Nero, the Circus Lion: His Many Adventures

d be to you if you saw it for the first time. But strange as it was, the circus, where he now fou

two, and others that Nero did not see until later. And there was also a queer, wild-animal smell, which Nero liked very much. It was almost like t

m, speaking to Nero. "Of course it isn't very lively now, but wait until we get out on th

looked across to another lion in a cage. Nero hoped this lio

. We don't have any shows in winter. The people don't come in to see us, and we don't do any of our tricks. It is only when the show goes on the road in summer, wit

ro. "Tricks? Are they

"No indeed! Tricks are things you do. But often, after w

in the jungle once," sai

is. This is only one of my easy ones, though," and then suddenly th

ck," said Nero. "Wel

ind legs in his cage he could not. He

hat reminds me. In the jungle I heard some monkeys speak

e went to live with some people. I don't know where he is now. But he was in this circus. And

e to stop and talk with them. I met a rhinoceros, though, and he said somet

l be glad to know you met his rhinoceros friend. I'll tell him the first time I get a chance. But, speaking of tricks, there'

it?" ask

platform, which is strapped to my back out in the circus rings; h

e in a cage and brought me from the jungle," sai

t will be a trick," returned Tum Tum. "But you shou

e?" asked the shaggy cr

was just telling the new lion how y

ed tongue. "And I wish I could soon start to doing that again. I a

Tum Tum. "Summer will soon be here,

hot as in the ju

nt. "But here comes your keeper, I gue

on a large, iron fork. He poked the meat in through the bars of the c

m stood in front of th

l. "I think we shall be good friends, and I will teach you some tricks. Then the boys and girls who

ly outside the cage. Nero, looking out of the corners of his eyes as he gnawed the bone and chewed the meat, di

quick. He pulled his hand out of the way, and Nero's paw hit the iron bars. And as it happened to be the paw tha

d Nero, in l

ying to pat you and be kind to you," said the man with a l

kindly to the lion, but Nero paid no attention to him. He on

e water," said th

o, "even if you did try to take away my bone,"

that the same man, every day, brought food and water to the wild jungle lion. And by this time Nero was not so wild as he had been at fir

came again to the lion's cage,

is!" said Nero to h

hich was out between the bars. But Nero saw him, and again the old fear came back

, in lion talk. "Look o

ame was Leo. "I used to be as wild as you are, and live in the jungle. But they caught me and brought me here to the circus; and now I like it very much. I, too, tried to scratch the man when

all right," said Nero. "He can do that

is time he touched Nero's big paw, with its sharp claws. One blow of it would have broken the

e man could open the iron door and go inside Nero's cage and the lion would only bl

ick which the man held stretched out in the cage. At the beginning Nero did not know wh

who backed into the corner of the cage. At last the lion coul

right over it!" said Nero to himself. And that is just what

ur first trick! That's fine

ecoming a regul

nt