The Washington times., 1917-02-28

Of the question to go out and play in
the Zoo and fraternize with the ami
mails, the youngsters glue their faces
to the window pane and wonder what
is going on among their friends.
They are unhappy, but not near so
unhappy as the poor animals.
When it's cold the bears are con-
tented and the Eskimo dogs are
happy. The foxes can put up with
1t, and SO can the wolves, but when
it's rainy everything goes the wrong
way.
Occupants Of Houses HAPPY.
Among the animals who live in
houses-the monkeys, lions, tigers,
and Dunk, the big elephant-it's diff
ferent. It can rain and 1t can snow,
but they don't give a hang, because
the houses are warm, steam heated,
and each cage is more snug than the
den in the woods from which the ami
mails or their ancestors originally
came.
"It was just such weather as this
which led me to kill that explorer"
said the big polar bear to his spouse,
"and IL one came in here now I'd take
chance on him, too. 1 like explor-
ers.
"The lion from Africa told a spar
row, which told me, that he liked a
missionary better than anything else,
but give me an explorer every time"
shut up, you fool" answered his
angry wife. II always warned you
to keep off those explorers. IL you had
then we wouldn't be here. The broth
er of the one you ate captured us,
LII Ill
the children sick, and"
But the keeper came along about
that time with a big loaf of brown
bread, and the conversation ceased.
There is gossip, at the Zoo. too. 1t
was rumored that Mrs. Fox had been
flirting with Mr.. Wolf, who lives next
cage. The sparrows carried the tale
to the monkey house, and there 1t
spread like wildfire. And the result
is that Mr.. For and Mrs. Wolf are
sore, and neither family will speak
through the wire that separates them.
And as for Mr.. and Mrs. Fox's speak
ing-they say, the sea lions, that the
keeper has been asked by Mrs. Fox
for a divorce from her husband, anu
interesting developments are expected
in few days.
Leo Carries ELECTION.
Another topic of conversation is the
election. Every year the animals
elect a king, and the king appoints a
chancellor.
Now, the lion has had the position
Of king for some time, but Dunk, the
elephant, supported by the big DUH
moose, which lives across the creek
from the canals, decided to run for
ling NJ the Zoo
The final returns were in last night
and IL was found that the elephant
was defeated.
But il was close. Yesterday after
noon, when the returns were coming
in. an excited sparrow flew across
the creek to where the bull moose lay
solemnly chewing his cud.
s"It looks like Dunk has won, said
the sparrow, "the monkey house has
gone for him by a big majority. and
the returns from the bird cage look
good"
"DeIighted." said the moose. show
Ing his teeth.
what are you going to say for
me to tell the rest of the zoo?"
Nothing except this" said the bull
moose, "and that is that l won't have
a thing to do with the choosing OF
Dunks chancellor. He Is an able
animal, and very able to rule"
But the election went the other
way, and Dunk is solemnly and dis
contentedly chewing hay. while the
bull moose, detected, tells the spar
rows to beat it" when they fly across
the creek He says he's quit politics,
that the zoo can go to where the bad
animals go. without his trying to stop
them. and he doesn't give a conti-
mental
Kicks Below the BELT.
Did you ever see a kangaroo
wrestler
That's the feature of the kangaroo
house. There is a big one and little
one. They stand on their hind legs,
balancing themselves by their strong
tails, and watch each other lihe two
young roosters.
Then the big one jumps at the little
one. and, throwing their front legs
around each others necks. they begin
the bout. The little one Is usually
victorious because he resorts to un-
fair means. He's got a sly trick of
wrestling along, and then rising on
his tail.
When he rises, just for a second,
he lets fly a kick. with all his might
right into the big ones dinner bas-
ket." With the kick, well placed. the |
big one curls up and lies down,
groaning dismassly.
Around and around his cage he ran,
giving a grunt now and then. look |
ing fairly desperate. The reason as
signed to his restlessness' was practi-
cal if homely. His back is itching,
and he can't scratch IL. The armadiIIo |
is a little animal with a big, hard, |
scaly back. And his feet, no matter
how he turns them. can't quite reach |
that troublesome spot. The keepers
say he is bothered this way often,
and has a hard time.
The Camels are detected. Their
padded feet are for the purpose of
crossing hot sands, and not melting
snow. Then the raising OF the baby
camel has gotten on their nerves.
He's disobendient, they say, and is a
hard proposition.
Why even yesterday. they say. he
started toward the watering trough,
to get something to drink,
"Where are you going?" asked his
fond mother from over the fence.
"To get a drink" he said.
"You had some water last week, you
foolish child" she yelled excitedIy,
Lay off that water"
And do you know what happened?
The little camel continued straight
on to the water trough, and took the