CLARENCE AT THE MENAGERIE
On the first day of May, Barnum's menagerie came to our town; and Clarence went with his papa to see the animals. He enjoyed looking at them all; but most of all he liked the monkeys and the elephants.
He fed the monkeys with candy, and laughed to see them hang by their tails while they took it from his hand. They ate all the candy he would give them, and did it in a very funny way.
Clarence's papa said the candy had better be eaten by monkeys than by boys; but I doubt whether Clarence was of that opinion.
Clarence was afraid of the great elephant when his papa first took him near it, and hung back when they came within reach of its trunk.
"Why are you afraid of the elephant, Clarence?" asked his papa. "I'm afraid he will trunk me," said Clarence.
But he soon got over his fear, and was so busy feeding the elephant, that his papa had to coax him away.
On their way home, Clarence's papa told the little boy some stories about elephants. Here is one of them:—
A famous elephant, called Jack, was once travelling with his keeper from Margate to Canterbury in England, when they came to a toll-bar. Jack's keeper offered the right toll, but the toll-bar man would not take it. He wanted to make them pay more than was right. So he kept the gate shut. On this the keeper went through the little foot-gate to the other side of the bar, calling out, "Come on, Jack!" and at once the elephant applied his trunk to the rails of the gate, lifted it from its hinges, and dashed it to the ground. He then went on his way, while the toll-bar man stood petrified to see what a mistake he had made in demanding an unjust toll from an elephant.
"Now, Clarence," said his papa, "I suppose you would say that the elephant 'trunked' the toll-gate, and so he did; but, you see, it was because he did not choose to be imposed upon."
Clarence's Papa.
"TOUCH MY CHICKS IF YOU DARE!"
That is what the old hen must have said to our little pup Bravo, who, being three months old, thought he was a match for any chicken or hen in the whole barnyard. He made up his mind that he would first try his courage on a little yellow chick named Downy, who was just three days old, and who had strayed away from his mother's wing to pick up a crumb.
So with a fearful growl, and a bark that might have frightened a lion, Bravo made a leap and a spring after poor little Downy. But Downy was too intent on his crumb of bread to take much notice of the enemy; and then Bravo, like a prudent general, stopped short, and tried his artillery before approaching any nearer. In other words, he began to bark in such a terrible manner, that any reasonable person would have shown his respect by running away.
But Downy was too young to reason, or show respect. Bravo, though as valiant as Julius Cæsar, was, at the same time, as cautious and careful as Fabius; and, if you do not know who Fabius was, I must tell you. He was a Roman general who was very famous for his ability in retreating, and getting out of an enemy's way.
Bravo thought to himself, "It holds to reason, since that little chick isn't afraid of such a powerful dog as I am, that there must be help near at hand." And, sure enough, hardly had Bravo thought this, when from behind some rushes ran out an old hen, followed by four, five, six chickens; and the old hen, with her feathers all ruffled, went right at Bravo, while the chicks stood behind sharpening their bills, and getting ready to join in the battle with their mother.
Although the most courageous of dogs, it could not be expected that Bravo would be so foolhardy as to make a stand against such odds. He paused a moment, with his mouth open, as the terrible old hen came at him; and then, seeing that the tide of battle was against him, he ran off as fast as he could to his master's door-step. But, though defeated, he showed his spirit by keeping up a frightful barking. The old hen and her chicks, however, were so stupid that they did not mind it much.
Indeed, the old hen, with her family, came up so near to the door-step, that Bravo was obliged to make a second retreat. This he did with such success and good general-ship, that he escaped unhurt. Thus ended Bravo's first battle; and I think you will agree with me, that many a general with epaulets would not have done any better.
Uncle Charles.