ANECDOTES OF ANIMALS ILLUSTRATED [Illustration: An Animal Concert. --Page 5] [Illustration] ANECDOTES OF ANIMALS WITH·PICTVRES·BY PERCY J. BILLINGHVRST. McLOUGHLIN BROS. NEW YORK CONTENTS A Amusing Mimic, An 24 Animal Concerts 5 Are Beasts mere Machines? 182 Asking Assistance 166 Ass Castaway, An 184 B Bear and Child, The 18 Bear Cubs, The 162 Broken Heart, The 60 C Carrier's Dog, A 160 Cat and the Crows, The 30 Catcher Caught, The 154 Charitable Canary, A 148 Child Saved, A 190 Choosing the Least of Two Evils 150 Clever Crow, A 20 Comedy of Elephants, A 64 Crab Fishing 86 Cunning as a Fox 66 D Death of Antiochus Revenged, The 78 Deceiving the Fowler 164 Dinner Bell, The 118 Division of Labor 144 Dog and the Goose, The 76 Dog of Montargis, The 84 Dog Sheep-stealer, A 40 Dog Smugglers 168 Dolphin, The 50 Drawing Water 58 E Elephant's Revenge, An 104 Elephant Rope Dancing 72 Escape of Jengis Khan 178 F Faithful Companion, A 70 Faithful, Though Unloved 68 Faithful unto Death 112 False Alarm, A 188 Filial Duty 38 Foraging 120 Fox Chasing 94 G Goat, The 92 Going to Market 152 Good Finder, A 52 Grateful Lioness, A 10 Grateful Return, A 138 H Heroism of an Irish Hen 32 Honors to the Living and the Dead 108 Horse and Greyhound, The 88 Humane Society, A 172 J Just Retaliation 48 L Lion and his Keeper 126 Long Lost Found Again 82 M Making Sure 16 Mice as Sailors 56 Monkey versus Snake 110 Mother's Affection, A 42 Mother Watching her Young, A 174 Musical Mice 158 Musical Seals 113 N Newfoundland Dog, The 6 Noble Perseverance 28 Noble Revenge, A 80 O Odd Family, An 49 Old Habits 27 Ostrich Riding 100 P Pig Pointer, The 134 Porus Saved by his Elephant 170 Power of Music, The 22 Providential Safe Conduct, A 74 Q Quarrelsome Apes 186 R Rare Honesty 142 Refugee Squirrel, A 176 Remarkable Newsman, A 12 Remorse 62 Retribution 102 Revenge 54 Rights of Hospitality, The 96 S Sabinus and his Dog 46 Sharp-witted Bruin 14 Shepherd's Dog, The 34 Shrewd Guesser, A 180 Sly Couple, A 98 Snake Destroyers 156 Sonnini and his Cat 116 Strange Foster Mother, A 114 Strange Mouser, A 44 Strange Playmates 106 Strange Protector, A 124 Strange Rooks 130 Studying 8 T Talking Parrot, A 146 Tame Colony, A 161 Tame Hares 132 Tame Seagull, The 122 Travellers 36 U Usurper Punished, A 128 W Watch Dog, The 90 Wise Ourang-Outang 136 Wrens Learning to Sing 140 I ANIMAL CONCERTS An abbot, a man of wit, and skilled in the making of new musicalinstruments, was ordered by Louis XI. , king of France, more in jest thanearnest, to procure him a concert of swines' voices. The abbot said thatthe thing could doubtless be done, but it would cost a good deal ofmoney. The king ordered that he should have as much as he required forthe purpose. The abbot then contrived as strange a thing as ever wasseen. Out of a great number of hogs of various ages, which he gottogether under a tent, or pavilion, covered with velvet, and beforewhich he had a table of wood painted with a certain number of keys, hemade an organical instrument, and as he played upon the keys with littlespikes which pricked the hogs, he made them cry in such order andconsonance that he highly delighted the king and all his company. II A NEWFOUNDLAND DOG One of the magistrates in Harbor Grace, in Newfoundland, had an old dogof the regular web-footed species peculiar to that island, who was inthe habit of carrying a lantern before his master at night, as steadilyas the most attentive servant could do, stopping short when his mastermade a stop, and going ahead when he was ready to follow. If his master was away from home, and the command was given "Go fetchthy master, " he would at once pick up the lantern, hold it fast betweenhis teeth, and start for the town, which was more than a mile away fromthe home of his master. He would stop at the door of every house whichhe knew his master was in the habit of visiting, and laying down hislantern, growl and strike the door making all the noise in his power, until it was opened. If his master was not in the house, he would go onfarther in the same way, till he found him. If he had gone with him onlyonce to a house, this was enough to make him take in that house in hisrounds. [Illustration] III STUDYING A magpie belonging to a barber in Rome, could imitate very perfectlyalmost everything it heard. Some trumpets happened one day to be soundedbefore the shop, and for a day or two afterward the magpie was quitemute, and seemed sad and melancholy. All who knew it supposed that thesound of the trumpets had so stunned it as to rob it at once of bothvoice and hearing. But this was not the case, as very soon appeared. The bird had all thistime been studying how to imitate the sound of the trumpets; and when atlast master of it, the magpie, to the astonishment of all its friends, suddenly broke its long silence by a perfect imitation of the flourishof trumpets it had heard; repeating with the greatest exactness all therepetitions, stops, and changes. The learning of this lesson, however, so exhausted the magpie's brain that it forgot everything it had knownbefore. [Illustration] IV A GRATEFUL LIONESS A dreadful famine raged at Buenos Ayres, yet the governor, afraid ofgiving the Indians a habit of spilling Spanish blood, forbade thepeople, on pain of death, to go into the fields in search of food, andhe placed soldiers at all outlets to the country, with orders to fireupon those who should try to disobey him. However, a woman, called Maldonata, was artful enough to get past thewatchful guards, and made her escape. After wandering about the countryfor a long time, she came upon a cave into which she went. As soon asshe was inside, she saw therein a lioness, the sight of which frightenedher greatly. She was, however, soon quieted by the caresses of theanimal, who in return for a service done for her by the woman, showedevery sign of affection and friendliness. She never returned fromsearching after her own daily food without laying a part of it at thefeet of Maldonata, until her cubs were large and strong enough to walkabroad, then she took them out one day and never came back. Some time after this Maldonata fell into the hands of the Spaniards, andwas brought back to Buenos Ayres on the charge of having left the citycontrary to orders. The governor, a man of cruelty, condemned the poorwoman to a death which none but the most-cruel tyrant could have thoughtof. He ordered some soldiers to take her out into the country, andleave her tied to a tree, either to die of hunger, or be torn to piecesby the wild beasts. Two days later, he sent the same soldiers to seewhat had happened to her. To their great surprise, they found her aliveand unhurt, though surrounded by lions and tigers, which a lioness ather feet kept at some distance. As soon as the lioness saw the soldiers, she fell back a little, so they were able to unbind Maldonata, who toldthem the story of this lioness, whom she knew to be the same one she hadformerly helped in the cavern. When the soldiers were taking Maldonataaway, the lioness fawned upon her, as though unwilling to part from her. The soldiers repeated the story to their commander, who could do no lessthan pardon the woman who had been so wonderfully protected, or he wouldhave proven himself less humane than the lions themselves. [Illustration] V A REMARKABLE NEWSMAN One of the carriers of a large newspaper being ill, his son took hisplace; but, not knowing the subscribers he was to supply, he took forhis guide a dog which had usually gone over the route with his father. The animal trotted on ahead of the boy and stopped at every door wherethe paper was to be left, without making a single mistake, or forgettinganybody. [Illustration] VI SHARP-WITTED BRUIN The captain of a Greenland whaler being anxious to secure a bear, without wounding the skin, made trial of the trick of laying a noose ofrope in the snow, and placing a piece of meat within it. A bear, roamingover the ice nearby was soon attracted to the spot by the smell of thedainty morsel. He saw the bait, crept up cautiously, and seized it inhis mouth; but his foot at the same time, by a jerk of the rope, becameentangled in the noose. He quietly pushed it off with his paw, andwalked slowly away. Having eaten the piece he had carried away with him, he returned. The noose, with another piece of meat, having beenreplaced, he pushed the rope aside, and again walked off with hiscapture. A third time the noose was laid, but having seen how clever thebear was, the sailors buried the rope beneath the snow, and laid thebait in a deep hole dug in the centre. The bear once more came back, andthe sailors thought they were now sure of success. But bruin, much wiserthan they expected, after snuffing about the place for a few moments, scraped the snow away with his paws, threw the rope aside once more, andagain escaped unhurt with his prize. [Illustration] VII MAKING SURE During the war between Augustus Cęsar and Mark Antony, when all theworld stood wondering and uncertain as to which one Fortune would favor, a poor man at Rome, in order to be prepared for making, in either event, a bold move for his own advancement, hit upon the following clever plan. He set himself to the training of two crows with such great care, thatat length he had taught them to pronounce with great distinctness, theone a salutation to Cęsar, and the other a salutation to Antony. When Augustus returned the conqueror, the man went out to meet him withthe proper crow perched on his fist, and every now and then it keptcalling out, "_Salve_, _Cęsar_, _Victor Imperator!_" "Hail, Cęsar, Conqueror and Imperator!" Augustus, greatly amused and delighted with sonovel a greeting, bought the gifted bird of the man for a sum which wasso large that it made him rich. [Illustration] VIII THE BEAR AND THE CHILD Leopold, Duke of Lorraine, had a bear called Marco, of whose sagacity wehave this remarkable story. One cold winter day, a boy, almost frozenwith the cold, entered Marco's hut, without thinking of the danger whichhe ran in thus exposing himself to the mercy of the animal which was inthere. Marco, however, instead of doing the child any injury, took himbetween his paws, and warmed him by pressing him to his breast until thenext morning, when he let him go. The boy came back to the hut in theevening, and was received with the same affection. For several days hehad no other home, and it added not a little to his joy to see that thebear always saved part of his food for him. A number of days passed inthis way without the servants knowing anything of what was going on. Atlength, when one of them came one day, rather later than usual, to bringthe bear his supper, he was greatly surprised to see the huge animalroll his eyes in a furious manner, and act as if he wished him to makeas little noise as possible, for fear of awaking the child whom he heldclasped to his breast. The animal, though very hungry, did not seem tobe the least moved by the sight of the food which was placed before him. The story of this strange incident was soon spread at court, and reachedthe ears of Leopold; who, with part of his courtiers, was anxious tolearn if the tale of Marco's generosity were true. Several of them spentthe night near his hut, and saw with astonishment that the bear neverstirred as long as his guest showed a desire to sleep. At dawn the childawoke, was very much ashamed to find that he was discovered, and, fearing that he would be punished, begged pardon. The bear, however, caressed him, and tried to get him to eat what had been brought to himthe evening before. He did this at the request of the courtiers, whoconducted him to the prince. Having learned the whole story, Leopoldordered the little boy to be taken care of, and he would, no doubt, havesoon made his fortune, had he not died a short time afterward. [Illustration] IX A CLEVER CROW A carrion crow, seeing on a lawn, a brood of fourteen chickens under thecare of a mother-hen, picked up one; but when a young lady opened awindow and gave the alarm, the robber dropped his prey. In the course ofthe day, however, the thief returned, together with thirteen othercrows. Then each one seized a chick, and thus the whole brood wascarried off at once. [Illustration] X THE POWER OF MUSIC One Sunday evening, five singers were walking on the banks of a river. After some time, being tired with walking, they sat down on the grass, and began to sing. The field on which they sat was bounded on one sideby a wood, out of which, as they were singing, they noticed a hare passwith great swiftness toward the place where they were sitting, and atabout twenty yards' distance from them, it stopped. It then seemedgreatly delighted with the music, often turning up the side of its headso as to hear more easily. As soon as the singing was over, the harereturned slowly toward the wood. When she had nearly reached the end ofthe field, the singers began to sing the same piece again. The harestopped, turned round, and came swiftly back to about the same distanceas before, where she seemed to listen with great delight, till they hadfinished, when she returned again by a slow pace up the field, andentered the wood. [Illustration] XI AN AMUSING MIMIC A priest once brought up an ourang-outang, which became so fond of himthat, wherever he went, it always wanted to go with him. Whenever, therefore, he had to perform the service of his church, he