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The Stolen White Elephant: And Other Stories
The Stolen White Elephant And Other Stories Author:Mark Twain For deft plot, riotous inventiveness, unforgettable characters, and language that brilliantly captures the lively rhythms of American speech, no American writer comes close to Mark Twain. The story of Stolen White Elephant (published in 1882)-which Twain begins by solemnly assuring us is absolutely true-is as preposterous as the title. As a... more » gift, the King of Siam has shipped the Queen of England a priceless white elephant, 48 feet long including trunk, and it has been stolen en route in New York City. The luckless guardian of the missing beast appeals to the New York Police department for help, and is systematically stripped of all his money by the corrupt cops, who nonetheless gull him into believing they are making every effort to help his cause. Led by Inspector Blunt, "a person of no common order," they go on a wild and expensive goose chase that-$142,000 later-finds the missing beast right in the basement of police headquarters. As well as hinting that the New York City police force of old was much the same as it is today, Twain gives us a classic example of his sardonic finest. "In every field of endeavor good craftsmanship is to be recognized, appreciated and held out as the standard for others in the field. With respect to audio books, Dercum Audio consistently provides just such an accomplishment and was therefore selected for our enthusiastic and wholehearted recommendation."« less