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White Elephants A small percentage of elephants (called albinos) have a rare genetic disorder which deprives them of skin pigments and makes their bodies naturally white. In some parts of Asia, these white elephants have traditionally been treated as sacred animals. There is even a common belief that Gautama Buddha appeared in the form of a white elephant in a previous life before he was born as a human. In some Asian countries these animals are a symbol of royal power, and many kings have owned at least one of them.
During the 19th-century, a royal white elephant in the kingdom of Siam (modern Thailand) was observed by Anna Leonowens, an English woman who had come to the country to serve as governess of the king's children. According to her memoirs, this elephant was constantly attended by servants who bathed it, fanned it, flattered it, and sang to it. Its food consisted of "the finest herbs, the tenderest grass, the sweetest sugarcane, the mellowest plaintains, and the brownest cakes of wheat, served on huge trays of gold and silver." After the animal was bathed, it was decked out in a crown, gold chains, and a purple velvet cloak. Because it was thought to be sacred, its behavior was watched very closely for omens, and a single grunt from the animal could cause the king to change his mind about an important decision.
Pillar Saints In about 420 AD, a devout Christian known as Simeon Stylites began living on top of a stone pillar. Initially he lived on a fairly short pillar, but eventually he moved to one that was about 50 feet (15 meters] tall. Altogether he spent more than 35 years of almost continuous residence on the tops of pillars. His living space was so small that he barely had room to sit down, and he usually prayed while standing erect with his arms stretched sideways to form the figure of a cross. He wouldn't allow any women to come near his pillar, not even his mother. When he wanted food
