The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-07-16
HUMOR OF ANIMALS
CIRCUS MEN ARE CONVINCED THAT
EVERY SPECIES ENJOYS A
joke
HIPPoPoTAMUs GETS FUNNY
Elephants Put Up a Joke on Their
Trainer, and Monkey Breaks
Even With a
Dude.

Circus men take to the idea Of OAR
win. They say monkey not only looks
the part of being the original source Of
man, but acts it in the most convincing
ways. One of the Ringing brothers was
In chatty mood the other night and
brought this idea out in an attractive
way. He said there We're several useful
spots of gray matter in every species of
animal, and, to illustrate the fact, pick
ed out the ugly and forbidding hippo
potamus. He said they not only read
things correctly but have a. positive sens e
of humor.
Now think of that ugly freak of ami
NAL nature, the hippopotamus," he said.
He is big enough to crowd all out
doors, and with his eyes peeled, looks
like an old-fashioned picture of the In
ferno. Our animal keeper is named Spen-
Ger, and one of his duties is to feed the
monster with bran balls. Punch Gnat
is the name of the brute) is very fond
OF these. They are rolled up and tossed
FAR into his internal economy before
he can close his jaws.
"A short time ago the keeper got funny
and teased Punch by holding ball of
the coveted morsel close to his nose
where he could get the sweet SAVIOR of
IT, and then jerking 1t out of his reach
This was not a very pleasing perform
ance for Punch, and in many ways pecul-
lar to his kind he showed it. Finally he
laid down in his tank and held his nose
low, and when the keeper held out the
bran he pretended to be Indifferent or
asleep. Seeing this, the keeper became
careless, and began rubbing the bran
ball about Punch's nose. Here is where
Punch showed the cunning of ancestry,
and, waiting his chance, grabbed the
Keepers hand between his teeth
"Wow-wowwow" yelled the keeper.
'Whu-u-owa-a-aa-h!' snorted Punch
in great delight.
after enjoying the situation for a
minute or more, and winking his eye
knowingly, he eased up on Spencer's
hand so that the latter could get it
back to it's original ownership. Punch
then slid back into his tank of water,
and the bubulOus noise that ruffled the
surface indicated that he was having a
jolly good laugh underneath at the ex-
pense of Spencer.
Elephants are the trickiest Of all,
however. They look dull and heavy, but
just the same they arc, like a mischiev-
Gus boy always on the alert for forbid
den fun In the thirty elephants of our
SHOW fifteen of them are trick perform
ers, and able to do a lot of things that
startle observers. The. humorous sense
OF these fellows is forever taking an
unexpected turn which makes the crowd
laugh, but 1t keeps the trainer in a
nervous frame Of mind, almost at the
door of fits.
only the other day five Of these were
doing a pyramid act, and Prof. Souder
mad just climbed up to the top of the
mead of the beast performing the apex
when the largest elephant gave a keen
squeal, at which signal the huge ami
mails turned in opposite directions and
the surprised professor had to jump to
save himself from a disraceful tumble.
Inc elephants got together in a corner.
ana the shrill blast they blew in uni
son told the knowing ones that they
were in mood Of enjoyment and the
joke was on the professor.
'"Ehe monkey, too, is one of those wild
animals you don't want to get gay with,
unless you are prepared to make fun for
your friends and possibly wear a war
scratch or two, like a hero of a football
scrap. Last season a well dressed Young
ster, who mad all the earmarks of a rich
1ather and an easy life wanted to enter
tain party of girl friends, and picked
out m1ld-mannered monkey for an easy
subject He gave the monkey a cigar
with the hot end first.
The monkey took it good and warm.
and screamed with rage. But his mind
was equal to the occasion, and, with
nashlng eyes and his mouth set tight
ne hurled the cigar back at his torment
or AS good or i'll luck would have II
the burning end struck the dude square
IN the eye, and, with q yell of pain
ne turned hastily away from the cage
ana sought the relief of doctor The
monkey screamed 'Chickap 'ChicI1a -
again and again at his successful re-
Vehge, and all the surrounding animals
roared as if in humorous sympathy.