THE LEOPARD. 
21 
out danger. The elephants had their heads, and a part 
of their trunks, covered with a very strong kind of cloth, 
as a defense against the claws of the Tiger. The ele¬ 
phants were first brought into the enclosure, or yard, and 
set at liberty, and then the Tiger was brought in. But 
the poor animal was not allowed justice, for he was held 
by ropes, until one of the elephants went forward, and 
gave him three or four blows with his trunk, with such 
force, that he was knocked down, and lay, for some 
time, as if he was dead. This treatment, towards the 
Tiger, was cruel and unfair; but it did not destroy his 
courage ; for the instant he was set at liberty, he flew, 
with a loud roar, and in the utmost fury, at the elephant 
who had beat him. The Tiger tried to seize the ele¬ 
phant’s trunk, but that cunning animal drew it back, so 
as to let her ferocious enemy strike against her tusks, 
and in an instant threw him up into the air. This 
wounded the Tiger, so that he became less courageous, 
and did not like to return to the combat, but went to the 
fence, and tried to catch hold of the people, who stood 
on the outside. All three of the elephants were then 
sent to attack him at the same time, and the poor animal 
was soon made to feel that he could not stand against 
three enemies, who gave him many blows a piece, each 
of which would have killed an ox. This unequal and 
cruel combat was continued, until the Tiger could no 
longer stand, when the king, seeing that the elephants 
would certainly kill him, if let alone, ordered them to be 
taken away, and thus ended the battle. 
No one can deny, but this was a shameful and wicked 
piece of barbarity. For although the character of the 
Tiger is hateful, and his actions cruel; and although men 
have a right to destroy him, to prevent mischief, yet it 
ought to be considered, that the Creator has made him 
with a ferocious disposition for some good purpose, and 
therefore, that we have no right to be cruel towards him, 
because he is so towards us. On this account, men do 
wrong when they exhibit combats between wild beasts, 
for in all such cases, one, or both of the animals, have to 
suffer much more pain, than they would, if killed at a 
single blow. Even the Tiger, a beast for whose suffer¬ 
ings we are least apt to feel, may be so cruelly treated, 
as to excite pity, as is shown by the above story. 
The female Tiger, although she is always fierce and 
rapacious, is much more so, while she has the care of 
her young, than at other times. It sometimes happens 
that the hunter will find her cubs, when the mother is 
not with them, and these he takes and carries away as a 
valuable prize. When the old Tiger, on going to her 
den, finds that her young have been carried away, her 
fury is beyond all bounds. She instantly sets off in pur¬ 
suit of those who have taken them, and if she can find 
the robber, will tear him in pieces, and then carry her 
4 
j cubs back to the den. The hunter knows what she will 
; do, if she overtakes him, and therefore when he sees her 
| coming, will drop one of the young Tigers, which the 
' mother takes in her mouth and carries back to the den. 
While she is doing this, the hunter runs as fast as he 
; can, with the other cubs, so as not to be overtaken again. 
; But if he has far to go, the enraged mother generally 
l comes up with him once more, when he drops another 
\ cub, which the mother carries back as before. The 
hunter then takes care to get to a safe place, before she 
, returns again, and thus carries off in safety, one or two 
;! cubs. 
In this manner it is, that Tigers, which are carried 
| about the country to be shown, are taken; and hence it 
is, that no full grown Tigers are ever seen at such exhi- 
> bitions; for these animals, by being shut up and fed 
, sparingly, never arrive to their full growth. It is very 
rare that a Royal Tiger, of more than six or seven feet 
long, without the tail, is seen in a cage, and yet the 
same kind of animal has often been killed in Bengal, 
measuring nine or even ten feet long, without the tail, 
; and from four to four and a half feet high. 
) 
THE LEOPARD. 
What kind of an animal is the Leopard ? 
The Leopard is an animal of the cat kind. 
' How large is this animal ? 
The back of this animal is as high as the head of a 
, child of two years old, and his body is as long as a bench 
■ on which four or five children can sit. He is about two 
) feet and a half high, and a little more than four feet and 
a half long. 
[ What is his shape ? 
His shape is like that of the cat and the tiger. His 
! head is small ; his ears short; his body long, and his 
' legs short and strong. 
\ What is his color ? 
j His color, along the back, is yellowish brown, spotted 
( with black ; his head, face, and throat are pale brown, 
j and his breast pale yellow. Every part of his skin is 
■ spotted with black. 