was obligedto shut him up in his room. Once, however, the animal got out, andfollowed the father to the church. Silently mounting the sounding boardabove the pulpit, he lay perfectly still till the sermon commenced. Hethen crept to the edge, and looking at the preacher, imitated all hisgestures in so amusing a manner that the congregation could not helplaughing. The father, surprised and confused by this ill-timed mirth, severely rebuked his audience for their inattention. The reproof failedin its effect; the congregation still laughed, and the preacher in thewarmth of his zeal, spoke with still more force and action. The apemimicked him so exactly that the congregation could no longer restrainitself, but burst out into long and continued laughter. A friend of thepreacher at length stepped up to him, and pointed out the cause of thisimproper conduct; and such was the roguish air of the animal that it waswith the utmost difficulty that the preacher himself kept from laughing, while he ordered the servants of the church to take the mischievous apeaway. [Illustration] XII OLD HABITS A famous Scotch lawyer, having cause to visit London, decided to makethe journey on horseback rather than by post; for this was before thedays of railways. He, therefore, purchased a horse, and on his arrivalin London, sold his nag, planning to buy another for the return journey. When he had finished his business, and was ready to set out for home, hewent to Smithfield to buy another horse. About dusk, a handsome horsewas offered to him at so cheap a rate, that he suspected the animalmight not be sound; but as he could not find anything the matter withthe horse, he bought it. Next morning he set out on his journey; hishorse had excellent paces, and the first few miles, while the road waswell frequented, our traveller spent in congratulating himself on hisgood fortune. On Finchley Common the traveller met a clergyman driving aone-horse chaise. There was nobody within sight, and the horse by hisactions plainly showed what had been the business of his former master. Instead of passing the chaise, he laid his breast close up to it, andstopped it, having no doubt that his rider would take advantage of sofair a chance of following his trade. The clergyman, under the samemistake, took out his purse without being asked, and assured theinnocent and surprised horseman that it was not necessary to draw hispistol. The traveler drew back his horse with apologies to thegentleman, whom he had unwillingly frightened, and pursued his journey. The horse next made the same suspicious approach to a coach, from thewindows of which a blunderbuss was leveled, with threats of death to therider, who was innocent of all offense in deed or word. In short, afterhis life had been once or twice endangered by the suspicions to whichhis horse's conduct gave rise, and his liberty as often threatened bypeace officers, who were disposed to seize him as a notorioushighwayman, he found himself obliged to part with the animal for a meretrifle, and had to purchase at a dearer rate, a horse of less finefigure and action but of better morals. [Illustration] XIII NOBLE PERSEVERENCE Elephants were, of old, employed in India in the launching of ships. Itis told of one, that, being directed to force a very large ship into thewater, the work proved to much for its strength. Its master, insarcastic tones bade the keeper take away the lazy beast, and bringanother. The poor animal instantly put forth still greater efforts, fractured his skull, and died on the spot. [Illustration] XIV THE CAT AND THE CROWS A pair of crows once made their nest in one of the trees that wereplanted round the garden of a gentleman, who, in his morning walks, wasoften amused by watching furious combats between the crows and a cat. One morning the battle raged more fiercely than usual, till at last thecat gave way, and took shelter under a hedge, as if to wait a betterchance of escaping to the house. The crows continued for a short time tomake a threatening noise; but seeing that on the ground they could donothing more than threaten, one of them lifted a stone from the middleof the garden, and perched with it on a tree planted in the hedge, whereshe sat, watching the movements of the cat, who, she feared, was afterher little ones. As the cat crept along under the hedge, the crowfollowed her, flying from branch to branch, and from tree to tree; andwhen at last puss dared to leave her hiding place, the crow, leaving thetree, and hovering over her in the air, let the stone drop from on highon her back. [Illustration] XV HEROISM OF AN IRISH HEN A contest of rather an unusual nature took place in the house of aninnkeeper in Ireland. The parties engaged were a hen of the game speciesand a rat of middle size. The hen, in a walk round a spacious room, accompanied by an only chicken, the last one left of a large brood, wasroused to madness by an attack made by a fierce rat on her helplesslittle one. The frightened cries of her beloved little chick, while itwas being dragged away by the rat, awoke all the mother-love in thebosom of the hen. She flew at the corner whence he had taken her child, seized him by the neck, dragged him about the room, put out one of hiseyes, and so tired him by repeated attacks of spur and bill, that in thespace of twelve minutes, during which time the conflict lasted, shekilled the rat, nimbly turned round in triumph to her frightenednestling, and lovingly sheltered it beneath her protecting wings. [Illustration] XVI THE SHEPHERD'S DOG James Hogg, the shepherd poet, had a dog named Sirrah, who was for manyyears his sole companion. He was, the shepherd says, the best dog heever saw, in spite of his surly manners and unattractive appearance. Thefirst time he saw the dog, a drover was leading him by a rope, and, although hungry and lean, "I thought, " Hogg tells us, "I saw a sort ofsullen intelligence in his face, so I gave the drover a guinea for him. I believe there was never a guinea so well spent. He was scarcely a yearold then, and knew nothing of herding; but as soon as he found out thatit was his duty to do so, I can never forget with what eagerness helearned. He would try every way till he found out what I wanted him todo; and when once I made him understand a direction, he never forgot ormistook it again. " About seven hundred lambs, which were at once under Mr. Hogg's care, broke up at midnight, and scampered off in three divisions across thehills, in spite of all that the shepherd and an assistant lad could doto keep them together. "Sirrah, " cried the shepherd, in great alarm, "myman, they're awa. " The night was so dark that he did not see Sirrah, butthe faithful dog had heard his master's words, and without more ado heset off in quest of the flock. The shepherd and his companion spentthe whole of the night in scouring the hills, but of neither lambs norSirrah could they obtain the slightest trace. "We had nothing for it, "says the shepherd, "but to return to our master and tell him that we hadlost his whole flock of lambs. On our way home, however, we camesuddenly upon a body of lambs at the bottom of a deep ravine, and infront of them was sitting Sirrah, who was looking around for help. Wedecided that here was at least one of the divisions which Sirrah hadmanaged to collect; but what was our astonishment when we discoveredthat not one of the whole flock was missing. How he had got all thedivisions together in the dark is beyond my comprehension. I never feltso grateful to any creature under the sun as I did to my honest Sirrahthat morning. " [Illustration] XVII TRAVELLERS An innkeeper once sent, as a present to a friend, a dog and cat that hadbeen companions for more than ten months. The carrier took them, tied upin a bag. A short time after the dog and cat set out together, andreturned to their old home, a distance of thirteen miles. They joggedalong the road side by side, and on one occasion the dog gallantlydefended his fellow-traveller from the attack of another dog they met. [Illustration] XVIII FILIAL DUTY A surgeon's mate on board a ship relates that while he was lying awakeone evening, he saw a rat come into his berth, and after lookingcarefully about the place, go away with the greatest care and silence. Soon after it returned, leading by the ear another rat, which it left ata small distance from the hole by which they had entered. A third ratjoined this kind conductor; they then foraged about, and picked up allthe small scraps of biscuit; these they carried to the second rat, whichseemed blind, and staid right on the spot where they had left it, nibbling such food as its faithful friends, whom the story-teller thinkswere its children, brought to it from the more remote parts of theroom. [Illustration] XIX A DOG SHEEP-STEALER A shepherd, who was hung for sheep-stealing, used to commit therobberies by means of his dog. Whenever he wished to steal any sheep, hesent the dog to do the business. He would visit a flock of sheep, looking them over, as if he intended buying some. The dog was always byhis side, and to him he gave a signal secretly, whenever he saw anyparticular sheep he wanted. Sometimes he would pick out ten or twelvefrom a flock of some hundreds. Dog and man then went away, and from adistance of several miles, the dog would be sent back by himself in thenight time. The wise creature picked out the very sheep the man hadselected, separated them from the rest of the flock, and drove thembefore him, often a distance of ten or twelve miles, till he came upwith his master, to whom he delivered them up. [Illustration] XX A MOTHER'S AFFECTION While a ship on a voyage of discovery to the North Pole was locked inthe ice, one morning the man at the masthead reported that three bearswere making their way toward the vessel. They had, no doubt, beenattracted by the scent of some blubber of a sea-horse which the crew wasburning on the ice at the time. They proved to be a mother bear and hertwo cubs; but the cubs were nearly as large as their mother. They raneagerly to the fire, drew out the part of the flesh that remainedunburned, and ate it greedily. The crew threw great lumps of the fleshupon the ice, and the old bear carried them away, one by one, laying alump before each of her cubs, as she brought it, and thus dividing it, keeping only a small share for herself. As she was carrying off the lastpiece, the sailors shot both the cubs dead and wounded the mother, butnot fatally. It would have touched the heart of all but the mostunfeeling had they seen the affectionate concern of this poor animal inthe dying moments of her young. Though terribly wounded herself, shecrawled to the place where they lay, carrying a lump of flesh with her. She tore the lump in pieces, and laid it before them. When she saw thatthey refused to eat, she laid her paws first upon one, then upon theother, and tried to raise them up, moaning meanwhile most pitifully. Finding she could not stir them, she went off, and when she had gonesome distance, looked back and moaned, and called them. As that did notseem to entice them away, she crawled back, and smelling round them, began to lick their wounds. She went off a second time a few paces, looked behind her again, and for some time stood moaning and calling. Asthe cubs did not rise to follow her, she returned once more, and withsigns of inexpressible fondness went round them, caressing them with herpaws. Finding at last that they were cold and lifeless, she raised herhead toward the ship, and growled a curse upon their murderers, whichthey returned with a volley of musket balls. She fell between her cubs, and died licking their wounds. [Illustration] XXI A STRANGE MOUSER A gentleman once owned a hen that was a fine mouser. She was seenconstantly watching close to a corn rick, and the moment a mouseappeared, she seized it in her beak, and carried it to a meadow near by, where she would play with it like a young cat for some time, and thenkill it. She has been known to catch four or five mice a day in thismanner. [Illustration] XXII SABINUS AND HIS DOG After the execution of Sabinus, the Roman general, who was put to deathbecause of his attachment to the family of Germanicus, his body was leftlying unburied upon the precipice of the Gemonię, as a warning to allwho should dare to befriend the house of Germanicus. No friend had thecourage to go near the body; one only remained true--his faithful dog. For three days the animal continued to watch the body, his mournfulhowling awakening the sympathy of every heart. Food was brought to him, and he was kindly coaxed to eat it; but on taking the bread, instead ofeating it himself, he fondly laid it on his master's mouth and renewedhis howling. Days thus passed, but not for a single moment did he leavethe body. The body was at length thrown into the Tiber, and the loving creature, still unwilling that it should perish, leaped into the water after it, and clasping the corpse between its paws, vainly tried to keep it fromsinking. [Illustration] XXIII A JUST RETALIATION A tame elephant kept by a merchant was allowed to go at large. Theanimal used to walk about the streets in as quiet and familiar a manneras any of the people, and took great pleasure in visiting the shops, especially those which sold herbs and fruit, where he was well received, except by a couple of brutal cobblers, who, without