The Mild Lion (Colour Litho)

The meek lion. In Vighizzolo (Como), three lions escaped from a circus. While two were immediately captured, the third, Loris, headed for the country. Having slipped into a courtyard, I enter, jumping through a window, into a room where Jolanda Puorro was with the three children, the last of whom, two-month-old Teresa, slept on the sewing machine table . The Rio Roncis tamer who was chasing her saw the lion who, leaning with its paws on the table, blew on the little girl's face. He could not shoot or perform gestures that would irritate the beast. He kept Loris at bay with his eyes. Like this for an hour. Then the lion let himself be persuaded to enter the cage that had been prepared outside. Illustration for Courier Sunday, 23 November 1958.