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Silence Is Gold

At an Indian fair there was a merchant who had an elephant for sale. He saw an American who was examining it with very great care-walking round and round it, putting his head on one side, and taking in everything.

The merchant went up to the American, and said, "Don't say anything about the elephant till I have sold it, and I will make you a present."

"All right," said the American.

After the elephant was sold, the merchant gave him one-tenth of the price he had got for it, and said: "Now tell me how you found out that blemish on the left foreleg of the elephant. I thought it was quite concealed."

"Blemish !"said the American. "I never found any blemish."

"Then, why did you examine the elephant so closely?" asked the merchant.

"Because I had never seen an elephant before, and wanted to see what it was like," said the American.