P. T. Barnum's Menagerie

The Project Gutenberg eBook, P. T. Barnum's Menagerie, by P. T. Barnum and Sarah J. Burke

P. T. Barnum's Menagerie
The Publishers take pleasure in acknowledging the courtesy and aid extended them by the Strobridge Lithographing Co.

Text and Illustrations ARRANGED FOR LITTLE PEOPLE BY P·T·Barnum AND Sarah J·Burke NEW YORK & LONDON WHITE & ALLEN
COPYRIGHT, 1888, BY WHITE & ALLEN. LITH. BY G. H. BUEK & CO. N. Y.


MY dear children, unless you have been fortunate enough to be taken to the menagerie by some grown-up friend, somebody who would patiently answer all your questions, and tell you all about the bewitchingly horrible animals in the cages, and into whose arms you might run when they growled and looked fierce, I do not think you can know the joy of Tom, Trixie and Gay as they entered the menagerie with Mr. Barnum.
Trixie hugged his right arm tight, as usual, Gay kept fast hold of his left hand, while Tom was so anxious to miss no part of the show that he did not know that he was walking so clumsily as to put Mr. Barnum's toes in danger; and, notwithstanding they were such old chums, I fancy he was more than once tempted to say to the boy, Tom, you are as awkward as a grizzly bear!
At the sight of the zebra, Gay laughed aloud. He is knitted all in stripes—he is made of garters! she said; and she thought the gnu looked like a wild bull in front, but when he turned round she said he was a horse.