22 
THE LEOPARD. 
Does the Leopard look fierce and dangerous ? 
When this animal is quiet in his cage, and no one goes 
near him, he looks mild and innocent, like the cat. But 
if any person goes to him when he is eating, or strikes 
at him with a whip, he growls, shows his teeth, and 
looks very fierce and dangerous. 
Is he a cruel and ferocious beast, like the tiger ? 
The Leopard is not so cruel or ferocious a beast as the 
tiger. He is more kind to his keeper, than the tiger, 
and will not always bite, when he is touched with the 
hand. 
Can this animal be tamed ? 
He can even be tamed when taken quite young, and 
treated with kindness. Some Leopards have been so 
tame as to follow their masters like the dog, and when 
patted on the head, to purr like a cat. He is however a 
dangerous animal when ever so tame, for he will some¬ 
times get angry and fly at his master, and try to tear him 
in pieces. 
Where does he live ? 
This animal is found in the greatest numbers in Africa. 
But he also lives in Asia. 
On what kind of food does he live ? 
The Leopard lives on such animals as he can catch, 
by springing upon them in the woods. But sometimes, 
Avhen he is hungry, he will leave the woods and go to 
the sheep-yards, where he makes terrible destruction, 
often killing a whole flock in one night. 
What is said of the hunting Leopard ? 
The Hunting Leopard is not so large as the common 
Leopard. He is sometimes tamed, and taught to catch 
other animals for his master. He is taken into the woods 
in a cage, and when his master sees a deer, he takes the 
Leopard out and shows it to him. The cunning animal 
creeps along slily, like a cat, until he gets near his game, 
he then springs upon it, and holds it fast for his master. 
Is the Leopard of any use to man ? 
The skin of the Leopard is very beautiful, and sells at 
a high price. It is used in this country for the housings 
of saddles, and for pistol cases. The flesh of the Leop¬ 
ard is also useful in Africa, where it is eaten by the poor 
negroes. 
ANECDOTES. 
The Leopard, like other beasts of this kind, shows no 
mercy to such living creatures as he can master. He 
kills what he does not want, and so long as he can have 
the pleasure of destroying, he does not even eat. Thus, 
he often kills great numbers, without eating any. 
Mr. Kolbe says that two Leopards, with their three 
young ones, stole into a sheep-fold one night at the 
Cape of Good Hope, and killed nearly a hundred sheep. 
It seemed from the short time they had to make all this 
destruction, that they did not eat any thing until all the 
sheep were killed. The old ones then took three sheep, 
that were dead, and laid them before their young ones 
to eat, and having all eat as much as they wanted, the 
parents, like good providers for their family, each took a 
whole sheep in their mouths, and began to move towards 
the woods. They however paid dearly for this night’s 
robbery ; for the people, finding what had happened, 
pursued, and destroyed them all, except the old male, 
who escaped to the woods, in spite of all they could do. 
Mr. Kolbe also says, that the Leopard will not, like the 
wolf and hyena, eat flesh that has been long killed; nor 
will he touch any meat that has been killed by other 
animals. 
Leopards are so selfish and quarrelsome, that they 
cannot live in peace, even with each other. When two 
are shut up together in a cage, one seems to wish the 
other dead, so that he can have all the food that is given 
them. When they have a piece of meat thrown in for 
both, they cannot be contented to divide it, and each 
take his part, but they both want the whole, so that they 
keep growling and striking each other, as long as any 
of their food is left. When it is all eaten up, and there 
is nothing to contend about, they again become good 
natured and friendly, and lie down together in peace. 
But they are always ready to fight again, if there is any 
thing to quarrel about. 
I have seen some children, who, like the Leopards, 
were always ready to quarrel, or even to fight, when 
they could not have every thing they want. Such 
children are much worse than Leopards, because these 
dumb beasts do not know good from evil, and therefore 
do not know that it is wrong to fight. But children 
know good from evil. They are taught by their parents, 
and at Sunday Schools, that it is not only mean and 
shameful to quarrel and fight, but that it is wicked in the 
sight of God. Now let every child, when he gets angry, 
say to himself, if I quarrel and fight I shall be no better 
than a Leopard, or a dog; but I ought to be better than 
these animals, for God has given me power to speak, and 
to know good from evil, whieh power he has not given 
to the beasts. Let him think, also, that if other children 
quarrel, and do wicked things, this is no excuse for him, 
and that it is better in the sight of all good people, and 
in the sight of God, to suffer wrong than to do wrong. 
