MOLLY

Gisborne Times, Volume LXI, Issue 9846, 27 October 1924, Page 3

MOLLY

MORE ADVENTURES

WONDERFUL APE-FLAPPER

AT THE SHOW GROUNDS, GISBORNE. '*

Molly has grown up— Molly, the pride of Marrlcknlle, the dream of young romance lias b.essomod into flapper-hood. No longer does she yearn indelicately, to be tickled on the chest. Her thoughts arc now entirely on the fashion-saloon and the winter-gar-dens. She has not yet luid a cocktail, but she has learnt to s:p a cigarette. And when she gets tired of c garettes, she smokes a pipe ! Molly, the orang-outang, owned by MV Fox, of MemckVille, is certainly one of tile most intelligent young ladies of her kind that the world lias seen. Her response to the human word is uncanny. She is as goodtempered' and as playful as a puppy. Unlike most other large apes, she can bo -trusted with babies with perfect unconcern. Her repertoire of tricks is surprising. Molly has to ho seen to be nelieved.

She is a little more than three years old, now, and already weighs Ohio. She has been on a visit to Queensland and back, and has survived a serious attack of gastritis. This illness almost killed her, and it took two doctors three weeks to pull her through. Now, however, she is the picture of hirsute health.

Tier body is like a giant cocoa nut, matted with waving, brown locks which would, send a baboon oil a moon-lit night into wild poetry. Her cherub-like face is surrounded with brown sidewhiskers, her nose is just two black dots, and licr eyes are bright and beady. SHE SMOKES. Smoking, and playing soulfully on the mouth-organ, are accomplishments just' added to her reperto.ro. She smokes a pipe by the simple process of almost entirely engulfing it. The meuth-organ is one of the most difficult accomplishments of all to teach an ape, yet- Molly picked, up the idea with contemptuous case, and now sits carelessly on a box emitting reedy blasts of discord. The piano, of course, was easy—'.she just lolls in front of it, battering the keys jovially with Loth fists. All these intellectual gifts at the age of three, make one wonder what sort of a prodigy Molly will ho when she grows up. Mr Fox, who is tremendously proud cf her, declares that she is showing signs of even greater intelligence than the famous “Casey” a former monkev-genu!s, also owned by Mr Fox. Molly smiles coyly, and scratches herself. She knows she is a wonderful g : ri, and is looking forward to meet her many admirers at the Showground this week.

(See Picture of Page G.)