I believe it is option 2. (a chronological book of American history)
The white elephant might symbolize the couple's unborn child in this story, If the phrase of white elephant means a property requiring much care and expense but yielding little profit. The couple’s unborn child is the one that the white elephant symbolize in this story.
Pretty sure it's accurate.<span />
Reduces hazardous fuels, protecting human communities from extreme fires;
Minimizes the spread of pest insects and disease;
Removes unwanted species that threaten species native to an ecosystem;
Provides forage for game;
Improves habitat for threatened and endangered species;
Recycles nutrients back to the soil; and
Promotes the growth of trees, wildflowers, and other plants;
