GOOD-NIGHT STORIES.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 28, 2 February 1928, Page 11

GOOD-NIGHT STORIES.

DAVID FINDS A NEW FRIEND IN THE ZOO. (Told by BLANCHE SILVER for PET Ell PAX.) "Well, well!" mused David when he glanced over the fence at the pretty animal on the other side. "What a lovely fellow you are. A beautiful deer I must sav "

"Oh. don't do it, David," chuckled the animal behind the wire fence. "Please don't call be a deer. Fm Mr. Antelope, if you please." "Mr. Antelope, I'm very glad to know you. I'm David Dorn," said David. "I certainly thought you belonged to the deer familv."

"Missed it that time." chuckled Mr. Antelope. "In the first place my horns grow ripht out of my head like Friend Oxen's do. While Mr. Deer's can be shed each year, mine are there to stay. I can never loose them unless something knocks them off. No I'll have these horns of mine until the day I die. it must he a task to be always growing new horns. I'm very glad ill thai respect that I'm not a deer."

"I should think it would be much nicer to keep them all the time," agreed David. "But tell me. Mr. Antelope, how did you come to be in the Zoo? Was it from choice?"'

"Well, now, I ask you," laughed Mr. Antelope, "you know no animal is goir.g to give up without a struggle. You &ee we Antelopes are like all animals that feed in groups, we always place a guard out. It happened one night 1 was oi guard. Someway I wasn't doing my duty as well as I should and before i knew what was going on 1 was caught. Of course I saved all my friends from a like fate by calling out the alarm. i simply sacrificed myself for my friends. 1 did put up a pretty good light, out there were too many for me and here I am. Now I'm very glad it fell to my lot for I never have to fear my enemies. Why, it kept us busy getting away from the lions. They could devour us before you could blink an eve."

'"Well, you don't nerd to fpar the linn? any more, do you?" laughed David.

"I love that heavy thick chestnutcoloured mane on your neck. It make* you distinguished-looking."'

"Xot nearly so much as the white spot on my rump." laughed Mr. Antelope. "I have a funny habit of raising my mane and the white hair 011 that spot when I'm running and it makes me look epiite wild—-wild enoujrh to friplitnn some folks anyway. Hut I'm *j!ad that time is over. I don't have to worry about hunting food or hiding from my enemies any more. I know I'm safe here in the Zoo. There isn't a day passes but someone stops to talk about me. Some of them who understand and know the wee elfins of Fairyland can understand us, like you do, then I am happv indeed for I can talk and be talked to. Here comes my friend now," he ended as the keeper of the Zoo and his helper came along with a basket of food.