The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1908-08-07
TALES OF

The bears were about to be fed an(
the usual crowd had gathered befor.
the iron fence of their enclosure il
the Bronx Zoo. The bears themselve!
knew 1T was time, and most of then
nodded their heads or strolled up ant
down impatiently.
Only one blinky eyed old brute
seemed Indifferent. He fiocked b,
himself away back on the rocks. Hi.
Indifference vanished, however, wher
the keeper arrived with the menu
which consisted of whole loaves Of
white bread and several baskets full
of small fish.
AS the man chucked the food into
the enclosure, distributing it as well
as he could to prevent collisions be.
tween hungry diners, the blinky old
fellow showed how fast a bear can
move when he tries by getting into
the scrap in ten seconds and prompt
ly gobbling several fish, while he
seized good sized loaf with his couth
paw.
Oddly enough the animals did not
seem to care so much for the fish, and
the scramble for the loaves was ac-
tive. Perhaps it was only accidental,
but the way the blinky old chap
seemed to sneak an extra loaf away
from the others amused the crowd.
1t had fallen little to the rear,
and as he scrambled over the fish he
gave it slap with his hind paw that
sent it back to the entrance of one of
the dens in the rear of the enclosure.
Gee" said fresh boy, "he's
sneakin' the bread away from the
other ones so he can have another
lunch all ter himselluf when he gifts
hungry again."
1t certainly looked that way, and a
school-masterly looking person vol
unteered the information that ami
mails, squirrels, for instance, often
laid by store of food for times of
scarcity. His lecture fell fat on the
crowd, and even the bears were for
gotten in the comedy incident that
took place at the back of the en-
closure
The loaf had hardly been kicked
to the rear when tiny pink muzZle
and pair of white whiskers, with
beady eyes shining through them, ap-
peared over the edge of the nearest
den. The situation was easy; the
bears were busy eating with their
backs turned; so out popped Mr.. Rat,
gray and fat and agile. He promptly
tackled the loaf and gave it yank
toward the opening.
Then out popped Mrs. Rat and
Joined forces with her spouse 1t
didn't take half a minute for them to
push and pull that loaf to the edge
and down into the dark cave. What
happened to it there cannot be re-
corded.
1t certainly was not eaten at once,
for in minute or so the two gray
rats were back again in the rear of
the arena on the lookout for further
chances.
When he had finished all the prov
ender in sight the old blinky bear
turned toward the dens and the rats
ran.
Say! Watch! He's goin' after
his loaf, -chirped the fresh boy. "Ob,
amt he disappointed,
Such construction might be
placed upon the blinky bears de-
meanor if one had the Ina gination of
nature faker. AS matter of fact
he went nosing around the dens
for minute or so, and then he slow
ly and gloomily climbed back to his
roost amid the rock work. The
crowd grinned at his rueful express
sion.
"WelI, it's life all over" comment
ed shabby man badly in want of
hair cut. You stint yourself to put
something by. You wear old clothes
and eat ten cent lunches and smoke
two for five cigars. You soak your
money away for the time when you'll
want it maybe, and when you go to
look for it it amt there. The rats
took it. New York Sun.