Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-05-06

HOW THE sToRK ykNQUIsHRD THE LION.
with hyenaS, with whom. they live on
good terms, though occasionally one of
the big cats knocks IA hyena down and
scratches its face just To show who is boss
of the cage.
Having taught these animals all that he
could, SAYS the New York Press, the baron
decided to introduce a novelty into the
performances which he is III the habit of
giving before an admiring circle Of friends.
An old white stOrk named Fritz has lived
for years on the highest tower of Popples'
dorf castle and. as he was reared in the
baron 5 poultry yard never has indulged
in the migratory habits of his kind
Fritz, who is four feet tall and has a
bill more than seven inches long was kept
in the big training cage alone for a week
to accustom him TO il. On the tenth day
of his imprisonment the lion cage was
rolled up 10 the cage.
Fritz viewed the lions with healthy Gu
riosity, but without the least alarm. Zam-
pa, Il , year old lion, was the first to he
driven into the cage with the bird He
looked ut Fritz for IA second or two and
then tried to crawl back to his family,
tail first: but, finding the means of egress
locked, he raised himself to his full height
and uttered defiant roar
AT this the stork $ neck feathers bristled
He lifted his bin in protest, ''clappering"
as only stork can.
The strange noise upset Iampa's self
confidence He stood still and dropped his
tail sadly. But the blood of his fathers
rose in him again, and, whipping his
fianks with his tail, he cautiously ad-
E1u,nH ON tho
ally, as if preparing to spring.
The stori; viewed these warlike prepara-
tions with increasing anger, and his bill
worked like castanets. Standing r)r
second on his strong middle toes, he raised
his wings and aimed as if about to hit the
lion in the eye
The lion hcsitated again and was lost
The storl flew at him and bored his sharp
bcak into his adversary's nose, which be-
gan to bleed. As the bird stepped back to
prepare for another onslaught Tampa
turned swiftly and, forgetting in his be-
wilderment from which side he had en-
tered. jumped TO the other side of the cage
and covered there
Fritz had no taste for pursuing his van.
quished foe. Leaving the rear part of the
cage to the lion, he marked off the extent
of his own territory by walking up and
down a straight line which limited his
sphere of influence to about three-quarters
of the total area Within this space he
strutted, conquering hero.
Iampa's brother, years old. then was
sent into the cage He showed in turn as
tonishment, disposition for flight and
half hearted defiance The stork, ON his
part, tried to keep out of Il fight as long
as he could. finally turning his back upon
his foe
The lion couldn't let that opportunity
pass without trying to profit by it. He
was about to spring upon the stork when
the latter wheeled about with incredible
swiftness and hit The lion in the face,
drawing blood. Tampa brother ran at
once. He had enough.
Lion No. 3 Jared not better than his /
predecessors. Ths two remaining lions,
however, had more perseverance, Each |
returned 10 the attack after being pun
ished once, and III consequence Fritz bled
each twice, after which they ran away as
fast as the others had done.
On the next day the Two biggest lions
We're sent into the stork ; cage again /
Fritz awaited them with his back against
the wall, and each had 10 retire. bearing
the mark of his bill on his countcnance
For the last week the lions have spent |
their days with Fritz in the training cage |
The bird still holds the front half OF TIE !
cage, and the five cowcd lions occupy the |
rear. The rwo contendinS parties take /
their meals separately and seem to pay no
attention to each other. Only the fact that /
L ritz always walks with his tail to the .
bars indicates that there has been trouble. /