Read Mémoires d'un Éléphant blanc. English Page 20
CHAPTER XVIII
RETRIBUTION
The sun had set; Parvati was returning slowly to the shore andpreparing to resume her silken robe, when she uttered a piercingshriek, and covered her face with her hands--trembling in every limb.I followed the direction of her glance, and a shudder seized me also,when I perceived, coiled in the tall grass, a serpent of the mostvenomous species, which had fixed its gaze on Parvati, prepared tospring as soon as she should place foot upon the bank.
Oh! how was I now punished for my wrong-doing! The pain whichpierced my heart at seeing Parvati in danger led me to realize howSaphire-of-Heaven and Alemguir must have suffered at not seeing theirbeloved daughter return at the accustomed hour.
Had I then sunk to the level of a selfish brute--a being withoutreflection--a mere elephant? having had the shameful idea of stealingthe Princess away from her family and her Court.... Now she was perhapslost forever--and I with her; for I was resolved not to survive her ifshe perished from the venom of this frightful reptile.
These distracting thoughts rushed with terrible rapidity through myhead, and almost deprived me of my presence of mind. Fortunately, itreturned to me. I uttered a sudden roar, and at the same time leapedtowards the serpent, who, surprised and alarmed, quickly unwound itscoils, and hid itself in the leaves.
It now turned towards me--spitting and hissing--and this was what Idesired, to distract its attention from the Princess. She now left thewater, and climbed once more onto the bank; she was safe. But, claspingher hands, she called to me, imploring me to be careful of the bite ofthe fearful creature, and urging me to escape with her rather than torisk a battle.
I could not answer and tell her that my thick leathery skin had nothingto fear from the bite of the serpent, except around the eyes or lips,and I was far too angry at the fright it had caused me to refrain fromtaking summary vengeance.
The enemy did not move; it fixed the shining gaze of its lidless eyesupon me, and darted its forked tongue in and out, like a black flame;then it coiled again, in readiness to spring.
The upper portion of its body was now half hidden under the leaves,the middle was wound around a tree, but the creature was so long thata part still trailed on the ground. I put my foot on that portion, andbore down upon it with all my weight.
Then the snake quickly stretched itself to its full length, whippingthe leaves and the branches of the tree with furious hissings. It wasstruggling to escape, and not succeeding, it came at me again with sucha lightning-like spring that I was unable to avoid it. It twined itselfaround my legs, and around my neck, biting furiously with wide-openedjaws, but only breaking its fangs on my tough hide. The danger forme was of an altogether different kind. With gigantic strength ittightened more and more its clasp about my limbs, and what was moreserious, twisted itself around my throat in a way that threatened tostop my breath.
I UTTERED A SUDDEN ROAR AND AT THE SAME TIME LEAPEDTOWARD THE SERPENT]
It was impossible to reach it with my tusks--it was too close--and Iwas in a truly pitiable situation.
What, alas! would become of Parvati, left alone in the wood, if Ishould be strangled by this monster?
And closer, and still closer, the living rope tightened about me.... Icould no longer move in spite of my efforts, and the blood roared in myears under the increasing and suffocating pressure.... I threw myselfdesperately on the ground, rolling madly over and over, seeking tocrush my enemy beneath my weight. I rubbed and ground it on the roughearth and the thorny bushes. The battle was long. But at last I feltthe cold slimy coils soften, relax, and finally let go their grasp.
I rose, panting.
The serpent lay full length on the ground, still squirming a little,and looking like a river of blood and ink.
I fell to work, and stamped on it, and tore it to ribbons with mytusks--till it was completely destroyed.
When my rage was thoroughly appeased I turned, proud and pleased, toseek Parvati. Ah! how bitterly did I now repent of the crime I hadcommitted in carrying her off!...
My Princess lay on the ground, pale and motionless--and to allappearance dead.