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Show THE MANDRILL BABOON "from Africa I came," said the Mandrill Baboon to the monkey in the next cage in the zoo. "So did I," said the monkey. "Ah, yes, hut I came from a part of Africa where my life was In constant con-stant danger," said the Mandrill Ba hoon. "I had to be pretty smart myself," said the monkey, "to keep from being hurt." "Now, young monkey, I know all about you," said the Mandrill Baboon. "You're all right in your way, but I started to speak. I wanted to 'tell you a little of my life's history, for I am sure you will find It very interesting inter-esting when you hear It. "Besides I spoke first, so I have the first right." "Oil, all right," said the monkey, winking to one of the others, as much as to say : "Old Baboon is a bit huffy today." ''Well," commenced the Mandrill Baboon, "I have a nice amount of temper." "It's not the way temper is usually spoken of," said the monkey. "People speak of having bad tempers, tem-pers, or quick tempers, but not of having a nice amount of tempers." "I'm not a person, nor am I a lot of people. "I'm a baboon, I am." "Yes, and you're not a member of the superior order of monkeys and apes. You're of a low order, you are." "I don't care what you say, young monkey, I don't," said the Mandrill Baboon, "for I have fought wild and fierce and ferocious animals. "I have been a great lighter In my day and if it bad not been for my powers of fighting I would not be here now for people to gaze upon." "You aren't nice to people," said the monkey. "They can't talk to you cheerfully for you are too cross. And "1 Know All About You," Said the Mandrill. you won't be made a pet of and you won't be sociable the way most of us are." "Never mind," said the Baboon. "People can look at me and the keeper keep-er can say : " 'There is a baboon who fought his way through life. "'He's a dangerous fellow and don't try to make friends with him, for he won't let anyone play with him. " 'lie is clever and tricky, but he is dangerous.' "That's what the keeper would say." ended the Baboon. "Well, I wouldn't be proud to have the keeper say thet of me," said the monkey, "and I'm glad I'm not like you. "I fancy the other monkeys, apes, orang-utans are too." "I don't care," said the Baboon crossly. "I wouldn't like to be the way he is." said Windy, the Orang-Utan. who had been playing with a little friend, inil had been tossing hay hack and forth and playing with a ball, and having a banana to eat and having' a jolly, jolly time. ''No. be is unlike us," said the monkey. mon-key. "He is cross and proud of it. "Well, maybe that is better than being cross and yet wanting people to think you are pleasant and if they get hurt or annoyed to act as though you saw no reason for such behavior on their part. "At least the Baboon is honest about being cross. "Yes. he's an honest, cross Mandrill Man-drill Baboon." And the Mandrill Baboon turned away from them all with a very sneering sneer-ing expression upon his face. In the meantime the snakes -down at the next house were still hissing and talking and wishing that people would learn the difference between poisonous and harmless snakes. "Some of us are harmless, and some of us are not, but how I do wish people would learn the difference differ-ence between snakes who poison and j those who merely care for crushing, and those who do no harm but only good," said one of the snakes. "I think it is superior to go in for rushing." said the Koek Python, wriggling proudly and hissing delightedly; delight-edly; "I can crush so I wouldn't ! boiher with silly poison. I wouldn't." . But many of the snakes were saying say-ing that they would never, never do harm to i.-nyone. |