" It is a good thing to bear this in mind, and to try to
find out the uses of the beautiful things which you see. The stripes of
the tiger are so very like the long grass--taller than a tall man--of the
jungle, is its home, that the hunters, mounted on their trained elephants,
cannot see him, unless he betrays his hiding-place by some movement.
Tiger-hunting is a very dangerous sport, and many tigers are killed, not in
the chase, but by being taken in pitfalls by the natives.
I am sure you know a great deal about the king of beasts, and I need
not describe him, since you have probably both seen him and heard his
terrible voice. Still, we can have little idea, from seeing lions in this
country--very likely born in captivity--how majestic the king is in his
forest home in Africa. Those who have heard his roar echoing through the
forest, say that it rolls along like distant thunder, and that when he is
angry his eyes flash with a gleam almost like lightning. His strength is
so enormous that one blow of that soft paw, which looks so harmless, will
break the back of a horse, or knock down the strongest man; and he will
carry off a young cow as a cat carries off a mouse. Young lions are very
pretty, and as playful as kittens. I have seen a happy family all in one
cage--a great African lion called Hannibal, with a very royal look; a
lioness and her four cubs, playing with a retriever pup! The cribs looked
very much like big puppies, and had such innocent, gentle little faces,
that you would have liked to pat and pet them.
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