The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1866-07-12
The Ventriloquist and the Bear.

| CrOWu, COllpOSCu VI luSII, WOAH0ii oiiA
children, wcrc seen advancing the princi-
pal streets of Hopcfeld, q small village
in England. In the midst of thcm was
black bear, which walked .unconcernedly
along, conducted by his keeper.
This man wore drab surtout, large
enough to admit two persons of his di-
mensions within it's folds q waistcoat
much too short, boots which only lacked
the sides, and hat grown gray with
time. Ayoung boy, with flmishod look,
marched in front, blowing on fageolet,
and thumbing tamborine.
When he had arrived in front of the
Red Lion, the only tavern in the village,
the bear leader stopped, and forming
ring round him, ordered bruin to stand
up After branishing stick above the
head of the animal, he commenced dan
cling with him, and throwing himself into
the most ludicrous attitudes, which bruin
initiated in q style truly picturesque.
The inhabitants of Hopcfold appeared de-
lighted, and the crowd laughed with good
will and loudly.
A ventriloquist of joyous mood, who
happened to be at the Red Lion, boheld
from q window this ludicrous scene.
Having arrived that morning at Hope
field, he had already formed just esti-
mate of the ignorance and credulity of its
inhabitants; and the idea occurred to him
to amuse himself a little at their expense.
He left the window, and joined the
crowd of spectators, and, availing him
self of cessation of the shrill fageolet
and noisy tamborine, he approached the
Snowman.
"Your bear can, doubtless, spcak?" said
he, with serious air.
The Snowman looked at him cunningly,
shrugged his shoulders, and answered.
roughly: "Speak to him yourself, and
you'll soon find out"
This was just the reply the vcntrilo-
quist expected. Hc approached bruin,
and assuming most comical expression,
he said to tho bear, in droll tone of
voice:
"Allow me to compliment you, Mr.
Bruin you are as graceful as an opera
dancer What country claims the honor
of your birth? ?"
A voice which seemed to issu' rom the
grisly jaws of the bear, replied:
"The Alps, in Switzerland"
We will not attempt to describe the
amazement of the crowd; every one
was struck mute with fear and astonish-
ment; but the surprise OF the Snowman
would have offered an admirable subject
for the pencil of Hogarth, surrounded by
all those faces in which CONSERVATION
was so strongly depicted. His eyes seem
cd starting from their sockets he stretch
ed wide his toothlcss mouth, and remain
ed aghast and motionless, as if his feet
had taken root where he stood.
The ventriloquist turned to him and
said
"Your bear speaks very good English,
and has little remains of the Helvetic ac-
cent"
Then turning again to bruin, he cb-
served, in q kind tone:
"You look sad; are you not well!"
"The fogs of England have given me
the spleen" replied tho animal.
Hero the affrighted crowd began to
move.
"It isa long time since you belonged
to this master"
"Quite long enough for me to be tired
of him."
:Is he not kind toyou, bruin ?"
"Oh, yes-as kind as the hammer is to
the anvil"
"Will you not seek revenge some day%
"Assuredly-one of these mornings [
will eat him like radish, for my break
fast"
At these words, the crowd, whose Gu
riosity had urged them, in spite of their
fears, gradually to approach, now sud-
denly fell back on each other, and great
was the confusion that ensued. The
Snowman had heard enough, and forcibly
drew the chain of the animal, to enforce
his control, but the wearied bear growled
fearfully.
The ventriloquist, perfectly satisfied
by this experiment, turned suddenly
about, and hurried toward the tavern
This augmented still more thetears of the
spectators, and each one took to his heels,