One day while walking through the forest, the white elephant stepped on a thorn that plunged deep into his foot. The pain was agonizing, and as he limped home, he happened to pass a family of loggers hard at work.

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When the loggers saw the elephant hobbling past, they ran to help. "What's wrong?" the men asked, and the poor elephant lay down and lifted his foot. @∮ㄉＷＷＷ.faIRｙ－ＴaLｅ．ｉｎFｏめ∠しЩ

When the men saw the wound, they quickly pulled the thorn out. ≮※ャㄋ∞ｗwｗ．fａＩｒｙ-TａlＥ.ＩnFOㄙХはふテ

The elephant was deeply grateful, and as he walked home in the dusk, he promised he would never forget their kindness. When his foot was healed, he returned to the spot where the loggers were hard at work. As the elephant grew old, he began to bring along his son to help the loggers. The son was even more magnificent than the father, white as snow with ivory tusks and eyes that sparkled like jewels.

"My son will help you now," the elephant told the men, "for I no longer have the strength." ±PㄕＷWw。FａｉＲy－TａＬe。ｉｎｆｏéもζこ

The elephant told his son the story of the loggers' kindness. "Promise you will stay and look after these people," he instructed the young elephant. And his son promised he would. KЗwｗｗ.ｆaIrＹ-ｔＡLE．Iｎfoφξˇ∮ㄚ

The young elephant kept his word, and continued working with the loggers when his father died.

One evening a man from Benares was traveling through that part of the forest, When he saw the white elephant in the river, his skin glistening in the light of the setting sun, the man decided this magnificent creature must belong to the king. e≠Wｗw.ｆａIｒＹ-ｔAＬＥ．iＮfO℃Y∪

The man approached the elephant. Gently petting his trunk, the man said, "I am going to take you to our king. A creature as beautiful as you belongs in a palace, and the king must own all that is special."

The elephant shook his head. "I must stay and look after the loggers. I cannot leave this place."

But the man cared nothing for the loggers or for the elephant's desire. He knew the king would reward him for bringing such a prize to the palace. So the next evening he returned with other men to help him capture the white elephant. +とwＷW。FＡｉrＹ－TＡＬＥ.ｉnＦo9ふc

The men hid behind the bushes at the edge of the river. The elephant was taking his usual evening swim, but when he got out of the water, he sensed something was wrong. He turned to run, but the men surrounded him.

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The elephant knew he must not fight, for if he did he might harm one of these men, and he was too gentle for this. And so he went along to the palace.

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The next morning when the loggers discovered the elephant was gone, they mourned, for not only did they need his help, they had also grown to love him.

Meanwhile, at the palace, the king ordered his servants to prepare a feast for his new prized possession, but the elephant had no desire to eat. He wanted only to return home. He had responsibilities.

The trainers understood the elephant's grief, and they explained to the king that though the elephant was beautiful, his outer beauty only reflected his soul and all its goodness. μほｗＷw．ｆAirＹ－ｔaＬE。ＩｎＦｏ

"The elephant wishes only to help those who depend upon him," the trainers told the king.

Humbled by the elephant's compassion, the king set him free. And forever afterward, people understood that the white elephant, like all of nature's special gifts, was not meant for just one person. He was, rather, a gift for all humankind.