They acted as though they had lost all interest in the
success of the show, and wouldn't do any of their stunts worth a cent.
The elephants went through their act carelessly, and when they were
scolded or prodded with the iron hook, they got mad and wanted to fight,
and when they got back from the ring to the animal tent they wouldn't
eat the baled hay but threw it all over the tent, and acted riotous.
The kangaroos would not do their boxing act, the horses kicked at their
hay, and wouldn't eat their oats, the camels growled at their food, and
scared the people who passed by where they were tied to stakes, the
sacred cattle got their backs up and acted as though they, being pious,
couldn't swear, but would like to hire the hyenas to swear for them; the
giraffes laid down and curled their necks so they were no attraction to
the show, 'cause a giraffe is no curiosity unless he stretches himself
away up towards the top of the tent. The zebras rolled in the mud and
spoiled their stripes, so people couldn't tell them from common mules;
the grizzly bear walked his cage, and kept giving vent to bear language,
and the big lion was howling all the time.
The show was a failure at that town, and when we loaded the train the
managers held a meeting in our car to decide what in thunder was the
matter with the animals.
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