any cause, tookoffense at the generous creature, and once or twice tried to wound histrunk with their awls. The noble animal, who knew it was beneath him tocrush them, did not hesitate to punish them by other means. He filledhis large trunk with water, not of the cleanest quality, and advancingto them, as usual, covered them all at once with the very dirty flood. The fools were laughed at, and the punishment applauded. [Illustration: A Just Retaliation. --Page 48] [Illustration] XXIV AN ODD FAMILY A gentleman travelling through Mecklenburg relates the following curiousincident which happened at an inn at which he was staying. After dinner, the landlord placed on the floor a large dish of soup, and then gave aloud whistle. At once there came into the room a mastiff, a fine Angoracat, an old raven, and a remarkably large rat, with a bell about itsneck. These four animals went to the dish, and without disturbing oneanother, fed together. After they had eaten, the dog, cat, and rat laybefore the fire, and the raven hopped about the room. XXV THE DOLPHIN In the reign of Augustus Cęsar there was, in the Lucrine lake, a dolphinwhich formed a most romantic attachment to the son of a poor man. Theboy had to go every day from Baię to Puteoli to school, and such werethe friendly terms on which he had got with the dolphin, that he hadonly to wait by the banks of the lake and cry, "Simo, Simo"--the name hehad given to the animal, when, lo! Simo came scudding to the shore, letfall the sharp prickles of his skin, and gently offered his back for theboy to mount upon. The boy, nothing afraid, used to mount at once, andthe dolphin, without either rein or spur, would speed across the sea toPuteoli, and after landing the young scholar, wait about the shore tillit was time for the boy to go home, when it would again perform the samesort of friendly service. The boy was not ungrateful for such greatkindness, and used every day to bring a good store of food for Simo, which the animal would take from his hand in the most tame and kindlymanner imaginable. For several years this friendly intercourse was keptup. It was, in fact, only ended by the death of the boy. As the storygoes, the dolphin felt so badly when the lad failed to come as usual, that it threw itself on the shore, and died, as was thought, of verygrief and sorrow at the loss of its friend. [Illustration] XXVI A GOOD FINDER One day a tradesman, walking with a friend, offered to wager that if hewere to hide a five-shilling piece in the dust, his dog would find itand bring it to him. The wager was accepted, and the piece of moneymarked and hidden. When the two had gone on some distance, the tradesmancalled to his dog that he had lost something, and told him to seek it. The dog turned back at once, and his master and his friend went on theirway. Meanwhile a traveller, driving a small chaise, saw the piece ofmoney which his horse had kicked from its hiding-place, alighted, tookit up and drove to his inn. The dog had just reached the spot in searchof the lost piece, when the stranger picked it up. He followed thechaise, went into the inn, and, having scented the coin in the pocket ofthe traveller, he kept leaping up at him. Supposing him to be some dogthat had lost his master, the traveller took these actions as marks ofaffection, and as the animal was handsome, decided to keep him. He gavehim a good supper, and on retiring, took him with him to his room. Butno sooner had he pulled off his trousers than they were seized by thedog. The owner, thinking that the dog only wanted to play with them, took them away. The animal began to bark at the door, which thetraveller opened, thinking the animal wanted to go out. The dogsnatched up the trousers, and away he went, the traveller, with hisnightcap on, posting after him. The dog ran full speed to his master'shouse, followed by the stranger, who accused the dog of robbing him. "Sir, " said the master, "my dog is a very faithful creature; and if heran away with your trousers, it is because you have in them money whichdoes not belong to you. " The traveller became still more angry. "Keepcalm, sir, " answered the other, smiling; "no doubt there is in yourpurse a five-shilling piece which you picked up in the road, and which Ihid, knowing my dog would bring it back. This was the reason for therobbery which he committed upon you. " The stranger said he had foundsuch a coin, gave it up to the man, and went on his way. But the cleverdog had thus proven himself to be a good finder. [Illustration] XXVIII REVENGE A wild stork was brought by a farmer into his poultry yard, to be thecompanion of a tame one, which he had long kept there; but the tamestork, disliking a rival, fell upon the poor, wild stranger, and beathim so terribly that he took wing and flew off. About four months afterwards, however, his injuries having all healed, he returned to the poultry yard, with three other storks, who no sooneralighted than they all together fell upon the tame stork, and killedit. [Illustration] XXVIII MICE AS SAILORS Although there are few who would dispute the cleverness and sagacity ofthe larger animals, it is doubtful if there are many who credit themouse with even average intelligence. The following instance may go farto raise our humble friend in the popular estimation; more especially asthe story is told by one who really saw the whole performance. In acountry where berries are scarce, these little animals were obliged tocross a river to make their forages. In returning with their booty totheir homes, they had to recross the stream; in doing which they showedan ingenuity little short of marvelous. The party, which consisted offive, selected a water-lily leaf, on which they placed their berries ina heap in the middle; then, by their united force, they brought it tothe water's edge, and after launching it, jumped on it, and placedthemselves round the heap, with their heads joined over it, and theirbacks to the water. In this manner they drifted down the stream untilthey reached the opposite shore, when they unloaded their cargo, andstored it away for the coming rainy day. [Illustration] XXIX DRAWING WATER Some years ago, a donkey was employed at Carisbrook Castle, in the Isleof Wight, in drawing water by means of a large wheel from a very deepwell, thought to have been sunk by the Romans. When the keeper wantedwater, he would say to the donkey, "Tom, my boy, I want water; get intothe wheel, my lad. " Thomas, thereupon, got in, with a speed and wisdomthat would have done credit to a nobler animal. No doubt he knew theexact number of times the wheel had to turn upon its axis to bring upthe bucket, because every time he brought it to the surface of the well, he stopped and turned round his honest head to note the moment when hismaster laid hold of the bucket to draw it toward him, because he hadthen a nice turn to make either to draw back, or to go ahead a little. It was pleasing to see with what steadiness and regularity the pooranimal did his work. [Illustration] XXX THE BROKEN HEART During the French Revolution M. Des R----, an ancient magistrate andmost estimable man, was condemned to die on the charge of conspiracy, and was thrown into prison. M. Des R---- had a water spaniel, which hadbeen brought up by him, and was always with him. Shut out of the prison, he returned to his master's house, and found it closed. He then tookrefuge with a neighbor. Every day at the same hour, the dog left thehouse, and went straight to the door of the prison, where he whinedmournfully. He was refused admittance, but each day he spent an hourbefore the door, and then went away. His fidelity at last won over theporter, and one day he was allowed to enter. The dog saw his master andclung to him. The jailer could hardly drive him away. He came back thenext morning, and every day; once each day he was admitted. He lickedthe hand of his friend, looked him in the face, again licked his hand, and went away of his own accord. After the execution, at which the dog was present, he walked by the sideof the corpse to its burial place, and after the ceremony laid himselfupon the grave. There he passed the first night, the next day, and thenext night. The neighbor, in the meantime, unhappy at not seeing him, went in search of his friend, and found him by his master's grave. Hecaressed him and made him eat a little food. He even coaxed thefaithful creature away for a few moments, but he soon returned to hismaster's grave. Three months passed. The dog came each morning to gethis food, and then returned to the grave. Each day he was more sad, morelean, more feeble. He was chained up, but broke his fetters; escaped;returned to the grave, and never left it more. It was in vain that theytried to get him back. They carried him food, but he ate no longer. Forhours he was seen digging up with his weakened limbs the earth thatseparated him from his beloved master. Passion gave him strength, and atlast he was near to the body. Then his faithful heart gave way, and hebreathed out a last gasp, as if he knew he had found his master. [Illustration] XXXI REMORSE An elephant, from some motive of revenge, killed his mahout, or driver. The man's wife, who beheld the dreadful scene, took her two children, and threw them at the feet of the angry animal, saying, "Since you haveslain my husband, take my life also, and that of my children. " Theelephant instantly became calm looked at them a moment, and then, as ifstung with remorse, took up the eldest boy with his trunk, placed him onhis neck, adopted him for his driver, and would never afterwards allowany other person to mount him. [Illustration] XXXII A COMEDY OF ELEPHANTS In a play exhibited at Rome, in the reign of Tiberius, there were twelveelephant performers, six male and six female, all fixed up in fancycostumes. After they had, at the command of their keeper, danced andperformed a thousand curious antics, a most sumptuous feast was servedup for their refreshment. The table was covered with all sorts ofdainties and golden goblets filled with the most precious wines. Couchescovered with purple carpets were placed around for the animals to lieupon, after the manner of the Romans when feasting, and on these couchesthe elephants laid themselves down. At a given signal they reached outtheir trunks to the table, and fell to eating and drinking with as muchpropriety as if they had been so many men and women. [Illustration] XXXIII CUNNING AS A FOX An American gentleman was hunting foxes, accompanied by two bloodhounds. The dogs were soon in scent, and followed a fox nearly two hours, whensuddenly they appeared at fault. The gentleman came up with them near alarge log lying upon the ground, and was much surprised to find themtaking a circuit of a few rods without an object, every trace of thegame seeming to have been lost, while they still kept yelping. Onlooking round about himself, he saw sly Reynard stretched upon the log, as still as if he were dead. The master made several efforts to directthe attention of his dogs toward the fox, but failed. At last he went sonear the artful creature that he could see it breathe. Even then noalarm was shown; and the gentleman, seizing a club, aimed a blow at him, which Reynard evaded by a leap from his strange hiding-place, havingthus for a time effectually eluded his greedy pursuers. [Illustration] XXXIV FAITHFUL THOUGH UNLOVED A gentleman once owned a mastiff which guarded the house and yard, buthad never any particular attention from his master. One night, as hismaster was retiring to his room, attended by his valet, an Italian, themastiff silently followed him upstairs, something which he had neverbeen before known to do, and to his master's astonishment, came into hisbedroom. He was at once turned out; but the poor animal began scratchingviolently at the door, and howled loudly for admission. The servant wassent to drive him away; but again he returned, and seemed more anxiousthan before to be let in. Getting tired of his barking, the gentlemanbade the servant open the door, that they might see what it was theanimal wanted to do. As soon as he was let in the dog walked to the bed, and crawling under it, laid himself down as if intending to spend thenight there. To save farther trouble, this was allowed. About midnightthe chamber door opened, and some one was heard stepping carefullyacross the floor. The gentleman started from his sleep; the dog sprangfrom his covert, and seizing the unwelcome intruder, fixed him to thespot. All was dark, and the gentleman rang his bell in great fear inorder to procure a light. The person who was pinned to the floor by thecourageous mastiff was roaring for assistance. It was found to be thevalet, who little expected such a reception. He tried to apologize forhis intrusion, and to make the reasons which led him to take this stepappear plausible; but the importunity of the dog, the time, the place, the manner of the valet, all raised the suspicions of his master, and hedetermined to refer the investigation of the business to a magistrate. The Italian at length confessed that it was his intention to murder hismaster and then rob the house. This he would surely have done, had itnot been for the great wisdom of the dog and his wonderful friendshipfor a master who had never treated him with the kindness that he shouldhave done. [Illustration] XXXV A FAITHFUL