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Literary
November 7, 1925
The West Virginia News
Ronceverte, Greenbrier County, West Virginia
What is this article about?
A little girl at the zoo asks a pacing leopard what he's thinking. Ignoring her, the leopard roars, revealing in his inner monologue his longing for the wild freedom of hunting in jungles, despising captivity and human crowds.
Clipping
OCR Quality
98%
Excellent
Full Text
Daddy's Evening Fairy Tale
BY MARY GRAHAM BONNER
THE LEOPARD
"What do you think of us as you pace back and forth, back and forth, over that zoo cage of yours?" asked a little girl as she stood before the leopard's cage in the zoo.
"Your eyes look far over my head," she continued, "and you look as though you were thinking of something interesting.
"Won't you tell me, please, Mr. Leopard?"
But the leopard went on walking, and the leopard continued to look over her head, and would not look at her.
For he was not thinking of little girls, or of one special little girl who was trying to talk to him as she stood before his cage admiring him and wondering what his story was.
He was thinking of other things.
Then, as the little girl still stood watching him, he began to roar.
His great mouth opened and his eyes looked angrier than ever. They looked so wild, so very wild.
He was telling his story though, even if the little girl could not understand the words he used.
They were the words used by leopards, their own language, and which, if turned into English, went something like this:
"I was so quick. Oh, I was so quick.
"When they charged at me I was ready. I used to hunt. I used to kill.
"Oh, those days when I was wild, when I could be as wild as I chose.
"Oh, those days when I used to hunt.
"I used to think, yes, I used to think how I would escape if anyone or anything came upon me suddenly.
"I moved so quietly and quickly. I knew just how to go about doing things.
"Those were the good old days when I was free, way, way off from the zoo, and people and children and keepers and crowds who rudely stare at me!
"What do I care for the crowds who stare?
"Nothing!
"I look over their heads.
"I won't show them the honor of looking at them, for they are beneath me.
"They can't hunt as I have hunted, they can't move so quickly and so cleverly, they can't hide and seek except in a foolish, childish way!
"I am glad I'm not a child.
"I'm glad I'm not a grownup.
"I'm glad I'm not a keeper.
But those are almost the only things I am glad about.
"For I long for the freedom of the forests and the jungles.
"I long for the stillness and the noises that are beautiful.
"I hate these clattering noises that are here. Silly, clattering noises of people and their actions.
"And here in the zoo my happiest hours are spent in thinking of the wild days, the glorious wild days.
"Those wild days are what I am thinking about when I look over the heads of the people who come to the zoo.
"I am dreaming of the days that are gone and wondering if ever again I will see the parts of the world that aren't filled with clattering noises made by people, inhabited by people.
"I don't like people and their silly voices and their silly stares and their silly looks.
"I don't see anything to this world which they call the civilized world - I hear them talking about it.
"No, I don't see anything to it at all.
"I shall continue to look over the heads of every one of you.
"At least I can do that!"
BY MARY GRAHAM BONNER
THE LEOPARD
"What do you think of us as you pace back and forth, back and forth, over that zoo cage of yours?" asked a little girl as she stood before the leopard's cage in the zoo.
"Your eyes look far over my head," she continued, "and you look as though you were thinking of something interesting.
"Won't you tell me, please, Mr. Leopard?"
But the leopard went on walking, and the leopard continued to look over her head, and would not look at her.
For he was not thinking of little girls, or of one special little girl who was trying to talk to him as she stood before his cage admiring him and wondering what his story was.
He was thinking of other things.
Then, as the little girl still stood watching him, he began to roar.
His great mouth opened and his eyes looked angrier than ever. They looked so wild, so very wild.
He was telling his story though, even if the little girl could not understand the words he used.
They were the words used by leopards, their own language, and which, if turned into English, went something like this:
"I was so quick. Oh, I was so quick.
"When they charged at me I was ready. I used to hunt. I used to kill.
"Oh, those days when I was wild, when I could be as wild as I chose.
"Oh, those days when I used to hunt.
"I used to think, yes, I used to think how I would escape if anyone or anything came upon me suddenly.
"I moved so quietly and quickly. I knew just how to go about doing things.
"Those were the good old days when I was free, way, way off from the zoo, and people and children and keepers and crowds who rudely stare at me!
"What do I care for the crowds who stare?
"Nothing!
"I look over their heads.
"I won't show them the honor of looking at them, for they are beneath me.
"They can't hunt as I have hunted, they can't move so quickly and so cleverly, they can't hide and seek except in a foolish, childish way!
"I am glad I'm not a child.
"I'm glad I'm not a grownup.
"I'm glad I'm not a keeper.
But those are almost the only things I am glad about.
"For I long for the freedom of the forests and the jungles.
"I long for the stillness and the noises that are beautiful.
"I hate these clattering noises that are here. Silly, clattering noises of people and their actions.
"And here in the zoo my happiest hours are spent in thinking of the wild days, the glorious wild days.
"Those wild days are what I am thinking about when I look over the heads of the people who come to the zoo.
"I am dreaming of the days that are gone and wondering if ever again I will see the parts of the world that aren't filled with clattering noises made by people, inhabited by people.
"I don't like people and their silly voices and their silly stares and their silly looks.
"I don't see anything to this world which they call the civilized world - I hear them talking about it.
"No, I don't see anything to it at all.
"I shall continue to look over the heads of every one of you.
"At least I can do that!"
What sub-type of article is it?
Prose Fiction
Dialogue
What themes does it cover?
Liberty Freedom
Nature
What keywords are associated?
Leopard
Zoo
Captivity
Wild Freedom
Hunting
Jungle
Human Crowds
What entities or persons were involved?
By Mary Graham Bonner
Literary Details
Title
The Leopard
Author
By Mary Graham Bonner
Key Lines
"I Was So Quick. Oh, I Was So Quick."
"Oh, Those Days When I Was Wild, When I Could Be As Wild As I Chose."
"For I Long For The Freedom Of The Forests And The Jungles."
"Those Wild Days Are What I Am Thinking About When I Look Over The Heads Of The People Who Come To The Zoo."
"I Shall Continue To Look Over The Heads Of Every One Of You."