and repeating it to anyone who would listen, that from the very beginning they had been sure he was the thief.
â Quite sure,â said the Toucan.
âAnd if anyone had ever cared to ask my opinion, I would have had no hesitation in saying so,â added the Ant-eater.
âIn consequence of which,â exclaimed the Sacred Baboon, âwe should all have been saved a great deal of trouble and anxiety.â
A rather gloomy-looking Reindeer was telling two Kinkajous that a personâs life depended entirely on a good upbringing, and nowadays, he thought, parents werenât nearly strict enough with their children. âIf Bendigoâs father and mother,â he said, âhad been as strict and careful as my parents were, Iâm sure he wouldnât be in prison to-day. Let this be a lesson to you young people!â And the Kinkajous were so impressed they began to cry.
A Black Bear from the Himalaya, with two Pandas and a Malayan Honey-bear, were very angry because a member of their family had brought such disgrace upon their honourable name. Bear , they said, was one of the noblest names in the world, and in all their long experience, they affirmed, they had never even heard of a Bear committing theft before. It just showed what the world was coming to.
Lady Lil, however, was delighted by the news. She was walking up and down with a Dancing Cassowary who was a friend of hers, and telling her what a relief it was to feel safe. âSo long as I knew there was a thief at liberty in the zoo,â she said, âI should never have had the heart to lay another egg. Never! What was the use of laying eggs simply to have them stolen? All that trouble, and no reward but sorrow! Never again: thatâs what I said to Bobadil, and I meant it too. But now Iâm going to lay another just as soon as ever I can.â
âHow brave you are!â said the Dancing Cassowary. âI do admire you!â
One of the very few animals who refused to believe in Bendigoâs guilt was Marie Louise the Llama. She was talking to a group that consisted of an Antelope, a Fallow Deer, a young Dromedary, a Zebra, and a Gnu. Dinah and Dorinda were there as well. Marie Louise said she had known Bendigo for a long time, and throughout their acquaintance he had always behaved towards her with perfect courtesy and consideration.
âBendigo is a gentleman,â she said, âand a gentleman cannot be a thief. No, indeed. I have my own theory as to the criminal, but I donât suppose that my poor opinion would interest anybody.â
âPooh, pooh!â said the Gnu. âTell us, do!â
âWell,â said Marie Louise, âI lived for a long time in France, as I daresay you know. I was in a very select private zoo near Lyons, and I soon learnt to understand the language of the country.âSuch charming people, the French! They have lovely manners, rather like Sir Lankesterâs, I always think.âWell, whenever there is a crime in France, the policemen always say âCherchez la femme.â And that means\??\ââ
âI know,â said Dinah. âIt means: Find the lady.â
âWhy do they want to do that?â asked the Antelope.
âI never bothered to enquire,â said Marie Louise in a haughty voice. She was annoyed because Dinah also knew French.
âPerhaps,â said Dorinda, âitâs because there are more ladies in the world than men, and so they are easier to find.â
âThatâs a good reason,â said the Zebra.
âBut who,â asked the young Dromedary, âis the lady whom you suspect?â
âAh, who?â said the Gnu.
âLady Lemon, Sir Lankesterâs wife,â said Marie Louise in her most impressive manner. âAnd my reason is this: one day, rather more than a week ago, she and Sir Lankester stopped outside my cage and had a short but far from agreeable conversation. She was grumbling.
C. J. Cherryh
Learning to Kill: Stories
John O'Riley
Brenda Sinclair
Christopher George
Stephen Lloyd Jones
Karl Iagnemma
Celya Bowers
Jill Gregory
Aria Cunningham