COMPANION A gardener, in removing some rubbish one day, found two ground toads ofuncommon size, weighing no less than seven pounds. While he was watchingthem, he was surprised to see that one of them got upon the back of theother, and then both moved slowly over the ground toward a place ofretreat. Upon further examination he found that the one on the back ofthe other had been badly wounded by a blow from his spade, and was thusunable to get back to its home without the help of its friend. [Illustration] XXXVI ELEPHANT ROPE DANCING The ease with which the elephant is taught to perform the most difficultfeats forms a remarkable contrast to its huge size and clumsiness. Aristotle tells us that in ancient times elephants were taught by theirkeepers to throw stones at a mark, to cast up arms in the air, and catchthem again on their fall; and to dance, not merely on the earth, but onthe rope. The first, according to the historian Suetonius, who exhibitedelephant rope dancers, was Galba at Rome. The manner of teaching them todance on the ground was simple enough (simply music and a very hotfloor); but we are not told how they were taught to skip the rope, orwhether it was the tight or the slack rope, or how high the rope was. The silence of history on these points is fortunate for the dancers ofthe present day; since, but for this, their fame might have been utterlyeclipsed. Elephants may, in the days of old Rome, have been taught todance on a rope, but when was an elephant ever known to skip on a ropeover the heads of an audience, or to caper amidst a blaze of fire fiftyfeet aloft in the air? What would Aristotle have thought of his dancingelephants if he had seen some of the elephants who perform to-day? [Illustration] XXXVII A PROVIDENTIAL SAFE CONDUCT A traveller tells a singular anecdote of a lion, which he says was toldto him by a very credible person. About the year 1614 or 1615, twoChristian slaves at Morocco made their escape, travelling by night, andhiding themselves in the tops of trees during the day, their Arabpursuers often passing them by. One night, while travelling along, theywere much astonished and alarmed to see a great lion close by them, walking when they walked and standing still when they did. Thinking thisa safe conduct sent to them by Providence, they took courage andtravelled in the daytime in company with the lion. The horsemen who hadbeen sent in pursuit came up, and would have seized upon them, but thelion interposed, and they were allowed to pass on. Every day these poorslaves met with some one or other person who wanted to seize them, butthe lion was their protector until they reached the sea coast in safety, when he left them. [Illustration] XXXVIII THE DOG AND THE GOOSE A goose was once observed to attach itself in the strongest and mostaffectionate manner to the house dog, but never offered to go into thekennel except in rainy weather. Whenever the dog barked, the goose wouldcackle, and run at the person she supposed the dog barked at, and try tobite him by the heels. She would sometimes try to feed with the dog, butthis the dog, who treated his faithful companion with indifference, would not allow. This bird would not go to roost with the others atnight, unless she was driven by main force; and when in the morning theywere all turned into the field, she would never stir from the yard gate, but sit there the whole day in sight of the dog. At length orders weregiven that she should not longer be molested. Being thus left toherself, she ran about the yard with him all night and what is moststrange, whenever the dog went out of the yard and ran into the village, the goose always went with him, managing to keep up with him by the helpof her wings, and thus running and flying, followed him all over thetown. This strange affection of the goose for the dog, which continuedtill his death, two years after it was first noticed, is supposed tohave been due to the fact, that once, in her very young days, he hadsaved her from a fox. [Illustration] While the dog was ill, the goose never left him, day or night, not evento feed, and she would surely have starved to death had not a pan ofcorn been set every day close to the kennel. At this time the goosegenerally sat in the kennel, and would not allow any one to come nearit, except the person who brought the dog's or her own food. The end ofthis faithful bird was very sad; for when the dog died, she would stillkeep possession of the kennel. A new house dog was bought, which in sizeand color so resembled the one lately lost that the poor goose wasunhappily deceived, and going into the kennel as usual, the new dogseized her by the throat and killed her. XXXIX THE DEATH OF ANTIOCHUS REVENGED When Antiochus was killed in battle by Centaretrius the Galatian, thevictor exultingly leaped on the back of the fallen king's horse; but hehad no sooner done so, than the animal, as if sensible that it wasbestridden by the slayer of its master, at once showed signs of thegreatest fury, and bounding forward to the top of a lofty rock, with aspeed which defied every attempt of Centaretrius to disengage himself, leaped with him over the precipice, at the foot of which both were founddashed to pieces. Thus did the noble horse revenge his master's death. [Illustration] XL A NOBLE REVENGE A young man, anxious to get rid of his dog, took it along with him tothe river. He hired a boat, and rowing out into the stream, threw theanimal in. The poor creature tried to climb up the sides of the boat, but his master, whose wish was to drown him, kept on pushing him backinto the water with the oar. In doing this, he fell into the waterhimself, and would certainly have been drowned, had not the dog, as soonas he saw his master struggling helplessly in the stream, allowed theboat to float away, seized his master's coat, and held him above watertill help came, and his life was saved. [Illustration] XLI LONG LOST FOUND AGAIN A female elephant belonging to a gentleman in Calcutta broke loose fromher keeper, and was lost in the woods. The excuses which the keeper madewere not admitted. It was supposed that he had sold the elephant; hiswife and family therefore were sold for slaves, and he himself wascondemned to work upon the roads. About twelve years after, this man was ordered into the country toassist in catching wild elephants. The keeper fancied he saw hislong-lost elephant in a group that was before them. He was determined togo up to it; nor could the strongest arguments as to the danger of sucha risk keep him from his purpose. When he came near the creature, sheknew him, and giving him three salutes by waving her trunk in the air, knelt down and received him on her back. She afterwards helped insecuring the other elephants, and likewise brought her three young ones. The keeper recovered his reputation; and, as a recompense for hissufferings and bravery, had a certain sum of money settled on him forlife. [Illustration] XLII THE DOG OF MONTARGIS A Frenchman of family and fortune, travelling alone through a forest, was murdered and buried under a tree. His dog, an English bloodhound, would not leave his master's grave till at length, compelled by hunger, he went to the house of a friend of his master's, and by his mournfulhowling seemed trying to make him know that something had happened. Herepeated his cries, ran to the door, looked back to see if any onefollowed him, went back to his master's friend, pulled him by thesleeve, and with a great deal of earnestness seemed begging him tofollow. Struck by these actions, the company decided to follow the dog, who ledthem to a tree where he began scratching the earth and howling. Ondigging, the body of the unhappy man was found. Some time after, the dog accidentaly met the murderer, instantly seizedhim by the throat, and was with the greatest difficulty compelled toloose his hold. As the dog continued to follow and attack the man, though kind and gentle to all others, his actions began to attractnotice and comment. At last the affair reached the king's ear. He sent for the dog, whoseemed very gentle till he saw the murderer, when he ran at himfiercely, growling and snapping at him as usual. [Illustration] The king, struck with the strange behavior of the noble animal, decidedto refer the decision to the chance of battle. In other words, he gaveorders for a combat between the assassin and the dog. The lists wereappointed, and the man was allowed for his weapon a great cudgel. An empty cask was given to the dog as a place of retreat, to give him achance to recover his breath. The dog, finding himself at liberty ranround his adversary, avoiding his blows, and threatening him on everyside, till his strength was exhausted; then springing forward, hegripped him by the throat, threw him on the ground, and made him confessbefore the king and the whole court. The assassin was afterwardconvicted and beheaded. XLIII CRAB FISHING The following is an instance of the wonderful cunning shown by theRaccoon. It is very fond of crabs, and when in quest of them, will standby the side of a swamp, and hang its tail over into the water. Thecrabs, mistaking the tail for food, are sure to lay hold of it; and assoon as the sly beast feels them pinch, he pulls them out with a suddenjerk. He then takes them to a little distance from the water's edge, andin eating them, is careful to get them crossways in his mouth, lest heshould suffer from their nippers. [Illustration] XLIV THE HORSE AND GREYHOUND Various have been the opinions upon the difference of speed between awell-bred greyhound and a racehorse, if opposed to each other. Wisheshad been often expressed by the sporting world that some standard couldbe adopted by which the superiority of speed could be fairlyascertained, when the following incident happened, and afforded someinformation upon what had before been considered a matter of greatuncertainty. In the month of December, 1800 a match was to have been runover Doncaster racecourse for one hundred guineas, but one of the horsesbeing withdrawn, a mare started alone, that by running the ground shemight ensure the wager. After having run about a mile in the four, shewas joined by a greyhound, which leaped into the course from one side, and entering into the competition, continued to race with the mare forthe other three miles, keeping nearly head and head, and affording anexcellent treat to the field by the energetic exertions of each. Atpassing the distance post five to four was bet in favor of thegreyhound; when parallel with the stand it was even betting, and anyperson might have taken his choice from five to ten. The mare, however, had the advantage by a head at the end of the race. [Illustration] XLV THE WATCH DOG A thief who had broken into the shop of Cellini, the artist, and wasbreaking open the caskets in order to get at some jewels, was arrestedin his progress by a dog, against whom he found it a difficult matter todefend himself with a sword. The faithful animal ran to the room wherethe journeymen slept, but as they did not seem to hear him barking, hedrew away the bed-clothes, and pulling them alternately by the arms, forcibly woke them; then barking very loud, he showed the way to thethief, and went on before; but the men would not follow him, and at lastthey locked their door. The dog, having lost all hopes of the assistanceof these men, undertook the task alone, and ran downstairs. He could notfind the villain in the shop, but instantly rushing into the street cameup with him, and tearing off his cloak, would have treated him accordingto his deserts if the fellow had not called to some tailors in theneighborhood, and begged them to help him. They came to his aid, anddrove the poor animal away. [Illustration] XLVI THE GOAT A gentleman who had taken an active part in the rebellion of 1715, afterthe battle of Preston escaped into the West Highlands, where a lady, anear relative, gave him a hiding-place. A faithful servant conducted himto the mouth of a cave and gave him an abundant store of food. Thefugitive crept in at a low opening, dragging his stores along. When hereached a wider and higher place, he found some obstacle before him. Hedrew his dirk, but unwilling to strike, lest he might take the life of acompanion in hiding, he stooped down, and found a goat with her kidstretched on the ground. He soon saw that the animal was in great pain, and feeling her body and limbs, found that her leg was broken. He boundit up with his garter, and offered her a share of the bread beside him;but she put out her tongue, as if to tell him that her mouth was parchedwith thirst. He gave her water, which she drank readily, and then atesome bread. After midnight he ventured out of the cave. All was still. He plucked an armful of grass and cut some tender twigs, which the goataccepted with signs of great joy and thankfulness. The prisoner took agreat deal of comfort in having a living creature in his dungeon, and hecaressed and fed her tenderly. The man who was trusted to bring himsupplies fell sick; and when another tried to enter the cavern, the goatfuriously opposed him, presenting her horns in all directions, till thefugitive, hearing a disturbance, came forward. The new attendant gavethe watchword, and so the prisoner knew he was all right. He spoke tothe goat, and she obeyed him, and allowed the servant to enter. Thegentleman was sure