Puzzle Description:

Two elephants or quotation marks? You solved the elephants, now go to the comments to read the quote. :-)

#1: Teresa K (fasstar) on Mar 11, 2010 [SPOILER]

"The elephant, not only the largest but the most intelligent of animals, provides us with an excellent example. It is faithful and tenderly loving to the female of its choice, mating only every third year and then for no more than five days, and so secretly as never to be seen, until, on the sixth day, it appears and goes at once to wash its whole body in the river, unwilling to return to the herd until thus purified. Such good and modest habits are an example to husband and wife." St. Francis De Sales, 1567–1622, French churchman, devotional writer. Introduction to the Devout Life, pt. 3, ch. 39, 1609

5 days.. that's a lot of stamina

Only every third year ... boring!

Mating only once every three years? So that means even elephants get more action than me? :(

Another fun puzzle. Well done!

Poor Levi! :-D

I'm not too sure I want to take advice about sexual relationships from someone who never was married, even if he was deemed a saint. After all, he turned down the chance to marry a wealthy heiress to become a priest. I may listen to him about theology, but not about sexuality. And even when it comes to theology, his spiritual life was a bit troubled.

As for those elephants, five days of frolicking in the forest sounds fun, but every three years? No way.

Good puzzle.

Sounds like I should've been an elephant.

That quote seems to be surprisingly accurate for 16th century biology. According to wikipedia, female elephants are only in estrus a few days a year, when they typically retreat from the herd. The wikipedia article then goes on to make a big deal about elephants' propensity for gay sex. I guess you gotta do something the other 363 days a year. I wonder if St Francis De Sales would have been quite so approving of that.

nice image and yes I did at first think it was quotation marks and a house.
Interesting quote.

Actually, a good theologian should know more about a godly sex-life than most other people. Did I just say God and sex in the same breath? Yep!

The length of time a woman elephant is pregnant is a long time, but I can't remember how long.

About 22 months OMG.

that would be really rough to be pregnant so long. 9 months was plenty

Really intriguing puzzle and quote, Teresa. The extrapolation from biology in one species to morality for another seems a bit spurious to me. However, I suppose fewer copulations was the only form of birth control available then. Given the dangers inherent in pregnancy and childbirth in that era, I expect many women would have preferred fewer instances, but likely had little choice in the matter. In that context, your St. Frances may have just been preaching kindness.

Very nice. a Fun puzzle to solve.

Thank you, BlackCat.

Nice puzzle. Unique borders made it interesting. Thank you!

Thanks, Al.

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