One morning after breakfast Fred"s father said, "I"ve heard you children talking about the cat and the dog. Would you like to go with me to the Zoo, to see some of the cat"s big cousins, and some wild savage dogs?"The children could not speak, but they clapped their hands and shouted with glee. As soon as they were ready, off they started. When they reached the place, father led straight to the great cage where the lions were kept.
There were two of them in the cage-the lion and his wife, the lioness.
What strange feelings the children had, when they looked for the first time on these great fierce cats!
It was a bright sunny day, and the first thing Fred took notice of was the lion"s eye.
"Look, father," said he, "the pupil of his eye is just the same long narrow slit as we saw in the cat"s eye.""Yes," said his father, "but if you could see it at night it would be wide open. It would look like a ball of fire.""What a grand noble head he has!" said Willie. "Yes," said his father, "the great shaggy manegives him that noble look."
