When he was five years old, he did some
mischief by pawing and playing with people in his frolicsome moods.
Having griped a man one day a little too hard, I ordered him to be shot,
for fear of myself incurring the guilt of what might happen. On this a
friend, who happened to be then at dinner with me, begged him as a
present. How he came here, I do not know." The Grand Duke of Tuscany, on
hearing his story, said it was the very same person who had presented
him with the lion.
[Illustration: THE LIONESS AND HER CUBS.]
Part of a ship's crew being sent ashore on the coast of India for the
purpose of cutting wood, the curiosity of one of the men having led him
to stray to a considerable distance from his companions, he was much
alarmed by the appearance of a large lioness, who made toward him; but,
on her coming up, his fear was allayed, by her lying down at his feet,
and looking very earnestly, first in his face, and then at a tree some
little distance off. After repeating these looks several times, she
arose, and proceeded toward the tree, looking back, as if she wished the
sailor to follow her. At length he ventured, and, coming to the tree,
perceived a huge baboon, with two young cubs in her arms, which he
immediately supposed to be those of the lioness, as she crouched down
like a cat, and seemed to eye them very steadfastly. The man being
afraid to ascend the tree, decided on cutting it down; and having his
axe with him, he set actively to work, when the lioness seemed most
attentive to what he was doing.
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