The Animal Story Book - The Original Classic Edition. Lang Andrew

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СКАЧАТЬ 'Grrooonnn,' said Tom.

       'I hear you,' said the box-opener; 'you're asleep, my good man, but you'll sleep better still in your own bed. Come, come, your wife must be getting quite anxious! Upon my word I don't believe he hears a word I say. How heavily he sleeps!' And she shook him by the shoulder.

       'Grrrooonnn!'

       'All right, all right! This isn't a time to make believe. Besides, we all know you. There now, they're putting out the lights. Shall I send for a cab for you?'

       'Grrroooonnn.'

       'Come, come, the Odeon Theatre isn't an inn; come, be off ! Oh, that's what you're after, is it? Fie, Monsieur Odry, fie! I shall call the guard; the inspector hasn't gone to bed yet. Ah, indeed! You won't obey rules! You are trying to beat me, are you? You would beat a woman--and a former artiste to M. Odry, would you? For shame! But we shall see. Here, help--police--inspector--help!'

       'What's the matter?' cried the fireman on duty.

       'Help!' screamed the box-opener, 'help!'

       'What's the matter?' asked the sergeant commanding the patrol.

       'Oh, it's old mother what's her name, shrieking for help in one of the stage boxes.'

       'Coming!' shouted the sergeant.

       'This way, Mr. Sergeant, this way,' cried the box-opener.

       'All right, my dear, here I am. But where are you?'

       'Don't be afraid; there are no steps--straight on this way--he's in the corner. Oh, the rascal, he's as strong as a Turk!'

       [11] 'Grrrooonnn,' said Tom.

       'There, do you hear him? Is that to be called a Christian language?'

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       'Come, come, my friend,' said the sergeant, who had at last managed to distinguish Tom in the faint twilight. 'We all know what it is to be young--no one likes a joke better than I do--but rules are rules, and the hour for going home has struck, so right about face, march! and quick step too.'

       'Grrrooonnn'--

       'Very pretty; a first-rate imitation. But suppose we try something else now for a change. Come, old fellow, step out with a good will.

       Ah! you won't. You're going to cut up rough, are you? Here, my man, lay hold and turn him out.'

       'He won't walk, sergeant.'

       'Well, what are the butt ends of your muskets for? Come, a tap or two will do no harm.'

       'Grrrooonnn--Grrrooonnn--Grrrooonnn--'

       'Go on, give it him well!'

       'I say, sergeant,' said one of the men, 'it strikes me he's a real bear. I caught hold of him by the collar just now, and the skin seems to

       grow on the flesh.'

       'Oh, if he's a real bear treat him with every consideration. His owner might claim damages. Go and fetch the fireman's lantern.'

       'Grrrooonnn.'

       'Here's the lantern,' said a man; 'now then, throw some light on the prisoner.'

       The soldier obeyed.

       'It is certainly a real snout,' declared the sergeant.

       'Goodness gracious me!' shrieked the box-opener as she took to her heels, 'a real live bear!'

       'Well, yes, a real live bear. Let's see if he has any name or address on him and take him home. I expect he has strayed, and being of a

       sociable disposition, came in to the Masked Ball.' [12] 'Grrrooonnn.'

       'There, you see, he agrees.'

       'Hallo!' exclaimed one of the soldiers.

       'What's the matter?'

       TOM DISCOVERED IN THE BOX

       'He has a little bag hung round his neck.'

       'Open the bag.'

       'A card.'

       'Read the card.'

       The soldier took it and read:

       [13] 'My name is Tom. I live at No. 109 Rue Faubourg St.-Denis. I have five francs in my purse. Two for a cab, and three for whoever

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       takes me home.'

       'True enough; there are the five francs,' cried the sergeant. 'Now then, two volunteers for escort duty.'

       'Here!' cried the guard in chorus.

       'Don't all speak at once! Let the two seniors have the benefit of the job; off with you, my lads.'

       Two of the municipal guards advanced towards Tom, slipped a rope round his neck and, for precaution's sake, gave it a twist or two round his snout. Tom offered no resistance--the butt ends of the muskets had made him as supple as a glove. When they were fifty yards from the theatre, 'Bah!' said one of the soldiers, ''tis a fine morning. Suppose we don't take a cab. The walk will do him good.'

       'Besides,' remarked the other, 'we should each have two and a half francs instead of only one and a half.'

       'Agreed.'

       Half an hour later they stood at the door of 109. After some knocking, a very sleepy portress looked out.

       'Look here, Mother Wideawake,' said one of the guard; 'here's one of your lodgers. Do you recognise him?'

       'Why, I should rather think so. It's Monsieur Decamps' bear!'

       The same day, Odry the actor received a bill for little cakes, amounting to seven francs and a half. [14]

       SAI THE PANTHER

       From Loudon's Magazine of Natural History.

       About seventy or eighty years ago two little panthers were deserted by their mother in one of the forests of Ashantee. They were too young to get food for themselves, and would probably have died had they not been found by a passing traveller, and by him taken to the palace as a present to the king. Here they lived and played happily for several weeks, when one day the elder and larger, whose name was Sai, gave his brother, in fun, such a dreadful squeeze that, without meaning it, he suffocated him. This frightened the king, who did not care to keep such a powerful pet about him, and he gave him away to Mr. Hutchison, an English gentleman, who was a sort of governor for the English traders settled in that part of Africa.

       Mr. Hutchison and Sai took a great fancy to each other, and spent a great deal of time together, and when, a few months later, Mr. Hutchison returned to Cape Coast he brought Sai with him. The two friends always had dinner at the same time, Sai sitting at his master's side and eating quietly whatever was given him. In general he was quite content with his portion, but once or twice, when he was hungrier than usual, he managed to steal a fowl out of the dish. For the sake of his manners the fowl was always taken from him, although he was invariably given some other food to satisfy his hunger.

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