The Stolen White Elephant, Etc

London: Chatto & Windus, Piccadilly, 1882. First UK Edition. Hard Cover. Very Good/No Jacket. First UK edition, first state with ads dated May 1882 - this printing preceded the first US printing (BAL 3404; Johnson p. 111). Edges and endpapers a bit foxed, a few text pages and margins foxed, owner bookplate and small dealer bookplate on front endpaper, corners slightly exposed, spine leans forward a bit. Binding tight, text unmarked. 285, 32 pp. 8vo. Red cloth, gilt titles, black stamped decorations on spine and front board, publisher emblem on rear board, floral decorated endpapers. A satirical tale that revolves around the theft of a rare and valuable white elephant from the ruler of a fictional Asian kingdom. The story is framed as a series of reports and correspondence between various characters, including the police inspector, a detective, and the owner of the stolen elephant. As the investigation unfolds, the characters grapple with the absurdity of the situation and the challenges of recovering the stolen elephant, which has been transported to various locations and disguised in unusual ways. The story satirizes the complexities of law enforcement, bureaucracy, and the absurdity of human behavior.