Juno lived in a great park where there was a menagerie, and neither the park nor the menagerie could have done without Juno. Now, who do you think Juna was. She was a dear old black and brown dog, the best natured dog in the world, and this was the reason they could not do without her. In the park, a lioness died and left two little lion cubs with no one to take care of them. The poor little lions curled up in a corner of the cage and seemed
as if they would die. Then the keeper of the menagerie brought Juno and showed her the little lion cubs and said, now, Juno, here are some puppies for you. Go and take care of them. That's a good dog. Juno's own puppies had just been given away, and she was feeling very badly about it, and was rather glad to take care of the two little lions. They were so pretty, with their soft striped fur and yellow paws
that Juno soon loved them. She took the best care of them till they grew old enough to live by themselves. Many people used to come and stand near the big lion's cage and laugh to see only a quiet old dog and two little bits of lion cubs shut in it. It was very pretty to see Juno playing with the cubs, and all the children who came to the park wanted first to see the doggie that nursed the lion puppies.
But when they grew large enough, they were taken away from her and sold to different menageries far away, and poor Juna wondered what had become of her pretty adopted children. She looked for them all about the menagerie and asked all the animals if they had seen her two pretty yellow striped lion puppies. No one had seen them, and nearly every one was sorry and had something kind to say, for Juno was a favorite with many, to be sure.
The wolf snarled at her and said it served her right for thinking that she, a miserable, tame dog could bring up young lions, but Juno knew she had only done as she was told, so she did not mind the wolf. The monkeys cracked jokes and teased her, saying they guessed she would be given another family to take care of sea lions most likely, and she would have to live in the water to keep them in order. This had not occurred to Juno before, and it made
her quite uneasy. It is not possible they would want me to nurse young sea lions, said she. They are so rude and so very slippery. I could never make them mind me. You may be thankful if you don't get those two young alligators in the other tank, said a gruff voiced adjutant. Good gracious, exclaimed Juno. You don't think it possible. Of course, it is possible, said a pelican, stretching his neck through his cage bars. You'll see what comes of being too obliging. We all think you are
a good creature, Juno, said a crane. Indeed, I should willingly trust you with my young crane children. But really, if you will do everything that is asked of you, there's no knowing whose family you may have. Next. Juno went and laid down in a sunshiny place near the elephant's house and thought over all these words. Very soon, she grew sleepy in spite of her anxiety, and was just dropping off into a doze when she heard the keeper whistle for her. She ran to him and found
him in the hippopotamus's cage. Juno said, he, I guess you'll have to take charge of this young hippopotamus. The poor little fellow has lost his mother. Dear, Dear, sighed Juno. I was afraid it would come to this. I'm thankful it isn't the young alligators. So Juno took charge of the young hippo. She called him hippo for short, and only when he was naughty she called him hippopotamus. Aren't you ashamed of yourself? But he was a great trial. He was awkward and clumsy, and not a bit like
her graceful little lion puppies. Then he got sick, and she had to give him peppermint. His mouth was so large that she lost the spoon in it, and he swallowed spoon and all, and was very ill afterward. But he grew up at last. And just as Juno had made up her mind not to take care of other people's families any more, the keeper came to her with two young giraffes and told her she really must be a mother to the poor little scraps of misery, for their mother was gone and they would die if they
weren't cared for immediately. These were a dreadful trouble. And besides, they would keep trotting after her everywhere, till the pelican and the adjutant and the cranes nearly killed themselves laughing at her. Poor Juno felt worse and worse till one day she heard the keeper say she certainly would have to take care of the young elephant. She felt that she could stand it no longer and made up her mind to run away. So she said good bye to all her friends and ran to the wall of the park.
There she gave a great jump and waked up and found herself in the sunshiny grass near the elephant's house. Oh how glad I am, said Juno. What in the world has been the matter, asked the elephant. You've been kicking and growling in your sleep at a great rate. I've been watching you this long time. Such dreadful dreams, said Juno. Lion puppies are all very well, but when it comes to hippopotamus and giraffes and elephant, what are you talking about? Said the elephant. I guess you'd better
go to your supper. I heard the keeper call you long ago. So Juno went to her supper very glad to find she had only dreamed her troubles. But she made up her mind that if the old hippopotamus should die, she would run away that very night. End of Juno's Wonderful Troubles by E. Mueller