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Show Dadd s ISIS Fairij tale Mr -TAARY GRAHAM BONNER MR. AND MRS. AOUDAD "We behave very well in the zoo, laid Mr. Aoudad. "You mean that I do, my dear," an-rwered an-rwered Mrs. Aoudad. Now the aoudads are mountain iheep and are quite wild, especially Mr. Aoudad and his cousins and uncles un-cles and grandfathers. "I mean what I say," repeated Mr. Aoudad, "we behave very well in the EOO. "We are used to the hot and dry mountains of Africa and get along In rain and cold and foggy weather. "W7e're most accommodating, most." Mr. Aoudad strutted around, standing stand-ing on top of a rock in his yard which was his favorite place as he hoped then that all the visitors to the zoo would admire him. Mr. Aoudad, who is just about as vain as a peacock, which shows you how vain he Is, is a handsome fellow with two long horns. His horns are longer than Mrs. Aou-dad's Aou-dad's horns. He has a beautiful mane, too, hanging down from his chest. Whether in his mountain home or In the zoo, the aoudad always poses and stands and struts, hoping to be greatly admired and envied. "Do you know," Mrs. Aoudad began, "that I am about the only female animal ani-mal who is more gentle than the male?" "I "know it," said Mr. Aoudad, "and I've heard you say it more than once. "You seem to want to be sure that people know it, too, and in case they About as Vain as a Peacock. may have forgotten it since last you said it, you repeat it from time to time." Mr. Aoudad shook his horns and looked quite wise. "What is more," he said, "I know the secret of it." "You'll always add that part," said Mrs. Aoudad. "And why shouldn't I?" said Mr. Aoudad. "No reason at all why you shouldn't," said Mrs. Aoudad. "I don't object." "I train you to be like that," said Mr. Aoudad. "I see to it that you are more gentle than I am. "I will give you a little lesson now, to be sure, so you can still be grateful grate-ful to me. "Yes, I am the master," said Mr, Aoudad. "Here comes the keeper," he exclaimed ex-claimed In a few moments. "Now he will help me prove my point." "But first tell me," said Mrs. Aoudad, Aou-dad, as she rubbed up against him affectionately, af-fectionately, "you do admire me, and you would protect me If other animals tried to hurt me?" "To be sure, certainly," said Mr, Aoudad, sticking out his chest "I would protect you, also the children, chil-dren, after you let me see them, for at first you keep them away. "Yes, I am very great." The keeper had arrived with the food for the aoudads. "I'm the master," Mr. Aoudad kept saying in aoudad talk which Mrs. Aoudad Aou-dad understood so well. "I'm what is commonly known as 'the boss' and I teach my wife her place. "Here now. None of that nonsense. Butt butt butt there you go. Away from me." For by steady pushing, Mr. Aoudad had shoved Mrs. Aoudad off into a corner cor-ner and he was standing by the big bowl of food, eating heartily. "I must be fed first every time. When I am through, you may eat, Mrs. Aoudad." She walked .over toward him again. "Here, remember your lesson. I am the master." And with that he gave poor Mrs. Aoudad such a shove that she stayed away until the meal was finished an( It was time for her to eat, but to herself her-self she was saying: "He's the master but he is a distant cousin of the pig. too. And he likes to do this quite often, in fact every time, so people will know he is the boss." |