELEPHANT AND THE ROTTEN BRIDGE. 93

bearing his great weight. Still, the self-willed driver urged
him on with the sharp spear with which elephants are driven.
At length, with wary steps he began the passage, still show-
ing extreme unwillingness to go on, As he got near to the
centre, loud cracks were heard, when the faithless bridge
gave way, and both elephant and rider were thrown into the

 

stream below. The latter was killed by the fall, and the
former, who had proved himself the more sensible of the
two, was much injured.

Let no force induce you to do what is wrong. All bad
‘ways are like that rotten bridge. When others try to drive
you into evil ways, tell them the story of the elephant and
the rotten bridge.