The Tower of the Elephant
The Tower of the Elephant is a short story by Robert E. Howard, first published in the March 1933 issue of Weird Tales magazine. The story follows Conan the Cimmerian, a barbarian warrior, as he infiltrates the Tower of the Elephant in search of a mysterious gem. He is warned by a thief that the tower is guarded by an elephant-like creature, but Conan is undeterred. After scaling the tower, he finds the gem and is confronted by the creature, which he defeats. He then escapes with the gem, only to find himself pursued by a mysterious figure. The story is a classic example of Howard's sword and sorcery style, and is considered one of his best works. It has been adapted into comics, films, and other media.
By Robert E. Howard · First published 1928 · Genre: Fantasy, Adventure, Mystery · 3 chapters · 9,795 words
First lines
Torches flared murkily on the revels in the Maul, where the thieves of the east held carnival by night. In the Maul they could carouse and roar as they liked, for honest people shunned the quarters, and watchmen, well paid with stained coins, did not interfere with their sport. Along the crooked, unpaved streets with their heaps of refuse and sloppy puddles, drunken roisterers staggered, roaring. Steel glinted in the shadows where wolf preyed on wolf, and from the darkness rose the shrill laughter of women, and the sounds of scufflings and strugglings. Torchlight licked luridly from broken windows and wide-thrown doors, and out of those doors, stale smells of wine and rank sweaty bodies, clamor of drinking jacks and fists hammered on rough tables, snatches of obscene songs, rushed like a blow in the face.
What this Textopian page supports
The Tower of the Elephant is listed on Textopian as a novella by Robert E. Howard, dated 1928 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Novella
- Author: Robert E. Howard
- Date: 1928 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Fantasy, Adventure, Mystery, Horror
- Length: 9,795 words
- Structure: 3 chapters, 301 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Tower of the Elephant by Robert E. Howard
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The Tower of the Elephant?
- How does this novella by Robert E. Howard fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Fantasy first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
- The Pool Of The Stone God by Abraham Merritt
- The People Of The Black Circle by Robert E. Howard
- Conan The Devil In Iron by Robert E. Howard
- The Mirrors Of Tuzun Thune by Robert E. Howard
- The Hyborian Age by Robert E. Howard
- Red Shadows by Robert E. Howard
Genres
- Fantasy — The book is set in a fictional world and features mythical creatures, such as the titular elephant, which is a magical creature.
- Adventure — The protagonist embarks on a quest to retrieve a mysterious gem from the Tower of the Elephant, encountering various obstacles along the way.
- Mystery — The protagonist must unravel the mystery of the Tower of the Elephant and the gem it holds in order to complete his quest.
- Horror — The book contains elements of horror, such as the mysterious and dangerous creatures that inhabit the Tower of the Elephant.
Tags
fantasy · sword and sorcery · adventure · Horror · mythology · Cthulhu · magic · heroism · Conan · pulp fiction · ancient ruins · treasure