Once upon a time, a mime who'd fallen on hard times was desperate for work. After trying every street corner in town, he wandered into the city zoo, hoping for a gig—even just sweeping up.
To his surprise, the zookeeper pulled him aside.
"We might actually have something," he said, lowering his voice. "Our gorilla… well, he passed away. Huge hit to our ticket sales. If you can wear the costume and act the part till we find a replacement, the job's yours."
The mime, out of options, agreed.
The next morning, he slipped into the gorilla suit and entered the enclosure. Nervous at first, he shuffled around awkwardly—but to his surprise, the crowd loved it! He beat his chest, swung from a tire, did a few flips. By noon, he was having a blast.
Days turned into weeks, and the mime found his groove. He'd sleep in the corner, eat bananas, and ham it up for cheering kids. It was the easiest money he'd ever made.
But over time, he got bored. The novelty wore off, the crowds thinned, and he started craving a little excitement. That's when he noticed the lion's cage next door—now that exhibit always had a crowd.
One afternoon, he decided to spice things up. He climbed to the top of his enclosure, swung across a branch, and dangled just above the lion's den, hooting and flailing like a madman. The lion roared. The audience loved it.
The next day, bigger crowd. More drama. Even better applause. The zookeeper gave him a raise.
This little stunt became the highlight of the zoo. Until one day… the mime slipped.
He tumbled straight into the lion's cage. For a second, the world stopped. Then the lion turned, growled low and deep, and started charging.
The mime panicked.
He ran.
He screamed.
He waved his arms.
"HELP! SOMEBODY HELP ME!"
The lion pounced, knocked him flat to the ground, leaned in close and whispered—
"Shut up, man… you'll blow the whole gig!"