that had a band of soldiers attacked the cavern, hisgrateful patient would have died in his defense. [Illustration] XLVII FOX CHASING During a fox hunt, Reynard, being hard pressed, had to take refuge upthe chimney of a hot house. He was followed by one of the hounds, who, passing through a flue nearly fifty feet in length, came out at the topof the chimney, but in some way missed Reynard in its dark recesses. Bythis time a number of people were collected at the top of the chimney. They let down a terrier, who, holding fast by his brush, soon drove himout. [Illustration] XLVIII THE RIGHTS OF HOSPITALITY A native Moor who went to hunt the lion, having gone far into theforest, happened to meet with two lion's cubs that came to caress him. The hunter stopped with the little animals, and waiting for the comingof the father or mother, took out his breakfast and gave them a part. The lioness arrived unseen by the huntsman, so that he had not time, orperhaps wanted the courage to take his gun. After having for some timelooked at the man that was thus feasting her young, the lioness wentaway, and soon afterward returned, bearing with her a sheep, which shelaid at the huntsman's feet. The Moor, thus become one of the family, took this occasion of making agood meal, skinned the sheep, made a fire, and then roasted a part, giving the entrails to the young. The lion in his turn came also; and, as if respecting the rights of hospitality, he showed no tokens whateverof ferocity. Their guest the next day, having finished his provisions, returned, and resolved never more to kill any of those animals, thenoble generosity of which he had so fully proven. He stroked andcaressed the cubs at taking leave of them, and the mother and fatherwent with him till he was safely out of the forest. [Illustration] XLIX A SLY COUPLE A gentleman in the county of Stirling kept a greyhound and a pointer, and being fond of coursing, the pointer was accustomed to find thehares, and the greyhound to catch them. When the season was over, it wasfound that the dogs were in the habit of going out by themselves, andkilling hares for their own amusement. To prevent this, a large ironring was fastened to the pointer's neck by a leather collar, and allowedto hang down so as to prevent the dog from running or jumping overditches and dykes. The animals, however, continued to stroll out intothe fields together; and one day the gentleman, suspecting that theywere up to some sort of mischief, decided to watch them. To hissurprise, he found that the moment when they thought no one was lookingat them, the greyhound took up the iron ring in his mouth, and carryingit, they set off to the hills, and began to search for hares as usual. They were followed, and it was discovered that whenever the pointerscented the hare, the ring was dropped, and the greyhound stood ready topounce upon the poor little creature the moment the other drove her fromher form, but that he always came back to help his friend after he hadcaught his prey. [Illustration] L OSTRICH RIDING A gentleman tells how, during the time he was living at Podor, a Frenchfactory on the banks of the river Niger, there were two ostriches, though young, of gigantic size, which afforded him a very remarkablesight. "They were, " he says, "so tame that two little blacks mountedboth together on the back of the largest. No sooner did he feel theirweight, than he began to run as fast as possible, and carried themseveral times round the village, as it was impossible to stop himotherwise than by putting something in the path. This sight pleased meso much, that I was anxious to have it repeated, and to try theirstrength, directed a full-grown negro to mount the smaller and the twoboys the larger. This burden did not seem at all too much for theirstrength. At first they went at a fairly sharp trot, but when theybecame heated a little, they expanded their wings as though to catch thewind, and moved with such fleetness that they scarcely seemed to touchthe ground. Most people have, at one time or another, seen a partridgerun; and therefore know that there is no man whatever able to keep upwith it; and it is easy to imagine, that if this bird had a longer step, its speed would be much greater. The ostrich moves much like thepartridge, with this advantage; and I am satisfied that those I amspeaking of, would have distanced the fleetest racehorses that were everbred in England. It is true they would not hold out as long as a horse;but they would undoubtedly go over a given space in less time. I haveoften seen this performance, and it gives one an idea of the wonderfulstrength of an ostrich, and shows of what use it might be, did we butknow how to break and manage it as we do a horse. " [Illustration] LI RETRIBUTION A fawn that was drinking in a park, was suddenly pounced upon by one ofthe swans, that pulled the animal into the water, and held it under tillit was drowned. This cruel deed was noticed by the other deer in thepark, and did not go long unrevenged; for shortly after this the veryswan, which had never till this time been molested by the deer, wassingled out when on land one day, and furiously attacked by the herd, which closed around the cruel swan, and soon killed it. [Illustration] LII AN ELEPHANT'S REVENGE Persons who have the care of elephants have often noticed that they knowvery well when any one is making fun of them, and that they very oftenrevenge themselves when they have an opportunity. A painter wished todraw an elephant in the menagerie at Paris, and wanted to get the animalin a ridiculous attitude, which was with his trunk lifted up and hismouth open. To make the elephant keep this position, an attendant threw fruit andnuts into the open mouth, but sometimes he only pretended to throw them. This made the animal very angry, and as if knowing that the painterrather than his servant was the one to blame, he finally turned to himand dashed a quantity of water from his trunk over the paper on whichthe painter was sketching his portrait. [Illustration] LIII STRANGE PLAYMATES A little girl about three years of age was noticed for a number of daysgoing a considerable distance from the house with a piece of bread hermother had given her. This attracted the attention of the mother, whoasked the father to follow the child, and find out what she did with thebread. On coming to the child, he found her busy at work feeding severalsnakes of the species of rattlesnakes called yellow heads. He quicklytook her away, went to the house for his gun, and returning, killed twoof them at one shot, and another a few days afterward. The child calledthese snakes as you would call chickens, and when her father told her ifshe let them come so near her, they would bite her, she replied, "No, they won't bite. They only eat the bread I give them. " [Illustration] LIV HONORS TO THE LIVING AND THE DEAD The people of Athens, when they had finished the temple, called_Hecatompedon_, set at liberty the beasts of burden that had beenchiefly engaged in that work, allowing them to pasture at large, freefrom all further service. It is said that one of these animals afterwardcame of its own accord to work, and putting itself at the head of thelaboring cattle, marched before them to the citadel. The people werepleased with this action, and said that the animal should be kept atpublic expense as long as it lived. Many people have shown particularmarks of regard in burying animals which they have cherished and beenfond of. The graves of Cimon's mares, with which he thrice conquered atthe Olympic games, are still to be seen near his own tomb. Xanthippus, whose dog swam by the side of his galley to Salamis, when the Athenianswere forced to abandon their city, afterward buried it with great pompupon a promontory, which to this day is called the _Dog's Grave_. InPliny, we have an amusing account of a superb funeral ceremony, whichtook place during the reign of Claudius; in which the illustriousdeparted was no other than a crow, so celebrated for its talents andaddress, that it was looked upon as a sort of public property. Its deathwas felt as a national loss; the man who killed it was condemned toexpiate the crime with his own life; and nothing less than a publicfuneral could, as it was thought, do justice to its memory. The remainsof the bird were laid on a bier, which was borne by two slaves;musicians went before it, playing mournful airs; and a great crowd ofpeople of all ages and conditions, brought up the rear of the melancholyprocession. [Illustration] LV MONKEY VERSUS SNAKE The monkeys in India, knowing by instinct how dangerous snakes are, aremost vigilant in their destruction. They seize them by the neck, whenasleep, and running to the nearest flat stone, grind down their heads bya strong friction on the surface, often looking at them, and grinning attheir progress. When sure that the poisonous fangs are destroyed, theytoss the reptiles to their young ones to play with, and seem to begreatly pleased at the death of their enemies. [Illustration] LVI FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH A dog, between the breed of a mastiff and a bulldog, belonging to achimney sweeper, lay, according to his master's orders, on a soot bag, which he had placed, carelessly, almost in the middle of a narrow backstreet, in a town in the south of England. A loaded cart passing by, thedriver told the dog to move out of the way. When he refused to move, hewas scolded, then beaten, first gently, and afterward pretty hard withthe cart whip. But it was all to no purpose; the dog still lay quietlyon the bag. The driver, with an oath, threatened to drive over thedog--he did so, and the faithful animal, in trying to stop the wheel bybiting it, was crushed to pieces. [Illustration: Faithful unto Death. --Page 112] [Illustration] LVII MUSICAL SEALS Seals have a very delicate sense of hearing, and are much delighted withmusic. A gentleman, in his account of a voyage to Spitzenbergen, tellsus that the son of the ship's captain who was very fond of playing onthe violin, never failed to have a large audience when in the seasfrequented by these animals; and he has seen them follow the ship formiles when any person was playing on deck. LVIII A STRANGE FOSTER MOTHER On an estate in Scotland a terrier had a litter of pups, which were atonce taken away from her and drowned. The unfortunate mother was veryunhappy, until, a few weeks later, she saw a brood of ducklings, whichshe seized and carried to her house, where she kept them, following themin and out with the greatest care, and nursing them after her ownfashion, with the most affectionate anxiety. When the ducklings, following their natural instinct, went into the water, theirfoster-mother was terribly alarmed; and as soon as they came back toland, she quickly snatched them up in her mouth, and ran home with them. What is still more strange is, that the same animal, when her litter ofpups were taken away the year before, seized two chicks, which shebrought up with the same care she now bestowed upon the ducks. When theyoung cocks began to try their voices, their foster-mother was as muchannoyed as she now was by the swimming of the duckings--and never failedto repress their attempts at crowing. [Illustration] LIX SONNINI AND HIS CAT M. Sonnini, when in Egypt, had an Angora cat, of which he was extremelyfond. It was entirely covered with long white silken hairs, and its tailformed a magnificent plume, which the animal elevated at pleasure overits body. Not one spot, not a single dark shade marred the dazzlingwhiteness of its coat. Its nose and lips were of a delicate rose color. Two large eyes sparkled in its round head; one was of yellow and theother of fine blue. This beautiful animal had even more beauty of manners than grace inattitude and movements. However ill any one used her, she never tried toput out her claws from their sheaths. Sensible to kindness, she lickedthe hand which caressed, and even the one which tormented her. InSonnini's solitary moments, she kept the most of the time close by hisside. She interrupted him often in the midst of his labors ormeditations, by little caresses that were very touching, and she usuallyfollowed him in his walks. During his absence she sought and called forhim all the time. She knew his voice at a distance, and seemed on eachfresh meeting with him to feel increased delight. "This animal, " says Sonnini, "was my principal amusement for severalyears. How plainly was her love for me shown in her face! How manytimes have her caresses made me forget my troubles and comforted me inthe midst of my misfortunes! My beautiful and interesting companion, however, at last died. After several days of suffering, during which Inever left her, the light of her eyes, which were constantly fixed onme, went out, and her death rent my heart with sorrow. " [Illustration] LX THE DINNER BELL It is customary in large boarding-houses to announce the dinner-hour bysounding a bell. A cat belonging to one of these houses always hastenedto the hall on hearing the bell, to get its usual meal; but it happenedone day that she was shut up at dinner time in a chamber, and it was invain for her that the bell had rung. Some hours afterward, having beenreleased from her confinement, she hastened to the hall, but foundnothing left for her. The clever cat then went to the bell, and ringingit, tried