ANIMAL ANECDOTES. 
Very quaint and touching is the story of the 
Befriended friendship between Bolivar, a big 
by the circus elephant, and a stray kitten. 
Elephant. he kitten, chased by a dog, ran 
into the tent, and in its terror climbed the 
elephant’s leg and took refuge on his back. The 
big animal saw at a glance how matters stood, 
and, seizing the dog in his trunk, flung it to the 
end of the tent and then turned his attention 
to the kitten, which he reached down from its 
perch and held in front of him. ‘The little 
creature began hissing and spitting, after the 
manner of cats, but Bolivar paid not the slightest 
attention to these demonstrations, and after eye- 
ing it attentively replaced it on his back. From 
that time the kitten and Bolivar became great 
friends, and the elephant, which had previously 
been a sullen and irritable beast, began to take 
a new pleasure in life. He showed the liveliest 
interest in the gambols of the kitten, which he 
fondled with his trunk, and sometimes lifted on 
to his back that it might amuse itself by biting 
and scratching at his great ears. When desirous 
of descending, it would stand at the edge of his 
back and mew, whereupon the great trunk would 
ascend and lift it down. But one unlucky day 
the kitten met with an accident and, after lying 
on Bolivar’s back for some hours, expired. 
Bolivar was puzzled at its stillness, and at last, 
growing uneasy, lifted it down with his trunk. 
Seeing that it was still motionless he replaced 
it on his back, taking it down at intervals to see 
if it had revived. After a time the keeper, by 
stealth, removed the dead kitten, and on dis- 
covering its absence Bolivar became nearly 
frantic. Another kitten was procured, but proved 
useless. Bolivar would have nothing to do with 
it, and at last became so morose and dangerous 
to the people around him that he had to be kept 
in chains. : 
Ws" 
Aw elephant which was publicly exhibited some 
time ago had a great affection for 
a dog. The spectators, trying to 
tease the elephant, amused them- 
selves from time to time by pulling the dog’s 
ears and making him bark. As soon as the 
elephant heard his friend’s voice in distress, he 
Objected to 
Teasing. 
gave the door of his shed such a hard knock 
that he sent the planks flying, causing a breach, 
through which he came to the dog’s protection, 
and compelled his tormentors to beat a hasty 
retreat. 
WS" 
THE late Sir John Astley, who was fond of 
arranging curious animals’ races, 
when quartered at Windsor ex- 
pounded to his brother officers 
his plans for a great chicken race. He had 
bought from a farmer a hen and a brood of 
chickens. Hach officer was to choose a chicken 
and mark it with a ribbon, so that he could 
easily recognise it. The chickens were to be 
placed about fifty yards away from their mother, 
and whichever one of them reached her first in 
answer to-her cackle when food was thrown to 
her was to be adjudged the winner. The “‘ Hen 
Derby” came off in the barracks at Windsor, 
and was witnessed by nearly the whole Brigade 
of Guards, who travelled down from London 
especially to see it. The race was such a success 
that it was arranged to repeat it the following 
week. 
A Queer 
Race. 
Wwe 
A coupLE of men in America were doing some 
work when they caught sight of 
bear tracks. They followed for 
awhile, and then set a heavy trap. 
Later they returned, and they had a bear, sure 
enough. She was a large brute, with dumb, 
beseeching eyes, from which the tears rolled as 
they might have rolled from a human being. 
The men shot her, and then waited until the 
old bear, her husband, came in sight. He wasn’t 
trapped, but he was killed just as expeditiously. 
Afterwards three little cubs appeared on the 
scene, and whimpered like sorrowful babies over 
the killing of their parents. One of them, about 
the size of a small shepherd dog, climbed to the 
branch of the tree on which their bodies were 
suspended, and looked down in wonder at the 
still, dead faces. Another little chap sniffed 
feebly at the swaying body of his mother, while 
the third put his paws trustingly and pathetically 
upon the knees of one of the men whose rifles 
had done the work. 
Three 
Orphans. 
364 
