It was large . Tip to tip it measured three feet each ,they were told . Yellowing and full of fine cracks. A small sticker like plaque just told a date 23rd March 1921. “That was the date the elephant was killed ? ” The younger one asked , face upturned , breath fogging the glass case. “No, Idiot ! That was the date the ivory was brought here !” The elder one replied , all earnestness. I looked at neither. Watching the ivory , perplexed . What could have compelled men to fell such a huge animal ?
Another room had a huge arching doorway . Cobwebby , smelling musty. Till a bronze plaque informed us that we were standing inside the jaws of a blue whale , and the cobwebby , dusty thing was actually its baleen.
Speechless , the girls watched , goggle eyed.
In the next room , in a glass case lay gigantic clam shells , tortoise carpaces , enough to seat a fully grown human .
A small sticker like plaque just told a date 23rd March 1921.
“That was the date the elephant was killed ? ” The younger one asked , face upturned , breath fogging the glass case.
“No, Idiot ! That was the date the ivory was brought here !” The elder one replied , all earnestness.
I looked at neither.
Watching the ivory , perplexed . What could have compelled men to fell such a huge animal ?