A Source for 'The Veiled Lodger'
THE LOVE-LY TAM-ER, THE CRU-EL LI-ONS, AND THE CLEV-ER CLOWN
A TALE FOR THE LIT-TLE ONES
Written and Illustrated by WALTER EMANUEL [ 1869-1915]
THERE was once a love-ly tam-er named Za-za, and some cru-el li-ons named Fi-do, Em-ily, Li-on, Kru-ger, Jane, Cæs-ar, and Rough, and a clev-er Clown named Lit-tle Smil-ax.
They were all in a Cir-cus.
One eve-ning Za-za was not feel-ing well. She had a bil-i-ous head-ache. She said to the Own-er of the Cir-cus, 'I feel ill. Need I go in-to the cage of Li-ons?' The Own-er, who was a cru-el man, said, 'You must. The Pub-lic must not be dis-ap-point-ed.'
So brave Za-za went in, but this eve-ning she had no pow-er ov-er the Li-ons. They re-fused to o-bey her, and sud-den-ly Cæs-ar and Rough rushed at Za-za, and knocked her down. 'Come on, oth-er li-ons,' said Cæs-ar, 'now we have her.'
Ever-y-one was in shrieks.
'Fetch red-hot po-kers,' cried the Own-er. But no red-hot po-kers could be found.
'Oh dear, oh dear,' cried Lit-tle Smil-ax, for he loved Za-za. Then a beau-ti-ful smile light-ed up his face. He had thought of some-thing. He ran swift-ly, and fetched his sham red-hot po-ker. Then he rushed to the cage with it, and when the cru-el li-ons saw him, they cried, 'Oh, look out, here comes a red-hot po-ker!' and they left Za-za, and ran to the far end of the cage.
So Za-za was saved, and a clerg-y-man was fetched, and Za-za mar-ried Lit-tle Smil-ax, and they had ev-er so man-y lit-tle clownlets and col-um-bines, and the cru-el li-ons were pun-ished by hav-ing no pud-ding with their din-ner for a whole week.
( Strand, Sept. 1914)
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