The Rhinoceros of Versailles

From Calcutta a big creature came;
for King Louis XV it was a present.
The rhino in France would have fame;
A rhino treated better than peasants.
After six months aboard a ship,
the Indians had the rhino to bring.
It was quite a rather long trip,
but a rhino for a famous king.
The rhino was on display in France;
but a villain with a sword caused dismay.
The rhino was cut up with the lance,
and his carcass was not fit for display.
The skin and the skeleton were preserved,
of the most famous rhino ever observed.