But, alas! even now, when the cup of happiness seemed full, was he not
to be satisfied. Had he not attained all that the most eager hopes of
his boyhood had promised? Had not the highest honors and the most
yellow of garments been lavished upon him in that long-desired Chinese
empire? Had he not conquered innumerable wild animals--African,
Asiatic, and above all, American? Was he not the focus of life and
intelligence in his native village? And yet, how weary had he become
of describing to his gaping audience, for the three hundred and
sixtieth time, the daily habits of the laughing hyena, and the exact
manner in which kangaroos jump! What sad indifference to the nature of
whigs and walruses, to the tendencies of sea otters and free
institutions, was creeping over him!

"Ah, if a lion would but walk in again, and if I could but have
another good fight!" he exclaimed one day. At that moment the door
suddenly opened. Hope whispered, "The lion!" and a fair young girl
entered. She glanced around the room, cast her eyes on the president,
the bones of a mastodon, a parrot in the corner, and a mummy or two.

"Old bones and stuffed animals!" she whispered to her companions, and
they all began to laugh.

"I suppose she will call me a stuffed animal too," thought Gaspar;
"but I must show them the specimens." So he stepped forward, and began
to point out the various objects, and go over his usual descriptions.
He did it in his neatest manner; but the girl kept smiling, as if it
were all a great joke, and yet she looked at him with some
interest. Gaspar went into another room to put on his mandarin's dress
and peaked shoes, which he thought would produce a great effect; but