to call the family to a second dinner, in which she hoped toget her usual share. [Illustration] LXI FORAGING A constable once made a complaint before a bench of London magistratesagainst a horse for stealing hay. The complainant stated that the horsecame regularly every night of its own accord, and without any attendant, to the coach stands in St. George's, ate all he wanted, and thengalloped away. He defied the whole of the parish officers to catch him;for if they tried to go near him while he was eating, he would throw uphis heels and kick at them, or run at them, and if they did not get outof the way, he would bite them. The constable, therefore, thought itbest to bring the case to the attention of the magistrates. "Well, Mr. Constable, " said one of the magistrates, "if you should beannoyed again by this animal in the execution of your duty, you mayarrest him if you can, and bring him before us to answer yourcomplaints. " [Illustration] LXII THE TAME SEA GULL Many years ago a gentleman accidentally caught a sea-gull. He cut itswings and put it in his garden. The bird remained there for severalyears, and being kindly treated, became so tame as to come at call to befed at the kitchen door. It was known by the name of Willie. This birdbecame at last so tame that no pains were taken to keep it, and, itswings having grown to full length, it flew away, joined the other gullson the beach, and came back from time to time, to pay a visit to thehouse. When its companions left the country at the usual season, Williewent with them, much to the regret of the family. To their great joy, however, it returned next season; and with its usual familiarity came toits old haunt, where it was welcomed and fed liberally. In this way itwent and returned for forty years, without missing a year, and kept upits acquaintance in the most cordial manner; for while in the country, it visited them almost daily, answered to its name like any domesticanimal, and almost ate out of the hand. One year, however, Willie didnot pay his respects to the family for eight or ten days after thegeneral flock of gulls were upon the coast, and great was the concernand sorrow over his loss, as it was thought he must surely be dead; butto the surprise and joy of the family, a servant one morning camerunning into the breakfast-room in great joy, saying that Willie hadreturned. Food was soon supplied in abundance, and Willie with his usualfrankness ate of it heartily and was as tame as any barn-yard fowl aboutthe house. After a year or two more, however, this grateful bird nevercame again. [Illustration] LXIII A STRANGE PROTECTOR A lady had a tame bird which she was in the habit of letting out of itscage every day. One morning as it was picking crumbs of bread off thecarpet, her cat, who had always showed before great kindness toward thebird, suddenly seized it, and jumped with it in her mouth upon a table. The lady was alarmed for the fate of her favorite, but on turning about, instantly saw the cause. The door had been left open, and a strange cathad just come into the room! After she had put it out, her own cat camedown from her place of safety, and dropped the bird without having doneit the least injury. [Illustration] LXIV THE LION AND HIS KEEPER In a large menagerie there was a lion called Danco, whose cage neededsome repairs. His keeper hired a carpenter to do the work, but when theworkman came and saw the lion, he started back in terror. The keeperentered the animal's cage, and led him to the upper part of it, whilethe lower was being fixed. He there amused himself for some time playingwith the lion, and being wearied, at last fell asleep. The carpenter, relying fully upon the vigilance of the keeper, went on rapidly with hiswork, and when he had finished it, he called him to see what was done. The keeper made no answer. Having repeatedly called him in vain, hebegan to feel alarmed at his situation, and he determined to go to theupper part of the cage, where, looking through the railing, he saw thelion and the keeper sleeping side by side. He immediately uttered a loudcry; the lion, awakened by the noise, started up and stared at thecarpenter with an eye of fury, and then, placing his paw on the breastof his keeper, lay down to sleep again. At length the keeper wasawakened by some of the attendants, and he did not appear in the leastworried by the situation in which he found himself, but shook the lionby the paw, and then gently conducted him to his old cage. [Illustration] LXV A USURPER PUNISHED Some years ago a sparrow had early in the spring taken possession of aswallow's old nest, and had laid some eggs in it, when the originalbuilder and owner made her appearance and claimed possession. Thesparrow, firmly seated, refused to leave the nest. A smart battlefollowed, in which the swallow was joined by its mate, and, during theconflict, by several of their comrades. All the efforts of the swallowsto drive out the usurper were, however, unsuccessful. Finding themselvescompletely foiled in this object, they held a council of war to consultas to what they should do, and the plan they agreed upon shows that itwas with no ordinary degree of ingenuity that they had solved thequestion as to what was right and just. Since the sparrow could not bedriven out of the nest, the next question with them appears to havebeen, how she could be otherwise punished for her unlawful occupation ofa property belonging to another. The council were of one mind inthinking that nothing short of the death of the intruder could atone forso heinous an offense; and having so decided, they went to work to puttheir sentence into execution in the following very wonderful manner. Leaving the scene of the contest for a time, they returned with manymore friends, each bearing a beak full of building materials; andwithout any further attempt to beat out the sparrow, they at once set towork to build up the entrance into the nest, and soon had enclosed thesparrow within the clay tenement, thus leaving the poor bird to perishin the stronghold she had so bravely defended. [Illustration] LXVI STRANGE ROOKS In a large north of England town a pair of strange rooks, after tryingin vain to find a home in a rookery at a little distance from theExchange, gave up the attempt, and took refuge on the spire of abuilding; and although constantly bothered by other rooks, they builttheir nest on the top of the vane, and there reared a brood of youngones, undisturbed by the noise of the people below them. The nest andits inmates were, of course, turned about by every change of the wind. For ten years they continued to build their nest in the same place, soonafter which the spire was taken down. [Illustration] LXVII TAME HARES The hare is scarcely a domestic animal; yet we have an account of onethat was so tame as to feed from the hand, lie under a chair in thesitting-room, and appear in every way as easy and comfortable as alapdog. It now and then went out into the garden, but, after hoppingabout in the fresh air for a while, it always returned to the house. Itsusual companions were a greyhound and a spaniel, with whom it spent itsevenings, the whole three playing and sleeping together on the samehearth. What makes the circumstance more remarkable is, that thegreyhound and spaniel were both so fond of hare-hunting, that they usedoften to go out coursing together, without anybody with them. They werelike the "Sly Couple, " of whose devotion to the chase an amusing storyis told. A traveller once brought a young hare to such a degree of frolicsomefamiliarity, that it would run and jump about his sofa and bed; leapupon and pat him with its fore feet; or while he was reading, it wouldsometimes knock the book out of his hands, as if to claim, like afondled child, his exclusive attention. [Illustration] LXVIII THE PIG POINTER A sow, which was a thin, long-legged animal, when young took such afancy to some pointer puppies that a gamekeeper on a neighboring estatewas breaking, that it played, and often came to feed with them. This ledthe gamekeeper, who had broken many a dog as obstinate as a pig, tothink he might also manage to break a pig. The little animal would often go out with the puppies to some distancefrom home; and he coaxed it farther by a sort of pudding made of barleymeal, which he carried in one of his pockets. The other pocket he filledwith stones, which he threw at the pig whenever she misbehaved. He found the animal tractable, and soon taught her what he wished bythis mode of reward and punishment. They were frequently seen outtogether, when the sow quartered her ground as regularly as any pointer, stood when she came on game (having an excellent nose), and backed otherdogs as well as ever a pointer did. When she came on the cold scent ofgame, she slackened her trot, and gradually dropped her ears and tail;till she was certain, and then fell down on her knees. So staunch wasshe, that she would frequently remain for five minutes and upwards onher point. As soon as the game rose, she always returned to her master, grunting very loud, for her reward of pudding, if it was not at oncegiven to her. [Illustration] LXIX A WISE OURANG-OUTANG A well-known traveller tells a story about the ourang-outang in its wildstate, which shows that it has both a good memory and some ingenuity. When the fruits on the mountains are gone, these animals often go downto the seacoast, where they feed upon various kinds of shell-fish, butin particular on a large sort of oyster, which commonly lies open on theshore. "Fearful, " he says, "of putting in their paws, lest the oystershould close and crush them, they insert a stone as a wedge within theshell. This prevents it from closing, and they then drag out their prey, and devour it at leisure. " [Illustration] LXX A GRACEFUL RETURN A favorite house-dog, left to the care of its master's servants, whilehe was himself away, would have been starved by them if it had not founda friend in the kitchen of a friend of its master's, which in betterdays it had occasionally visited. On the return of the master it hadplenty at home, and had no further need of food; but still it did notforget the place where it had found a friend in need. A few days after, the dog fell in with a duck, which, as he found in no private pond, heno doubt decided was no private property. He snatched up the duck in histeeth, carried it to the kitchen where he had been so generously fed, laid it at the cook's feet, with many polite movements of his tail, andthen scampered off with much seeming joy at having given this real proofof his gratitude. [Illustration] LXXI WRENS LEARNING TO SING A wren built her nest in a box, so placed that a family had a chance towatch the mother bird teaching her young ones the art of singingpeculiar to wrens. She fixed herself on one side of the opening in thebox, directly before the young birds, and began singing over her wholesong very distinctly. One of the little birds then tried to imitate her. After singing through a few notes, its voice broke and it lost the tune. The mother at once began again where the young one had failed, and wentvery distinctly through the rest of the song. The young bird made asecond attempt, beginning where it had stopped before, and kept up thesong as long as it was able. If the note was lost again, the motherbegan anew where it stopped, and finished it. Then the little oneresumed the song and finished it. This done, the mother sang over the whole series of notes a second timewith great care, and a second of the young ones tried to follow her. Thewren followed the same course with this one as with the first; and so onwith the third and all the rest. It sometimes happened that the youngbird would lose the tune three or four or more times in the sameattempt, and the mother would always begin where they stopped and singthe rest of the song; and when each little bird had sung the whole songthrough, she repeated the whole strain. Sometimes two of the youngbirds began together. The mother did just the same as when one sangalone. This practise was repeated day after day, and several times aday. [Illustration] LXXII RARE HONESTY A mastiff dog, who owed more to the kindness of a neighbor than to hismaster, was once locked by mistake in the well-stored pantry of hisbenefactor for a whole day, where there were, within his reach, milk, butter, bread and meat, in abundance. On the return of the servant tothe pantry, seeing the dog come out, and knowing the time it had beenshut in there, she trembled for fear of the waste which she was sure hercarelessness must have brought about; but on close examination, it wasfound that the honest creature had not tasted of anything, although, oncoming out, he fell on a bone that was given him, with all thegreediness of hunger. [Illustration] LXXIII DIVISION OF LABOR The Alpine marmots are said to work together in the collection ofmaterials for the building of their homes. Some of them, we are told, cut the herbage, others collect it into heaps; a third set serve aswagons to carry it to their holes; while still others perform all thework of draught horses. The manner of the latter part of the curiousprocess is this. The animal that is to be the wagon, lies down on itsback, and stretching out its four legs as wide as it can, allows itselfto be loaded with hay; and those that are to be the horses, drag