Book Review

Book Summary: The Stolen White Elephant



By Mark Twain

This story was told by a traveler to an old man. The old man said that in the Kingdom of Siam only kings could have a white elephant. When this kingdom had a border problem with Great Britain the king of Siam decided to send a white elephant to gift the queen of Great Britain. The old man who was an official of the kingdom was in charge of taking the elephant.


The ship was stopped because the animal was sick, but the elephant was stolen. The old man went to New York to seek police help. Inspector Blunt decided to investigate the case carefully because this wasn’t a common case.


He noted the features of the elephant, his habits of eating men and bibles. And he said that a reward was offered and ordered his assistant to publish notice of the theft. Detectives and police men were sent in various directions to investigate.


Soon arrived some theories about the theft, names of suspects and statements of direction to where they would have taken the elephant.


The inspector suspected of two famous criminals: "Brick" Daffy and "Red" McFadden.


By passing the elephant, it killed men and destroyed everything. The elephant was hit by a shot at one of the cities where it was and ran to black fog.


Then it took three weeks without news. The inspector said that the reward was increased. That was good because as soon one of the detectives sent a message that had the elephant.


Inspector Blunt wanted to personally negotiate with the thieves and arranged a meeting with them to make a deal.


The elephant was recovered, but was dead. When it fled wounded and hid himself, died of hunger.


The inspector Blunt was successful in investigating and won admiration of all but the old man lost the reward money and the office employee of the Kingdom of Siam.