Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1884-02-08

Tho Performance of Trained Flea
Behind the Footlights,
W hirh Goes to Show that THE no
nestle Flea l. n Creature OF
Considerable lntelli.
gcnce.

Il'li'fII lf1ltI III ! al VI III ''"fN'''
Tu'rr wt~ fair going on outside the gates
q tn most rIctnr,~'Il" old city. Nander
IN, n'u"n., the booths. our curl sity was ex
cii"l ll ga" Nh,ch bore the following Ill
scrItrn "rarisrr Finh Theatre" Tempted
hV u man vii" told H. the performance was
gust about To- l"sin. "" accepted the TICK
ct- hc almost thrust INTO our hands,
nnl crossed the threshold OF the
tent Their" wa, certainly no reason
for delay. IA We found some
what tu,ur embarrassment, that we consul
tut',i the whole # the audience. But, as the
ianuu, Il "A theatre was about the size Oh an
ordinary tamlnurine (which instrument II
gr,aih r->rmhl~h. We should scarcely have
ha 49,, .,,"d "A view IF the performance II the
Spectator, hat been more numerous. Taking
our SEATS a. directed about small round
table. W. locked with interest ut certain card
board boxes which stood beside the theatre
en-" If th,'~" was open, and showed number
uf Tiny vehicles, carriages, bicycles, engines,
Roman chariots. all Ms minute AS possible
The other irixrs with lids contained the &C
tors themselves
Tia" cni"rprl>ing manageresS, stout lady
IA n cotton dressing gown, placed herself OPP
Is'Sitc al the table. AMI prefaced the enter
taluucni with short hut interesting ad-
dr,~s The ordinary domestic flea, she be-
gan. is creature IF considerable lntelll-
gcncc, and capable Of high degree OF intel
lc,tunl cultivation. We have no less than
three hundred in this establishment They
arr not hungry she added hastily, i'll an
swcr Ia some slight expression Of anxiety that
doubtless portrayed itself on our counte-
names II engage "A man to come every day
ani feed them. lie bares his arm, the three
hundr,~l arc placed thereon and they suck
until they AR, satisfied" Our immediate ap-
pp'hrnsions thus allayed, the lady pro-
c,-slrd Ia explain that the first pro
cess IN thcgrrat work Of tanning AMI educat-
ing flea was t. faSten an invisible gold
THREAD around its neck, by means Of which 1t
could L. lifted at pleasure or harnessed to any
~ the vehicles displayed ir the box before us.
\ well nurturcd specimen will often live to
tho ngo Of years; and with evident
pride she remarked, "Wehave several among
our trnup who are already years old,
aud ~ saving, she handed us a powerful
microscope, and gratified us by the sight OF
one of thrse venerable flcas (magnified to the
size of n wasp, kicking and plunging VIC
lrntly, in no wise impedcd by the weight of
it, golden collar.
The entertainment began with a chariot
race by heas Of various nations. The Rus
sian was attached to its native drosky, the
Siberian Ia sledge. England, Franco and
Germany had cnch their representatives, the
former harnessed, l think, to a common Lon
don omnibus. Each competitor was supposed
10 bc able Ia draw a body Of six times its
own weight The stage was slightly tilted,
L
gret am unable TO give you the exact result
81 the race, which would doubtless be OF i'll
tense interest 10 your sporting friends but
tho start could not altogether be
considered satisfactory. The English steed
went of at steady trot, without waiting
for any one else. The German lay down to
have a nap by the way, and most of the
Others boted Oft the course. This being over
the lady resumed her lecture.
at Is not every fea," we were informed,
That Is gifted with the power Of saltation.
SO far we had seen only, as it were, the
beasts of burlcn-docile insects, indeed, but
with no other special accomplishment. Now
we were to b. treated to a ballet, as danced
by some really superior artistes." So saying
she opened one Of the cardboard boxes, and
extracted thence with delicate pair Of
pinccrs dozen Of dancing Heas, each ele-
gnntly attircd in-or rather, should perhaps
say, covered by--a petticoat of tissue paper
red. blue, green, yellow-all the colors Of the
rainbow. Each dancer was announced by
name rs she entered upon the scene: Meess
Elixabct, Fraulein Anna, Mamzelle Barbe,
etc. and each and all, encouraged by the
voice Of their directress, performed the most
astonishing evolutions, whirling and hopping,
skipping, lcaping wildly into the air in a
way that was comical to behold. 1t was as
II the minutcst Of ballet girls had been cut in
two ut the waist, the lower half performing
minus the head and shoulders, OF like Sab
battical dance Of fairy lampshades be
witche,l.
Now and again, after some unusually pro
digious leap an artistic would be upset. Then
beneath the gay vouminous skirt, the strug
Cling insect was for q moment visible
quickly replaced on its legs, however, by thu
watchful care Of its mistress. Now came act
tho third, when the interest was supposed t.
eliminate; and with much verbal flourish Of
trumpets, n female rope-dancer was produced
second only In renown to the famous Blondir
himself. This young lady's name was Eliza
She lived in nest Of cotton wool, witt
one other companion, who was prob
ably In delicate health, as She
was not called upon to perform
Eliza not only danced ON a rope, but twics
traverscd an imaginary unfathomable abys
ON nearly invisible wire suspended between
two pins. Finally to conclude the exhibi
ton the box Of cotton wool was held upside
down mt a distance of nearly two inches
above her head and at the word Of command
"Jetxt, Elisa, sprngel" Now Eliza, iump)
the intelligent insect sprang with one bound
into its warm and cosy nest. We wers
charged for this entertainment the not i'm
moderate sum Of 8 pence apiece and as w
walked away, remembering the man who fed
and tho lady who taught the feas, we could
not but marvel at the variety Of ways in
which il is possible to earn ones livelihood in
this our work a-day world