A few days after this, when the circus was traveling on again, though without Nero, who had not been caught, it came to a large city, where it was to stay nearly a week to give shows.
“And now will be a good chance for me to teach Tamba some new and funny tricks,” said the animal man who had charge of the tiger. “I want him to make the people laugh when they come to the circus. The boys and girls will like to see Tamba do some funny tricks.”
And the next day, his paw being again well, Tamba began to learn something new. When his trainer entered the cage, Tamba, much as he wanted to run away to the jungle, was glad to see the man. For the man was kind to the tiger, and patted him on the head, and gave him nice bits of meat to eat.
“Now, Tamba,” said the trainer, speaking in a kind voice, “you are going to learn something new. Sit up!” he cried, and he held a little stick in front of Tamba.
The tiger knew what this meant, as he had learned the trick some time before. When the trainer spoke that way he meant that Tamba was to sit up, just as your dog may do when you tell him to “beg.”
“That’s very good,” said the man, when Tamba had done as he was told. “Now that is the first part of a new trick. Next I am going to put a little cracker on your nose. It isn’t really a cracker, it is a dog biscuit, and it has some meat in it. As you like meat I think you’ll like the dog biscuit.”
As the man spoke he took from his pocket one of the square cakes called dog biscuit. I dare say you have often given them to your dog. The animal trainer broke off a bit of this biscuit and put it on Tamba’s nose. Tamba could smell that it was good to eat, and he quickly shook his head a little, jiggled the piece of biscuit to the floor of his cage, and the next minute the piece of biscuit was gone. Tamba had eaten it.
“Well, that’s what I want you to do,” said the man with a laugh, “but not just that way. This is to be one of your new, funny tricks, but you didn’t do it just right. I want you to hold the piece of biscuit on your nose until I call ‘Toss!’ Then I want you to flip it into the air and catch the piece of biscuit in your mouth. Now we’ll try it again.”
Tamba did the same thing he had done the first time, but the man was kind and patient, and, after many trials, Tamba at last understood what was wanted of him. He must hold the bit of dog biscuit on his nose until the man said he could eat it.
Then the tiger was to give his head a little jerk. This would snap the bit of biscuit into the air, and, if Tamba opened his mouth at the right time, the biscuit would fall into it. That would be the funny trick.