THE STORY OF THE OCELOT. 
I once spent a very interesting quarter of an hour in South America 
watching an ocelot catch a monkey. The beautiful cat had taken a position 
in a large tree much frequented by monkeys. It stretched out at full length 
upon a big limb and remained perfectly motionless. To all appearances it 
was dead. Pretty soon the monkeys saw it and immediately began to chat¬ 
ter in a high state of excitement. They seemed undecided whether to run 
away or to make some sort of an attack upon the apparently lifeless object 
stretched upon the limb. It was not long, however, before their natural 
curiosity overcame their fears. They drew nearer, occasionally chattering 
loudly and then remaining silent for a few moments while they watched the 
ocelot intently. 
The t cunning little animal gave no sign of life. The monkeys came still 
nearer, their curiosity increasing with every step. They were now within a 
couple of feet of the ocelot, but that animal, with a splendid command of its 
nerves, never moved a muscle. The monkeys shouted and scolded, but their 
cries failed to arouse the shamming ocelot. Finally one monkey, more ven¬ 
turesome than its fellows, cautiously stretched out a paw and touched the 
ocelot on its long tail. Not a movement, not a sound. Assuredly this 
creature was dead. Again and again the monkey repeated the performance 
without awakening any sign of life in the ocelot. 
Then, as if having satisfied itself that the animal was really dead, the 
333 
