The Story of a Tame Leopard 247 
household, owning amongst other pets a 
small barking deer, with which a leopard 
was scarcely lkely to live in the bond of 
friendship. But a piteous little mew from 
the basket melted their hearts; they could 
not, they absolutely could not send the 
poor wee creature away to die! So he 
was fed from a baby’s bottle, and lived, 
flourished, and won his way into the hearts 
of all who were brought imto contact with 
the playful, affectionate young creature. : 
“Moung Gye” was a model of virtue. = eee ene 
He was far less mischievous than an |= == ses. = eco Se Nat 
average puppy; indeed in all his life only — ass = 
three misdemeanours were recorded against 
him. On one occasion he caught a hen 
which was being chased by the dogs—and 
surely the bad example set him and his 
own youth were mitigating circumstances ; 
on another he lulled a pariah dog that had 
tried to steal his breakfast, and over the 
entry of this crime even the recording angel 
might have shed an obliterating tear; and 
on yet another he found his way into his 
master’s dressing-room, making hay generally, 
and eating a hole in his sleeping-suit. Not 
a very terrible Jist after all when one 
remembers the amount of wreckage of which 
a little child with the face of a pictured 
seraph, or a puppy about as big as a good- 
sized rat is capable. 
With all the other pets of the household 
he was on the most amicable terms. He 
would stand upright and pat the ponies on 
their hind-quarters with amiable condescen- 
sion, playing with their tails in a friendly 
manner; would stroke an antelope—added to 
the “happy family” since his own arrival— 
on the nose; would cuddle to his breast the 
various batches of young puppies, allowing 
them to pull him about at their own sweet 
will by ears and tail and feet. Until he 
was too big to do so he would lie on his 
mistress’s lap purring with pleasure when 
she stroked or played with him, and showed 
almost a dog’s delight whenever she returned 
to the bungalow after a short absence. 
Later, when his master was moved from 
Thayetmyo to Toungao, the damper climate 
disagreed with the young leopard, which 
sickened with jaundice and died. 
