I20 



A moment later, she saw her cat walking placidly 

 across the grass. It really was her cat this time. 



Flora bounded after it, picked it up gently, and 

 carried it back with her. Then laying it down 

 between her paws she began to lick it with her 

 rough tongue, purring with delight. She had a 

 wonderful purr, it was so loud and deep. 



As Flora grew larger the keepers were obliged 

 to shut her up in a cage. It frightened the people 

 who came to the Zoo to see a great creature like 

 that at liberty. 



Flora seemed unhappy at first, but she soon grew 

 used' to the cage, and was as contented as ever, for 

 she was allowed to have her cat with her. 



Though the lioness was almost always gentle 

 with her pet, she used to tease it at times. One 

 thing she did was to walk up and down the cage 

 just back of the cat, putting one or the other of her 

 front paws on the tip of its tail. Puss would grow 

 so angry that it would turn round and spit and 

 scratch at the lioness. The lioness would stand 

 perfectly still with her head turned away, until puss 

 started off again. Then she would follow it again 

 placing her paws on the tip of its tail with the 

 greatest exactness. 



