The lions took no
notice, at which she was most surprised. Her idea in offering the
cakes was to see if the animals were hungry and to find out that
way how they were treated.
Miss Booum, who was acting as her guide, was much amused at her
astonishment and could not resist saying:
"Madame, to offer a cream bun to a tiger is like offering a
beef-steak to an elephant. Just keep your cakes for the ostriches,
they are so greedy that they will eat stones. If they were to keep
a hardware store they would be certain to eat up their stock."
Pleased at this permission, when she came to the ostriches, Mother
Etienne offered them a cake, but they looked down at it very
haughtily and suspiciously. From this she concluded that even
those birds were so well-fed that they were not hungry and felt
quite satisfied about Yollande.
After half an hour's walk through the circus, having visited every
corner of it, they went towards the manager's house. There five
o'clock tea was served. Mother Etienne, quite at ease, did honour
to the lunch so graciously provided, and after thanking Miss Booum
gratefully, she kissed Yollande very tenderly and prepared to
return to the farm.
At a sign from the young American girl, a stout piebald pony,
harnessed to a trap, was led forward by a groom.
"That is my own carriage and my horse Charlie, which you can drive
yourself, Madame, if you like. He is quick and safe, you may be
sure of that. You will be at home again in less time than it took
to come here with four horses.
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