it, thus loaded, by the tail, taking care not to upset the creature. Thetask of thus serving as a wagon being, evidently, the least desirablepart of the business, is taken by every one of the party in turn. [Illustration] LXXIV A TALKING PARROT During the time that Prince Maurice was ruling in Brazil, he heard of anold parrot that was much celebrated for answering like a human being, many of the common questions put to it. It was at a great distance; butso much had been said about it that the prince's curiosity was roused, and he directed it to be sent for. When the parrot was brought into the room where the prince was sitting, in company with several Dutchmen, it at once cried out in the Brazilianlanguage, "What a company of white men are here!" They asked it, "Who isthat man?" (pointing to the prince). The parrot answered, "Some generalor other. " When the attendants carried it up to him, he asked it, through the aid of an interpreter (for he did not understand itslanguage), "Whence do you come?" The parrot answered, "From Marignan. " The prince asked, "To whom do you belong?" It answered, "To aPortuguese. " He asked again, "What do you there?" The parrot answered, "I look after chickens. " The prince laughing, exclaimed, "You look afterchickens!" The parrot in reply said, "Yes, I do; and I know well how todo it;" clucking at the same time in imitation of the noise made by thehen to call her little chicks together. [Illustration] The prince afterward said that although the parrot spoke in a languagehe did not understand, yet he could not be deceived, for he had in theroom at the time both a Dutchman who spoke Brazilian, and a Brazilianwho spoke Dutch; that he asked them separately and privately, and bothagreed exactly in their account of the parrot's conversation. LXXV A CHARITABLE CANARY A pair of goldfinches who had had the misfortune to be captured withtheir nest and six young ones, were placed in a double cage, with a pairof canaries, which had a brood of little ones also; there being apartition of wire netting between the cages. At first the goldfinches seemed careless about their young ones. Thefather canary, attracted by the cries of the baby goldfinches, forcedhimself through a flaw in the wire, and began to feed them. This it didregularly, until the goldfinches undertook the work themselves, andrendered the kindness of the canary no longer necessary. [Illustration] LXXVI CHOOSING THE LEAST OF TWO EVILS A french dog was taught by his master to run many different errands, among others to bring him his meals from a restaurant. The dog carriedthe food in a basket, and one evening, when the dog was returning to hismaster with his dinner, two other dogs, attracted by the savory smellcoming from the basket, made up their minds to attack him. The dog puthis basket on the ground and set himself courageously against the firstone that advanced against him; but while he was fighting with one, theother ran to the basket, and began to help himself. At length, seeingthat there was no chance of beating both dogs, and saving his master'sdinner, he threw himself between his two opponents, and without furtherceremony, quickly ate up the rest of the food himself, and then returnedto his master with the empty basket. [Illustration] LXXVII GOING TO MARKET A butcher and cattle dealer had a dog which he usually took with himwhen he drove cattle to market at a town some nine miles distant fromhis home, to be sold. The dog was very clever at managing the cattle. At last, so sure was the master of the wisdom and faithfulness of hisdog, that he made a wager that he would trust him with a certain numberof sheep and oxen, and let him drive them to the market all by himself. It was agreed that no person should be within sight or hearing--at leastno one who had any control over the dog; nor was anybody to interfere orbe within a quarter of a mile. On the day of the trial, the dog went about his business in the mostskilful and knowing manner; and although he had often to drive hischarge through the herds that were grazing, yet he never lost one, butconducting them into the very yard to which he was wont to drive themwhen with his master, he delivered them up to the person appointed toreceive them. What more particularly marked the dog's sagacity was, that, when thepath the herd travelled lay through a spot where others were grazing, hewould run forward, stop his own drove, and then driving the othersfrom each side of the path, collect his scattered charge and then go onagain. He was several times afterward sent thus alone for the amusementof the curious or the convenience of his master, and always did his workin the same adroit and intelligent manner. [Illustration] LXXVIII THE CATCHER CAUGHT During a sudden flood in the Rhine, a hare, unable to find a way ofescape through the water to higher land, climbed up a tree. One of theboatmen rowing about to assist the unfortunate people, seeing her, rowedup to the tree, and, eager for the game, climbed it, without properlyfastening his boat. The frightened hare, as its pursuer came near, sprang from the tree intothe boat, which thus set in motion, floated away, leaving its owner inthe tree in dread of being washed away by the current. After severalhours' anxiety, he was seen, and taken off by some of his companions. [Illustration] LXXIX SNAKE DESTROYERS The Indian ichneumon, a small creature, looking like both the weasel andthe mongoose, is of great use to the natives because of its great hatredof snakes, which would otherwise make every footstep of the travellermost dangerous. This little creature, on seeing a snake, no matter howlarge, will instantly dart on it, and seize it by the throat, if hefinds himself in an open place, where he has a chance of running to acertain herb, which he some way knows to be an antidote against thepoison of the bite, if he should happen to receive one. A gentlemanvisiting the island of Ceylon saw the experiment tried in a closed room, where the ichneumon, instead of attacking his enemy, did all in hispower to avoid him. On being carried out of the house, however, and putnear his antagonist in the field, he at once darted at the snake, andsoon killed it. It then suddenly disappeared for a few minutes, andagain returned as soon as it had found and eaten the herb it knew was anantidote. [Illustration] LXXX MUSICAL MICE "One rainy winter evening, as I was alone in my room, " says an Americangentleman, "I took up my flute and began to play. In a few minutes myattention was directed to a mouse that I saw creeping from a hole, andcoming toward the chair in which I was sitting. I stopped playing, andit ran quickly back to its hole. I began again shortly afterward, andwas much surprised to see it reappear, and take its old position. Theactions of the little animal were truly amusing. It lay down on thefloor, shut its eyes, and seemed delighted, but the minute I stopped myplaying, it instantly disappeared again. This experiment I oftenrepeated with the same result. I also noted that the mouse wasdifferently affected, as the music varied from the slow and sad to thebrisk or lively. It finally went away, and all my art could not coax itto return. " [Illustration] LXXXI A CARRIER'S DOG A carrier on his way to a market town had to stop at some houses by theroadside, in the way of his business, leaving his cart and horse uponthe public road, under the protection of a passenger and a trusty dog. Upon his return he missed one of the women passengers, and likewise aled horse which was owned by a gentleman of the neighborhood. The horsehe was taking along, tied to the end of the cart. On inquiry he foundout that during his absence, the woman, who had been anxious to try themettle of the pony, had mounted it, and the animal had set off at fullspeed. The carrier expressed much anxiety for the safety of the youngwoman, casting at the same time an expressive look at his dog. Oscarobserved his master's eye, and aware of its meaning, instantly set offin pursuit of the pony. Coming up with it soon after, he made a suddenspring, seized the bridle, and held the animal fast. Several people, having seen his actions, and the dangerous situation of the girl, hastened to her aid. Oscar, however, notwithstanding their repeatedendeavors, would not let go his hold, and the pony was actually led intothe stable with the dog still clinging to it. When the carrier enteredthe stable, Oscar wagged his tail in token of his satisfaction, and atonce gave up the bridle to his master. [Illustration: A Carrier's Dog. --Page 160] [Illustration] LXXXII A TAME COLONY A well-known traveller, in describing the Island of Tristan d'Acunha, states that the animals found on this lonely spot were so tame, that itwas necessary to clear a path right through the mass of birds which weresitting on the rocks, and this was done by simply kicking them aside. One kind of seal did not move at all when struck or pelted, and at lastsome of the company amused themselves by mounting them, and riding theminto the sea. LXXXIII THE BEAR CUBS A mother bear, with two cubs, came too near a whaler, and was shot. Thecubs not trying to escape, were taken alive. The little creatures, though at first seeming quite unhappy, at length became in some measurereconciled to their fate, and being quite tame, were allowed sometimesto go at large about the deck. While the ship was moored to a floe a few days after they were taken, one of them having a rope fastened round his neck, was thrown overboard. It at once swam to the ice, got upon it, and tried to escape. Findingitself, however, held by the rope, it tried to free itself in thefollowing clever way. Near the edge of the floe was a crack in the ice. It was of considerablelength, but only eighteen inches or two feet wide, and three or fourfeet deep. To this spot the bear turned; and when, on crossing thechasm, the bight of the rope fell into it, he placed himself across theopening; then suspending himself by his hind feet, with a leg on eachside, he dropped his head and most all of his body into the chasm; andwith a foot applied to each side of the neck, tried for some minutes topush the rope over his head. Finding that this scheme did not work, he moved to the main ice, andrunning with great force from the ship, gave a strong put on the rope;then going backward a few steps, he repeated the jerk. At length, afterrepeated attempts to make his escape in this way, every failure of whichhe announced with an angry growl, he gave himself up to his hard fate, and lay down on the ice in angry and sullen silence. [Illustration] LXXXIV DECEIVING THE FOWLER A young pointer, out with his master hunting, ran on a brood of verysmall partridges. The old bird cried, fluttered, and ran trembling alongjust before the dog's nose, till she had drawn him to a considerabledistance; when she took wing and flew farther off, but not out of thefield. At this the dog went back nearly to the place where the youngones lay concealed in the grass. The old bird no sooner saw this thanshe flew back again, settled first before the dog's nose, and a secondtime acted the same part, rolling and tumbling about till she drew offhis attention from the brood, and thus succeeded in saving them. [Illustration] LXXXV ASKING ASSISTANCE A party of a ship's crew was sent ashore on a part of the coast ofIndia, for the purpose of cutting wood for the ship. One of the men, having strayed from the rest, was greatly frightened by the appearanceof a large lioness, who came toward him. But when she had come up tohim, she lay down at his feet, and looked very earnestly, first at him, and then at a tree a short distance off. After doing this several times, she arose and started toward the tree, looking back at the man severaltimes, as if trying to make him follow her. At length he went, and whenhe reached the tree, he saw a huge baboon with two young cubs in herarms. He supposed they must belong to the lioness, as she lay down likea cat, and seemed to be watching them very anxiously. The man beingafraid to climb the tree, decided to cut it down, and having his axewith him, he at once set to work, the lioness, meantime, watching to seewhat he was doing. When the tree fell, she sprang upon the baboon, andafter tearing her in pieces, she turned round and fawned round the man, rubbing her head against him in great fondness, and in token of hergratitude for the service he had done her. After this she took the cubsaway, one at a time, and the man went back to the ship. [Illustration] LXXXVI DOG SMUGGLERS In the Netherlands, they use dogs of a very large and strong breed asthey would horses. They are harnessed like horses, and chiefly employedin drawing little carts filled with fish, vegetables, and other produce. Before the year 1795, such dogs were also employed in smuggling; whichwas the easier, as they are exceedingly docile. The dogs were trained to go back and forth between two places on thefrontiers, without any person to attend them. Being well loaded withlittle parcels of goods, lace, and the like, they set out at midnight, and went only when it was perfectly dark. An excellent, quick-scenteddog always went some paces before the others, stretched out his nosetoward all quarters, and when he scented custom house officers, turnedback, which was the signal for immediate flight. Concealed behind bushes, or in ditches, the dogs waited