The New York herald., 1921-12-25
ORANG-UTAN SHOWS
CHRISTMAS SPIRIT
Queen of the Zoo Enjoys Her
Tree and Her Presents
Like Human Folk.
DAINTY AT THE FEAST
Carefully Washes Face and
Hands After Dining Off
Fruits.
DAINTY AT THE FEAST

Into the House Of the Primates at
the Zoo in The Bronx they carried
yesterday tree of fir and set it up
in the secret room. Then from mys-
terious paper boxes they evoked many
yards of tinsel, flashing red. blue and
green balls of eggshcll glass and wads
of cotton snow. With these they
dressed the tree, and beneath the tree
they placed a paper bag, very fat
and promising looking bag, and on
the bag they wrote the name Of the
Christmas guest.
They were now ready for the guest.
Dick Spicer, lord of the House Of the
Primates, went for her in person, for
she was a very special Christmas
guest, and the tree and the trappings
and the very fat paper bag were all
for her. Outside the secret room the
ring of merry laughter sounded over
the snow, reaching even to the ears
Of Silver King. monarch Of all polar
bears, asleep on his crag down under
the bluff, dreaming of the Arctic.
Presently the door opened and Dick
Spicer entered. holding the guest by the
hand She swept into the room as one
accustomed. and in fact she had been
there hundreds of times before. But
once inside the door she stopped. She
saw the tree, she stared, she turned her
head away. she pretended not to see it.
to be more interested in the wriggling
Of her toes, In the New Weather
Almanac and Hand Book Of Valuable
Information" hanging on the wall.
IL Was Her First Christmas Tree.
But she kept flashing sidelong glances
at the tree out of the corners of her eyes,
and despite her obvious attempt to dis
semble It was apparent that the fascina-
tion of the tree was bound to get her
sooner or later. Just as is any child in
the presence of it's first Christmas tree,
so was the very special guest in the
secret room OF the house of the primates.
George Palmer, Dick Spiccr's assistant,
kknows what's expected on such occa-
sions.
Windy" said George. take a good
look and see what old Sanity Claus has
brought you"
But Windy, orang-utan queen of
the Zoo, merely sucked a great deal of
air into her boo pouch and blew 1t out
again in a series Of squeaks that sounded
like a small dog locked in n closet and
trying to get out. Now II anybody cares
to hear how an orang-utan at the age
of eight acts when she sees her first
Christmas tree, here 1t Is from first to
last:
Making believe she didn't know about
the tree. she spraddled across the room
and climbed on a chair. She sat on the
chair trying TO look straight at Dick
Spicer and George Spicer. but always
bending her gaze little more and
little more until she frankly scrutinized
the tree, until George or Dick spoke.
when she would look quickly away and
gaze at the washstand across the room
with the wistful eyes of an ape. The
long fingers of her four hands worked
nervously.
The Presents All for Her.
Windy" spoke up Dick Spicer. "you
Just look under that tree now and see
tho presents old Santy's brought you
Believe IL or not. that ape wheeled
instantly. and. seeing for the first time
the paper bag. swung into action. De-
scending, she dragged the chair nearer
the tree. then got on the chair again
and reached long arm out toward the
bag. which lay at the base OF the tree
on the tabis on which the tree was
mounted. But without touching II she
Withdrew her arm. Jumped TO the floor
again and this time surveyed the tree
from top to bottom. her slow glance
moving from branch to branch, from
shining ball to shining ball. Next she
placed her right hand In the hand of
Dick Spiosr and advanced toward the
tree as one drawn irresistibly. yet crav-
ing protection.
That's the stuff" said Dick. ''It
looks better after you give 1t the once
over"
With one hand fast in Dick Spicers
she resumed her position on the chair.
Then she let go Of Dick. reached for the
bag hesitantly, then with decision. and
Continued on Page Three.