The last cages they passed were those of the sleepy, disgruntled lions; the tigers looked equally listless and out of humor. The reckless driver ran his fingers along the bars of the big cats' cages; occasionally a paw (claws extended) flicked out, but Ramu confidently withdrew his hand in time...

Ch 23, A Son of the Circus, John Irving

I love how some words show the Old English bones beneath the grin... listless is another, as if called by association...