--My idea was, that here every living
thing was provided for, in the way best suited to its nature and habits,
and that the refinement of civilization had here restored a garden of
Eden, where all the animal kingdom had regained a happy home. This is
not quite the case; though, I believe, the creatures are as comfortable
as could he expected, and there are certainly a good many strange beasts
here. The hippopotamus is the chief treasure of the collection,--an
immense, almost misshapen, mass of flesh. At this moment I do not
remember anything that interested me except a sick monkey,--a very large
monkey, and elderly he seemed to be. His keeper brought him some
sweetened apple and water, and some tea; for the monkey had quite lost
his appetite, and refused all ordinary diet. He came, however, quite
eagerly, and smelt of the tea and apple, the keeper exhorting him very
tenderly to eat. But the poor monkey shook his head slowly, and with the
most pitiable expression, at the same time extending his hand to take the
keeper's, as if claiming his sympathy and friendship. By and by the
keeper (who is rather a surly fellow) essayed harsher measures, and
insisted that the monkey should eat what had been brought for him, and
hereupon ensued somewhat of a struggle, and the tea was overturned upon
the straw of the bed. Then the keeper scolded him, and, seizing him by
one arm, drew him out of his little bedroom into the larger cage, upon
which the wronged monkey began a loud, dissonant, reproachful chatter,
more expressive of a sense of injury than any words could be.
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