Born Free Page #3

Work finished ahead of schedule.

From tomorrow, we play.

Marvelous watchdog you are!

Immediately after our first walk

along the beach...

...we all trooped down to the water's edge

to introduce Elsa to the Indian Ocean.

At first she was put off by the growl

and rush of the waves...

...and the taste of the water.

And perhaps,

by the audience we had collected...

...and which was looking on

from a safe distance.

But soon her characteristic curiosity

prevailed...

...and she enjoyed herself tremendously.

She loved playing

almost any game George invented.

At the same time, she exhibited a talent

for foothall that none of us had suspected.

It was a marvelous holiday.

Until one afternoon,

Nuru came panting down the beach...

...to tell me that something

was terribly wrong with Bwana George.

I ran to our camp.

Let me get the pills.

Joy!

Here, it's all right, darling.

It's all right!

Lie down.

There, that's all right. Just give me those.

Yes, you see, medicine can be very good...

...but too much medicine can be very bad,

and he has taken too much...

...and he has been too active, too soon.

He might very well have died, you see.

Indeed, I'm surprised that he did not.

Goggle fishing too soon, too soon.

He seems to be an impetuous man.

True. He's a mad, impetuous boy.

Then we must curb his impetuosity.

No more goggling.

No. He must rest

and then he will get well.

We'll see to it, Doctor.

Elsa will look after him.

She's a wonderful watchdog.

Yes. I see what you mean.

Goodbye.

- Thank you very much.

- Good luck.

You mad, impetuous boy.

Like all holidays,

ours was over all too soon.

And it was the last

we would ever take together.

The time was approaching

when our lives would be changed forever.

Elsa was fully grown now.

She had already been in season

and was capable of having her own cubs...

...and she started to realize

there was another life...

...than the one

we had been living together.

A little later, our troubles began.

You okay?

Sorry, but I Know that lioness.

She's a friend of mine.

- You're certain she's all right?

- Completely.

She and her friend Nuru

came over to say hello...

...and then went on for a walk.

But it's a good thing I spotted her collar...

...or Mr. Watson might have claimed

his first bag.

I'm sorry, Mrs. Adamson, I didn't know.

After all, you don't see a lion

sitting in a tree every day.

No, I suppose not.

Actually, we're looking for elephants.

I've got my heart set

on getting an elephant.

Well, we do get elephants here,

but not for shooting.

I don't understand.

They come each year

for the maize and Brussels sprouts...

...which they love,

and they're usually quite well-behaved.

They fascinate Elsa, I'm sorry to say.

This is elephant season now.

Really? Do you think

we might get to see some?

I shouldn't be surprised.

Memsahib, Elsa playing with the elephants.

Many elephants.

No. Sorry. Come along

if you want to see some elephants.

Good.

Remember, they're just for looking at.

- No shooting unless it's necessary.

- I know. But let's go.

Come in the back, there's more room.

Okay!

A few moments later, when we passed

through the shambles of a village...

...we saw one of the results

of Elsa's "playing" with the elephants.

As bad as it was, it was a great relief

to learn that no one had been hurt.

But now I was dreadfully afraid...

...that Elsa might have been trampled

by some angry elephant.

And then we saw her...

...very happily bringing home

a two-year-old souvenir of the occasion.

And the damage, I'm sorry to say,

is considerable.

The complaints and bills for crop damage,

et cetera, are still coming in...

...and will do so for some time to come.

The point is, I'm afraid,

that you can't keep Elsa any longer.

I'm not responsible for the decision.

Don't you see?

Too many people know

she was the cause of the stampede...

...and from now on she'll be blamed

for any lost livestock or damage.

Or for anything that any wild lion

or leopard might do.

On the other hand,

she might very easily be shot by anyone.

I think you were lucky the last time.

She's too big now

to be allowed to roam about...

...even with Nuru or yourselves.

And you can't keep her caged all the time...

...that would only frustrate her

and could make her vicious.

I'm sorry, but I think you've got to find

some zoo that will take her.

I'm certain you'll have no difficulty.

She'd make a wonderful attraction.

Well, we've always known that she...

John...

...I'm sure we can solve this in time.

That's the point, my dear.

There isn't very much time.

Your long leave has come through.

How soon?

In a month. So, you see...

Well, why couldn't we take it here,

in this country?

- George wouldn't mind, right, dear?

- No.

Then we could have time...

You know government policies

for a completely different climate.

I'm certain we could easily find

a good zoo for her in a month.

I don't want her to go to a zoo.

I want to set her free.

You can't be serious.

You'd be sentencing her to death.

You might just as well shoot her here.

He's right. She can't fend for herself.

She's never killed to eat.

She'd starve out there in the bush.

We could teach her.

You've waited too long.

It's never been done successfully.

We could try.

You know how intelligent she is.

We could teach her, train her.

George, please, let's try.

I'm sorry, darling. I agree with John.

Even if we could show her

how to hunt and kill...

...she'd never hold her own

against wild lions.

I don't want to part with her

any more than you do.

But what's wrong

with sending her to a zoo?

Everything.

I know you think I'm being foolish,

but I know Elsa.

We both know she'd be miserable in a zoo.

Don't you see? She's been free too long.

I can't let her be caged

for the rest of her life.

John, as a friend,

give us just a little more time.

Give us three months to try.

Please!

Please!

All right, my dear,

I'll get you your three months.

But you're wasting your time.

- Could I have another drink, please?

- Yes, of course.

If Elsa were to go wild,

it would have to be in another district...

...and we were able to get permission

to take her to a reserve 340 miles away...

...where there was abundant game,

and best of all, many lions.

Whatever George's reservations were,

he did his best not to let me see them.

And I was grateful to him.

Our plan was to spend the first week...

...taking Elsa around the new country

to get her used to it.

During the second week,

we intended to leave her overnight...

...and to visit, and, if necessary,

feed her in the mornings.

Afterwards,

we intended to reduce her meals...

...in the hope that it would encourage her

to kill on her own or to join a wild lion.

Elsa, what are you doing?

That is not your dinner.

Put that back.

On schedule, the day came...

...when we took her out

to leave her overnight for the first time.

Come on, Elsa, up you get.

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