The Menagerie.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 156, 12 June 1886, Page 6

The Menagerie.

Mb Blobbs has been appointed lecturer at the greatest travelling menagerie in England. The following are specimens of bis style of eloquence : — '

The Elephant. > No, mum, we have no white elephant. The white elephant is out of fashion now, But you pea before you the great brown elephant of Benarea. Five tribea|of natives were employed seven months in his capture, during which time he destroyed several villages, killed many of the inhabitants, and laid waste a large district of country. Ob, yes, quite docile now mum ; he hasn't killed anybody for a week but two hostlers and a nipger boy. Our baby elephant mum ? I'm sorry to say the sweet little creature has got the measles. Oh, no, your, child won't take'etu j there ain't room on it for more then one elephant measle. Yes'm ; that's not his tail, but his trunk you see him »- switchin' about. Like you, ladies, he's alwayß miserable when his trunk is empty. Twins, did you ask, my good woman ? Well, I believe elephants do occasionally have t^ins, but never more than one at a time. Ah !my little man, I was just goin' to caution you to take your hand off n the African porcupine's tail.

Tbe Lion. Yes, it is the lion, my child— the king of j the beasts. At night hia roar sounds like distant thunder near at hand, and the flash of his eyes lights up the gloom of the forest. No, my little miss, he never " harms the true prince " He sometimes lies down with the lamb, and when he gets up and goes away the lamb goes with him ; even half a sheep if he can get it. The lion, my friends, is often mentioned in the sacred scriptures ; therefore he is a strong point' in every great moral exposition such as this. Yes, my little dear, if he has a " thorn in hi 9 foot," you may safely take it out, pervidio' you get some strong person to hold his head — and most other parts of him. Samson slew a young lion that roared against him with the jawbone of a jackass, as the Bible beautifully tells of Yes'm I am willing to admit that Daniel desarved all the credit he got, but it is a feat at present performed by many modern showmen, and is not now as attractive as If the old grandmother there does not pertickilarly want to lose her spectacles, she will try and not poke her face too close in on the c&ge cf the Borneoan baboon ; he's a playful creature.