SLIPPERY SOLOMOm 



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power which makes the thunder-storms, and which works the tele- 

 graph and the telephone. Do you know what an electric shock is 

 like? Ask your papa to give you one; or stroke the cat on a cold 

 day, and you will get one without asking. Well, when Solo- 

 mon Gymnotus touched the fish he gave it such a shock that it 

 never knew anything again, and .had not the slightest idea that it 

 was being eaten. Convenient, isn't it? 



The wonderful power of the electric eel is shown by the way ni 

 which the natives catch them in South America. First they catch a 

 herd of wild horses (that is easy, of course ! I have often caught 

 one myself; haven't you?) , and drive them down to a stream, or river, 

 where they know the eels live. They drive the horses into the water, 

 where they plunge about, snorting and kicking. This makes the eels 

 very angry, and they all come up and turn their electric batteries on 

 the horses, gliding under their bellies, and giving them shock after 

 shock, till the poor beasts are mad with pain and terror. They try 

 to get away from their terrible enemies, but the cruel men (who 

 seem to value an eel much more than a horse) drive them back 

 into the water again and again, till often some of them are drowned. 

 After a time the electric power of the eels becomes exhausted by 

 giving out repeated shocks ; they lose their strength, and are then 

 easily killed by the natives, who let the poor horses go, and rush 

 boldly in themselves, when all the danger is over. I call that the 

 most cowardly trick I ever heard of. What do you think? 



