Evening star., 1943-08-23
By VIRGINIA LEE GRIMES.

BY VIRGINIA LEE GRIMES.
Tarzan would be a good hunter
If that front claw weren't broken.
The instant he was turned loose
in the garden, he grabbed two
erasshoppers from the corn and be-
gan nibbling at them daintily.
But four legs gigging him sharply
in the stomach would have been
something for even a whole mantis
to tackle. Because of that missing
foot Cor handD, he lost his grip
and the battle.
Apparently at that moment, he
permanently swore off live grass
hopperS. In fact, for several days
afterward, he refused to consider
even dead ones, but his appetite
finally got the better of him and
he broke down and accepted
thoroughly killed one with obvious
relish.
From then on feeding him was
easier but he still is so suspicious
that he shields his face and ducks
for cover in unashamed terror when
even feeler of his meal moves in
the breeze
Eats Fastidi0usly.
Tarzan is a fastidious diner and
careful one. Each bite must be
chewed and tested 80 times
Smeared lips. "whiskers", hands, or
elbows, call for instant cleaning UP.
Sometimes he likes to top of with
ready killed. nonwiggling little
green worm, and maybe drink of
water which hei will lap from the
end of your finger, using the inside
of the nail as q trough.
When his tummy is comfortably
filed, he retires to a favorite cor
ner in the beans or petunias, hangs
head down, looking like a brown
and red rose twig. and washes his
face with his feet, kitten style.
Indoor repasts consisting of raw
egg yolk taken from a medicine
dropper, and honey from a tooth
pick, are eaten more leisurely.
Honey, yes! He chews it like a
cud, smacks his lips and cocks his
head at the jar.
Likes Vegetable Juice.
He also has decided lately that
he likes raw vegetable juice, slipped
from the followed handle-end of a
Chinese porcelain spoon.
Flies, one of the supposed deli
cacies, hunted by nantes. are
only pain in the neck to him. Of
fer one, and he merely turns his
head away. Insist and he either
slaps you or takes quick little nip
quite painless) as if to say Take
that"
You can't laugh at him because he
is too serious about it,
Sounds intrigue him. When some
one so feet away pushes window.
he stands up, watching for further
activity
The radio apparently opens fas-
cinating vistas no him. or at least
he thinks it will, judging from the
effort he makes to crawl into it,
presumably for better view of the
music.
Piano Music PleaSes Him.
And the piano! 1t inspires him to
lead a better life. He perches on
the side and washes his face until
you marvel at its durability. After
about the 500th scraping, he tucks
up his feet and just sits, either en-
tranced or droWsy.
He is mantis with fixed likes and
diSlikes. Among the apparent dis
likes is Trouble" his proposed
mantis mate, found to please him.
When Trouble" tries to climb in his
house, Tarzan chases her away.
Tucking him in for the night is
no cinch. as his bunk has to be
covered with a net There are two
ways of moving him-by the fore
and aft approaches. Either he CO.
operates by climbing on your prof
fered hand. or he doesn't.
Doesn't" has several cations
running away in fright and pique.
sitting solidly and turning his head
interestedly but uncomprehendingly,
or climbing in direction of his own.
1t takes skill and tact to slip up
from the rear in such a way as to
give him the idea that he really
wanted to 60 that way himself.
Has Blue Box for Bed.
His present bed is a wooden box
painted blue inside, and deep
enough to hold a potted plant for
roost. BY sprinkling the plants
leaves and placing tiny saucer of
water at its roots. Tarzan is provided
with drink at night, though only
once has he been induced to drink
from a saucer.
He travels, too. in a little net
covered box, back and forth to and
from the Office. with no signs of
perturbation when the passengers
edge away, or of enthusiasm over
the juggling ride.
The instant the net is off his box,
he comes climbing out looking
around for something to scale. First
choice is an arm, up which he makes
it in double quick time, to shoulder,
then to back. If you try to fool him
by shedding garment, he catches
on at once, and starts for the newly
barred eXpanse of neck. After a Ger
tain amount of struggle he is per-
suaded to park on pillow, close to
a lamp teven in Augusta.
Probably he'd rather spend all OF
his time in the garden, proWling
through the squash, or snoozing on
the underSide of an okra leaf. but
who knoWSo Tho ora Scbonparc y,,Jppt