Friendly Lions.

Otago Witness, Issue 1765, 19 September 1885, Page 27

Friendly Lions.

Lvery boy who has visited a menagerie knows that the lion is capable ofbeing taught. ' A lion exhibited in a Dutch menagerie would leap through a barrel covered with blazing paper. He was so tame that his keeper took his food from him several times, with no resistance save a slight clutch and growl. If a lion is captured when young, and treated with kindness, he becomes attached to his I master, and will follow him like a dog. Anderson, the Swedish naturalist, saw, in the hut of an African trailer, one that was not only fond of his owner, but lived on the most affectionate terms with the dogs, cats, and other domestic animals. Layard says, in his " Nineveh aud Babylon," that the Pasha of Hillah, the town built on the ruins of ancient Babylon, had a tame lion that was allowed to stroll, unattended, through the

bazaars. He had only one bad habit; when he: was hungry, he would take possession of a butcher's stall, drive out the butcher, help himself to a jointy eat it, and then depart.

If he had a fancy to breakfast on fish, he would go down to the bank of the Euphrates, wait the coming of a fisherman's boat, scare away the owner, pick out the largest fish, ai\c\ break his fast at his leisure*.

The Pasha encouraged his pel; to- get his daily rations by this method, as it relieved him from paying fishermen's and butchers' bills. When the lion had appeased his hunger, he would stretch himself in the sun, and allow the Arab boys to play with him, as if he were a large dog. The captain of an English 1 frigate kept a. huge pet lion, which he had reared from a cub, that Avas so tame as to be allowed the run of the ship.

" Prince," as he was called, was more attached! to his keeper than to his owner. One day the keeper got drunk, and the captain ordered him to be flogged. The grating on which the keeper,, stripped to his waist, was tied, stood, opposite Prince's cage. While preparations were being; made for the flogging, the lion kept walkingaround his cage, stopping now and then to look at his friend and at tlte boatswain, who stood,. " cat " in hand, waiting the word.

At the first stroke of the knotted tails o« the man's bare back, the lion's sides resounded with, the quick lashings of his tail. His eyes glowed, with rage when he saw the blood begin to flow. With a roar of thunder, he dashed himself against the bars of the cage. They bent, but did not give way ; and the lion, finding that he could not break out, rolled on the floor, shrieking as if in agony.

" Cut down the man !" said the captain to the boatswain.

" Go to your friend !"' said he to the bleeding keeper. When the man entered the cage, the lion seemed beside himself for joy. He caressed him with his paws, • gently licked the manglel back, and then folding him in hia huge forelimb, looked as if he dared the whole crew to take his friend from his embrace. — Exchange.