Vietnam or Thailand ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Updated: May 13, 2025
Here's the contract," said the American, "you have only to sign it." And a receipt duly prepared was handed to Mother Etienne, who in a trembling hand appended her signature and a flourish. I don't know that she did not even embellish it with a huge blot of ink. Then Miss Booum stooped and gently took under her arm Yollande, who oddly enough made no resistance.
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.
As Miss Booum had said, it did not take more than half an hour to reach the camp, the cobs went so quickly. On the way Mother Etienne met many acquaintances to whom she waved a simple but cordial greeting. In most cases the carriage was already out of sight before they recovered sufficiently from their astonishment to wave back. It was a nine days' wonder.
Petit-Jacques returned a few minutes later with Mother Etienne. The gentleman got down from his seat, handing the reins to his groom. "Excuse me, Madame. I am Sir Booum. It was my circus which gave its first performance here yesterday as announced on the placards posted on the walls throughout the village.
There was one Curly-Haired Hen, there was to be no other! For, since her metamorphosis, for a reason unknown to this day, the Curly-Haired Hen absolutely refused to lay eggs. This was, I must confess, a great disappointment to Sir Booum. Like the good American he was, he would have liked to continue the race. He had perforce to content himself with portraits of her from the pen of M. Vimar.
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.
Yes, sir, yes, Madame," and threw herself into the arms first of the American, and then of Mother Etienne, who still remained obdurate. Miss Booum, taking Mother Etienne's hand, said coaxingly: "You can safely trust her to me. I will take care of her myself, Madame. With us she will become famous throughout the world. All the newspapers will speak of her.
All those whom he met winked knowingly, laughing in their sleeves, and courtesied to him without giving him any information. At last one, touched by his despair, answered: "Why should we come to you? We have here in this very place, where we can see it for nothing, a marvel beside which yours are commonplace. Have you in your menagerie a curly-haired hen?" "A curly-haired hen!" cried Sir Booum.
I have been congratulated by the Shah of Persia, invited to lunch by the Grand Turk, and this little hole despises me, mocks at me, considers me a failure." The lights out, Sir Booum spent a terrible night, wondering what evil genius could thus attack his laurels. At dawn, worn out by his sleepless night, he set out, eager to learn the cause of his failure.
Canned salmon, Russian caviare, dried biscuits, smoked meats, tongues, sardines, canned peas, foies-gras, lobsters, and fruits, in fact all those things which Mother Etienne had seen piled up in many-coloured pyramids at the best grocery stores. Really it was too ridiculous. Miss Booum must have been making fun of her visitor. That couldn't really be the best food for camels.
Word Of The Day
Others Looking