The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-02-29

they Sponu moIo Siuo
before the home of the babies than
before all other cages combined.
Yet these youngsters are plain to look
upon. When they came into the
world they were about the size OF
Ihalf-grown cats. but already they
have outgrown the largest cat to be
found and are showing a decided in
tention of attaining to the stature OF
their parents, who are as handsome
pair of African lions as one is likely
to see. The little lions ten days OF
blindness have long since passed, and
they are now striving to learn every
thing that lionets should know.
Except for their coloring and mark
ing one might almost take them now
for Newfoundland puppies. Though
so fat that their skins almost burst,
their tiny limbs are still weak and
they roll about and crawl in prefer
ence to walking. When they do
muster courage to try few reg
ular steps, they give laughable
example of extreme bow-leggedness.
Their lungs, however, are neither
weak nor lacking in capacity, and the
little creatures are continually heard
arguing matters among themselves.
When they were only few days old
an unfeeling visitor likened their
melodious tones to those of very
small child in tears, or young puppy
with its head in bag and sand in
its mouth. Later, when their tones
had gained vet more in richness and
depth, he could liken them only to
the sound of a man shoveling oyster
shells into cart.
Rose, the great lioness, is a fond
mother, jealous and suspicious of all
members of the human race. She
does not encourage the visits of a
keeper, and as for the people who
throng before the cage, if they be-
come too noisy she promptly catches
up her cubs by the nape of the neck
like a cat and deposits them, one by
one, in the dark, walled-in room that
has been built along one end of her
large cage, where the youngsters are
entirely hid from curious eyes. The
babies thus summarily disposed OF,
Mrs. Lion returns and lies down in
the center of her cage and gazes with
half-shut eyes at the crowds whom
she has thus purposely disappointed.
But let the crowd thin out or become
entirely quiet, and soon she viii be-
gin to purr like giant cat, and in a
moment out pop three little heads,
and three awkward figures sprawl out
onto the floor and Chamber onto her
forepaws, where she alternately sings
them to sleep and ticks them all over
with her great tongue.
Young as they are she has already
begun to teach them how to conduct
themselves in order that they may
grow up as young lions should, and
the little creatures have learned to
watch her every motion and to copy
it as best they can. She encourages
their wrestling and playing with each
other in order that they may develop
their muscles, and only interferes
when play gives way to anger. Then
a sharp, sudden blow from her fore
paw scatters them in various direc-
tions. The blow seems rough one
at first, until one sees that her long,
sharp nails are completely hidden.
When not having friendly SQUAD
bles among themselves she let's them
pommel her head and claw and bite
at it, and even stirs them end cuffs
them to arouse the proper spirit. 1t
is curious to see how she controls the
cubs by that paw. She cuffs them