When the zoo’s gorilla dies, the zookeeper hires a mime to dress up as the gorilla and get into the cage until he finds a replacement ape.
The mime quickly discovers what a great gig he has. He can sleep, play, and make fun of people all day, and he’s drawing bigger crowds than he ever has.
Eventually, the crowd tires of him and starts paying more attention to the lion in the next cage.
Miffed, the mime climbs to the top of his cage, crawls across a partition, and dangles from the top of the lion’s cage, teasing the big cat. The crowd loves it, but the lion is furious. That is, until the mime slips and falls into his pen.
The lion licks his chops and slowly walks toward him. Just as the lion is about to pounce, the terrified mime screams, “Help me!”
With that, the lion leaps on top of the mime, brings his snarling maw inches from his face, and says, “Shut up! You want to get us both fired?”