Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-04-05

From Mornings in the Zoo by Phil. Robinson
In Belgium and other places men try to make
dogs believe they are donkeys or ponies by har-
Messing them to carts, but the attempt can never
succeed. For dog thus employed will always
be very Indifferent donkey and never a good
dog In Paris, again, the other day. man de-
moralized all his bees by bringing their hives
into the city and putting them down next
sugar warehouse. The bees, hitherto as pure
minded and upright insects as one could have
wished to meet IN summers day, developed at
once an unnatural aversion to labor, and not
less unnatural tendency to larceny. Instead of
winging their industrious way to the distant
clover fields, and there gathering the innocent
honey. they swarmedi in disOrderly mobs upOn the
sugar casks Eext door, and crawled about with
their lll-gOtten burdens upon the surrounding
pavement. The owner Of the hives benefited
immensely by the proximity Of the saccllarine
deposits. but 1t was at the sacrifice of all moral
tone In the bees which he had tempted and
which had fallen. have often in the streets
seen cat trained to sit On the shOwmans stall,
while linnets and canaries hoped on and Off it's
head examining its paws, looking into its
mouth and otherwise testing the discipline of
the little beast of prey. And / confess that. as
often as see the exhibition, wish that, in as
sertion of the dignity of the great instincts of
nature, the cat would forget its fear and bite off
an inquisitive canary's head. It is not good for
cats that they should respect little Birds nor for
little birds that they should hold cats in con-
tempt.
We never tire OF protesting against the I'M
natural relations of lion and lion tanner. and Of
reminding the keepers Of menageries that in
stinct Is irrepressible, untamabie and immortal.
And every now and then a lion, tired Of foolery,
knocks man into mummy. The last case was
at birmingham. lions keeper had gone into
the beast cage to clean it, and having. as he
supposed, seen the occupants safely out. set to
work. As it happened, however, the sliding
door which divided off the two compartments Of
the cage had not fallen securely into its place,
and an old lion, seeing his opportunity, sprang
at the opening. The door gave way, and the
next instant the beast had seized his
keeper. The man had q broom in his
hand, but the lion cared little for that.
A number Of people, p0werless. Of course, to
give assistance, were looking on; but, fortunate
~ there was also professional 'liOn tanner"
belonging to the establishment, and this
man, with great courage, rushed straight into
the cage and confronted the lion. He had in
his hand pistol loaded with blank cartridge,
making any Impression upon It, and then COM
menced beating it upon the head with the
heavily loaded handle Of the whip which he car
RED. At first the blows were received Only
with roars, but at last smashing one between
the eyes seemed partially to stun the li0n for it
released it's prey and the unfortunate keeper
wss at once dragged out. Now it is easy
enough, after such an incident as this, TO talk
OF lions a. Savage beasts" and then to
mOralize over the foolhardinees Of men who
have grown accustomed to lions, and think that
Hons have, therefore, grown accustomed to
|.them. But surely It IL much more Just to the
animals TO remember that It Is the most natural
thing in the world for 6eah eating animal to
spring ct meat when Il sees Il within It's reach.