till all wassafe, then continued their journey, and at last reached, beyond thefrontier, the dwelling-house of the receiver of the goods, who was inthe secret. But here, also, the leading dog only at first showedhimself. On a certain whistle, which was a signal that all was right, they all hastened up. They were then unloaded, taken to a nearbystable, where there was a good layer of hay and plenty of good food. There they rested until midnight, and they then returned in the samemanner as they had come, back over the frontiers. [Illustration] LXXXVII PORUS SAVED BY HIS ELEPHANT King Porus, in a battle with Alexander the Great, being severelywounded, fell from the back of his elephant. The Macedonian soldiers, supposing him dead, pushed forward, in order to rob him of his richclothing and accoutrements; but the faithful elephant, standing over thebody of its master, boldly drove back every one who dared to come near, and while the enemy stood at bay, took the bleeding Porus up with histrunk, and placed him again on his back. The troops of Porus came by this time to his relief, and the king wassaved; but the elephant died of the wounds which it had so bravelyreceived in the heroic defense of its master. [Illustration] LXXXVIII A HUMANE SOCIETY A large colony of rooks had lived for many years in a grove on the banksof a river. One quiet evening the idle birds amused themselves withchasing one another through endless mazes, and in their flight they madethe air sound with many discordant noises. In the midst of this play, itunfortunately happened that one of the rooks, by a sudden turn, struckhis head against the wing of another. The wounded bird instantly fellinto the river. A general cry of distress followed. The birds hoveredwith every expression of anxiety over their distressed companion. Encouraged by their sympathy, and perhaps by the language of counselknown to themselves, he sprang into the air, and by one strong effortreached the point of a rock that projected into the river. The joybecame loud and universal; but, alas! it was soon changed into notes ofsorrow, for the poor, wounded bird, in trying to fly toward his nest, dropped again into the river, and was drowned. [Illustration] LXXXIX A MOTHER WATCHING HER YOUNG The following singular instance of the far-sighted watchfulness of themother turkey over her young is told by a French priest. "I have heard, "he says, "a mother turkey, when at the head of her brood, send forth themost hideous scream, without being able to see any cause for it. Heryoung ones, however, the moment the warning was given, hid under thebushes, the grass, or whatever else seemed to offer shelter orprotection. They even stretched themselves at full length on the ground, and lay as motionless as if dead. In the meantime, the mother, with her eyes directed upward, kept up hercries and screaming as before. On looking up in the direction in whichshe seemed to gaze, I discovered a black spot just under the clouds, butwas unable at first to decide what it was. However, it soon appeared tobe a bird of prey, though at first at too great a distance to bedistinguished. I have seen one of those mother turkeys continue in thisagitated state for four hours at a stretch, and her whole brood pinneddown to the ground, as it were, the whole of that time, while their foehas taken its circuits, has mounted and hovered directly over theirheads. When he, at last, disappeared, the mother changed her note andsent forth a different sort of cry, which in an instant gave life tothe whole trembling brood, and they all flocked round her withexpressions of pleasure, as if conscious of their happy escape fromdanger. " [Illustration] XC A REFUGEE SQUIRREL A squirrel, whose bad luck it was to be captured, was lodged for safekeeping in a trap used for taking rats alive. Here he remained forseveral weeks, till at length, panting for liberty, he managed to makehis escape through a window, and went back once more to his nativefields. The family in which he had been pet, were not a little vexed at the lossof their little favorite, and the servant was ordered in the evening ofthe same day to remove the trap, that they might no longer be remindedof their loss. When he went to do this, he found to his surprise thatthe squirrel, all wet and ruffled by the storm, had come back, and againtaken up his lodgings in the corner of the trap. [Illustration] XCI ESCAPE OF JENGIS KAHN The Mogul and Kalmuc Tartars give to the white owl credit for preservingJengis Khan, the founder of their empire; and they pay it, on thataccount, almost divine honors. The prince, with a small army, happenedto be surprised and put to flight by his enemies. Forced to seekconcealment in a coppice, a white owl settled on the bush under which hewas hidden. At the sight of this bird, the prince's pursuers neverthought of searching the spot, thinking it impossible that such a birdwould perch where any human being was concealed. Jengis escaped, andever after his countrymen held the white owl sacred, and every one worea plume of its feathers on his head. The Kalmucs continue the custom tothis day, at all their great festivals; and some tribes have an idol inthe form of an owl, to which they fasten the real legs of this bird. [Illustration] XCII A SHREWD GUESSER A French officer, more remarkable for his birth and spirit than hiswealth, had served the Venetian republic for some years with great valorand fidelity, but had not met with that preferment which he deserved. One day he waited on a nobleman whom he had often solicited in vain, buton whose friendship he had still some reliance. The reception he metwith was cool and mortifying; the nobleman turned his back upon theveteran, and left him to find his way to the street through a suite ofapartments magnificently furnished. He passed them lost in thought, till, casting his eyes on a mostbeautiful sideboard, where a valuable collection of Venetian glass, polished and formed in the highest degree of perfection, stood on adamask cloth as a preparation for a splendid entertainment, he took holdof a corner of the linen, and turning to a faithful mastiff which alwayswent with him, said to the animal, "Here, my poor old friend, you seehow these haughty tyrants indulge themselves, and yet how we aretreated!" The poor dog looked his master in the face, and gave tokensthat he understood him. The master walked on, but the mastiff slackenedhis pace, and laying hold of the damask cloth with his teeth, gave onehearty pull, and thus brought all the glass on the sideboard inshivers to the ground, thus robbing the unkind nobleman of his favoriteexhibition of splendor. [Illustration] XCIII ARE BEASTS MERE MACHINES? A gentleman one day talking with a friend said that beasts were meremachines, and had no sort of reason to direct them; and that when theycried or made a noise, it was only one of the wheels of the clock ormachine that made it. The friend, who was of a different opinion replied, "I have now in mykitchen two dogs who take turns regularly every other morning to getinto the wheel. One of them, not liking his employment, hid himself onthe day that he should work, so that his companion was forced to mountthe wheel in his stead, but crying and wagging his tail, he made signfor those about him to follow him. He at once led them to a garret, where he found the idle dog, drove him out and killed him at once. " [Illustration] XCIV AN ASS CAST AWAY An ass, belonging to a captain in the Royal Navy, then at Malta, wasshipped on board a frigate, bound from Gibraltar for that island. Thevessel struck on some sands off the Point de Gat, and the ass was thrownoverboard, in the hope that it might possibly be able to swim to theland. Of this, however, there did not seem to be much chance, for thesea was running so high, that a boat which left the ship was lost. A fewdays later, when the gates of Gibraltar were opened one morning theguard were surprised by Valiant, as the ass was called, presentinghimself there for admittance. On entering, he went at once to the stableof a merchant, where he had formerly lived. The poor animal had not onlyswum safely to shore, but without guide, compass, or travelling map, hadfound his way from Point de Gat to Gibraltar, a distance of more thantwo hundred miles, through a mountainous and intricate country, crossedby streams, which he had never travelled over before, and in so short aperiod, that he could not have made one false turn. [Illustration] XCV QUARRELSOME APES The town of Bindrabund in India is in high regard with the piousHindoos, who resort to it from the most remote parts of the empire. Thetown is surrounded by groves of trees, which are the homes of numberlessapes, whose fondness for mischief is increased by the religious respectpaid to them in honor of a divinity of the Hindoo mythology, who isrepresented as having the body of an ape. Because of this superstition, such numbers of these animals are supported by the free-will offeringsof pilgrims, that no one dares to resist or ill-treat them. Hence, access to the town is often difficult; for should one of the apes take adislike to any unlucky traveller, he is sure to be assailed by the wholecommunity, who follow him with all the missile weapons they can collect, such as pieces of bamboo, stones, and dirt, making at the same time amost hideous howling. Of the danger attending a meeting with enemies ofthis description, the following is a melancholy instance. Two youngcavalry officers, belonging to the Bengal army, having occasion to passthrough the town, were attacked by a body of apes, at whom one of thegentlemen had foolishly fired. The alarm instantly drew the whole body, with the fakeers, out of the place, with so much fury that the officers, though they were mounted upon elephants, were compelled to seek safetyin flight; and in trying to pass the Jumna, they both of them weredrowned. [Illustration] XCVI A FALSE ALARM Some years ago, a soldier, who was doing duty at the castle of CapeTown, kept a tame baboon for his amusement. One evening it broke itschains unknown to him, and in the night it climbed up into the belfry, and began to play with and ring the bell. Instantly the whole place was in an uproar; some great danger wasfeared. Many thought that the castle was on fire; others, that an enemyhad entered the bay, and the soldiers actually began to turn out, whenit was discovered that the mischievous baboon had caused thedisturbance. On the following morning a court-martial was held, when Cape justicedecided that whereas the baboon had unnecessarily put the castle intoalarm, its master should receive fifty lashes. The soldier, however, found someway to evade the punishment. [Illustration] XCVII A CHILD SAVED A shepherd, in one of his trips to look after his flock, took with himone of his children, a boy three years old. After crossing his pasturesfor some time, followed by his dog, he found it necessary to ascend ahill at some distance, to obtain a better view of his range. As theclimb was too much for the little child, he left him on a small plain atthe bottom, telling him not to stir from it until his return. Scarcelyhad he gained the top of the hill, however, when the sky was darkened bya thick mist. The anxious father at once hurried back to find his child;but owing to the unusual darkness, he missed his way. After a fruitlesssearch of many hours, he discovered that he had reached the bottom ofthe valley, and was near his own cottage. To renew the search that nightwas both vain and most dangerous; he was, therefore, compelled to gohome, although he had lost both his child and his dog, that had attendedhim faithfully for many years. Next morning, by break of day, theshepherd, with many of his neighbors, set out to look for the child; butafter a day of searching, he returned to his home, disappointed. Hefound that the dog which he had lost the day before had been to thecottage, and after getting a piece of cake, had at once gone away again. For several days the shepherd kept up the search, and on his returneach evening, he found that the dog had been home, had received hisusual allowance of cake, and then had instantly disappeared. Struck withthis strange behavior on the part of the dog, he remained at home oneday; and when the dog, as usual, left with his piece of cake, he decidedto follow him, and find out the cause of this queer procedure. The dogled the way to a cataract at some distance from the spot where theshepherd had left the child. Down a rugged and almost perpendiculardescent the dog began, without hesitation, to make his way, and at lastdisappeared by entering into a cave, the mouth of which was almost levelwith the torrent. The shepherd with difficulty followed; but on enteringthe cave, what was his joy, when he saw his lost baby boy eating withmuch satisfaction the cake which the faithful dog had just brought tohim, while the noble creature stood by, looking at his young charge mostlovingly. The child had probably wandered to the brink of the precipice, and then had either fallen or scrambled down till he reached the cave. The dog had tracked him to the spot; and afterward kept him fromstarving by giving up to him his own daily portion of food. He neverleft the child by day or night, except when he went for the food; andthen he was always seen running at full speed to and from the cottage. [Illustration]