Some Roundabout PapersThackeray, William Makepeace
General
Some Roundabout Papers
Thackeray, William Makepeace
Essays
One more Christmas sight we had, of course; and that sight I think I like
as well as Bob himself at Christmas, and at all seasons. We went to a
certain garden of delight, where, whatever your cares are, I think you
can manage to forget some of them, and muse, and be not unhappy; to a
garden beginning with a Z, which is as lively as Noah’s ark; where the
fox has brought his brush, and the cock has brought his comb, and the
elephant has brought his trunk, and the kangaroo has brought his bag, and
the condor his old white wig and black satin hood. On this day it was so
cold that the white bears winked their pink eyes, as they plapped up and
down by their pool, and seemed to say, “Aha, this weather reminds us of
dear home!” “Cold! bah! I have got such a warm coat,” says brother
Bruin, “I don’t mind”; and he laughs on his pole, and clucks down a bun.
The squealing hyænas gnashed their teeth and laughed at us quite
refreshingly at their window; and, cold as it was, Tiger, Tiger, burning
bright, glared at us red-hot through his bars, and snorted blasts of
hell. The woolly camel leered at us quite kindly as he paced round his
ring on his silent pads. We went to our favourite places. Our dear
wambat came up, and had himself scratched very affably. Our
fellow-creatures in the monkey room held out their little black hands,
and piteously asked us for Christmas alms. Those darling alligators on
their rock winked at us in the most friendly way. The solemn eagles sat
alone, and scowled at us from their peaks; whilst little Tom Ratel
tumbled over head and heels for us in his usual diverting manner. If I
have cares in my mind, I come to the Zoo, and fancy they don’t pass the
gate. I recognise my friends, my enemies, in countless cages. I
entertained the eagle, the vulture, the old billy-goat, and the
black-pated, crimson-necked, blear-eyed, baggy, hook-beaked old marabou
stork yesterday at dinner; and when Bob’s aunt came to tea in the
evening, and asked him what he had seen, he stepped up to her gravely,
and said—
“First I saw the white bear, then I saw the black,
Then I saw the camel with a hump upon his back.
_Chorus of Children_.
Then I saw the camel with a HUMP upon his back!
Then I saw the grey wolf, with mutton in his maw;
Then I saw the wambat waddle in the straw;
Then I saw the elephant with his waving trunk,
Then I saw the monkeys—mercy, how unpleasantly they—smelt!”
There. No one can beat that piece of wit, can he Bob? And so it is
over; but we had a jolly time, whilst you were with us, hadn’t we?
Present my respects to the doctor; and I hope, my boy, we may spend
another merry Christmas next year.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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