104 DAN BEARD'S ANIMAL BOOK 



problems, problems which former experiences will 

 not help them to solve. 



Because a rat is unable to find its way out of 

 one of these puzzle boxes invented by the scientists, 

 does not prove a lack of reason on the part of the 

 rodent. 



To illustrate this as well as to give a lesson in 

 temperance, I once caused frozen jelly in cocktail 

 glasses to be served to a company of two hundred 

 men; each glass had a cherry in the bottom of 

 the jelly and the latter was as firm and hard, al- 

 most, as if it was a part of the glass. 



The men represented the most intelligent and 

 cultured class of New York City. 



Yet regardless of the fact that they were as- 

 sembled for the purpose of celebrating the advent 

 of the first of April, when, as Toast Master, I pro- 

 posed 



AN APRIL FOOL TOAST 



which in itself should have excited their suspicion, 

 these two hundred intelligent human beings stood 

 on their feet for at least three minutes and tried 

 to drink the solid bit of jelly from their glasses. 



Not satisfied with one or two attempts, they held 

 their glasses up to the light, looked earnestly at 

 the supposed liquid, and then tried again and again 

 to suck it down their throats. 



If some grave old scientist had tried this experi- 

 ment in order to determine whether men were 

 possessed with reason or whether they were ma- 

 chines, would the experimenter have decided, upon 



