Anecdotes of Animals. Unknown

instead of doing the child any injury, took him between his paws, and warmed him by pressing him to his breast until the next morning, when he let him go. The boy came back to the hut in the evening, and was received with the same affection. For several days he had no other home, and it added not a little to his joy to see that the bear always saved part of his food for him. A number of days passed in this way without the servants knowing anything of what was going on. At length, when one of them came one day, rather later than usual, to bring the bear his supper, he was greatly surprised to see the huge animal roll his eyes in a furious manner, and act as if he wished him to make as little noise as possible, for fear of awaking the child whom he held clasped to his breast. The animal, though very hungry, did not seem to be 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 reached the ears of Leopold; who, with part of his courtiers, was anxious to learn if the tale of Marco's generosity were true. Several of them spent the night near his hut, and saw with astonishment that the bear never stirred as long as his guest showed a desire to sleep. At dawn the child awoke, 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 him the evening before. He did this at the request of the courtiers, who conducted him to the prince. Having learned the whole story, Leopold ordered the little boy to be taken care of, and he would, no doubt, have soon made his fortune, had he not died a short time afterward.

      IX

      A CLEVER CROW

      A carrion crow, seeing on a lawn, a brood of fourteen chickens under the care of a mother-hen, picked up one; but when a young lady opened a window and gave the alarm, the robber dropped his prey. In the course of the day, however, the thief returned, together with thirteen other crows. Then each one seized a chick, and thus the whole brood was carried off at once.

      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 side by a wood, out of which, as they were singing, they noticed a hare pass with great swiftness toward the place where they were sitting, and at about twenty yards' distance from them, it stopped. It then seemed greatly delighted with the music, often turning up the side of its head so as to hear more easily. As soon as the singing was over, the hare returned slowly toward the wood. When she had nearly reached the end of the field, the singers began to sing the same piece again. The hare stopped, turned round, and came swiftly back to about the same distance as before, where she seemed to listen with great delight, till they had finished, when she returned again by a slow pace up the field, and entered the wood.

      XI

      AN AMUSING MIMIC

      A priest once brought up an ourang-outang, which became so fond of him that, wherever he went, it always wanted to go with him. Whenever, therefore, he had to perform the service of his church, he was obliged to shut him up in his room. Once, however, the animal got out, and followed the father to the church. Silently mounting the sounding board above the pulpit, he lay perfectly still till the sermon commenced. He then crept to the edge, and looking at the preacher, imitated all his gestures in so amusing a manner that the congregation could not help laughing. The father, surprised and confused by this ill-timed mirth, severely rebuked his audience for their inattention. The reproof failed in its effect; the congregation still laughed, and the preacher in the warmth of his zeal, spoke with still more force and action. The ape mimicked him so exactly that the congregation could no longer restrain itself, but burst out into long and continued laughter. A friend of the preacher at length stepped up to him, and pointed out the cause of this improper conduct; and such was the roguish air of the animal that it was with the utmost difficulty that the preacher himself kept from laughing, while he ordered the servants of the church to take the mischievous ape away.

      XII

      OLD HABITS

      A famous Scotch lawyer, having cause to visit London, decided to make the journey on horseback rather than by post; for this was before the days of railways. He, therefore, purchased a horse, and on his arrival in 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, he went to Smithfield to buy another horse. About dusk, a handsome horse was offered to him at so cheap a rate, that he suspected the animal might not be sound; but as he could not find anything the matter with the horse, he bought it. Next morning he set out on his journey; his horse had excellent paces, and the first few miles, while the road was well frequented, our traveller spent in congratulating himself on his good fortune. On Finchley Common the traveller met a clergyman driving a one-horse chaise. There was nobody within sight, and the horse by his actions plainly showed what had been the business of his former master. Instead of passing the chaise, he laid his breast close up to it, and stopped it, having no doubt that his rider would take advantage of so fair a chance of following his trade. The clergyman, under the same mistake, took out his purse without being asked, and assured the innocent and surprised horseman that it was not necessary to draw his pistol. The traveler drew back his horse with apologies to the gentleman, whom he had unwillingly frightened, and pursued his journey. The horse next made the same suspicious approach to a coach, from the windows of which a blunderbuss was leveled, with threats of death to the rider, who was innocent of all offense in deed or word. In short, after his life had been once or twice endangered by the suspicions to which his horse's conduct gave rise, and his liberty as often threatened by peace officers, who were disposed to seize him as a notorious highwayman, he found himself obliged to part with the animal for a mere trifle, and had to purchase at a dearer rate, a horse of less fine figure and action but of better morals.

      XIII

      NOBLE PERSEVERENCE

      Elephants were, of old, employed in India in the launching of ships. It is told of one, that, being directed to force a very large ship into the water, the work proved to much for its strength. Its master, in sarcastic tones bade the keeper take away the lazy beast, and bring another. The poor animal instantly put forth still greater efforts, fractured his skull, and died on the spot.

      XIV

      THE CAT AND THE CROWS

      A pair of crows once made their nest in one of the trees that were planted round the garden of a gentleman, who, in his morning walks, was often amused by watching furious combats between the crows and a cat. One morning the battle raged more fiercely than usual, till at last the cat gave way, and took shelter under a hedge, as if to wait a better chance of escaping to the house. The crows continued for a short time to make a threatening noise; but seeing that on the ground they could do nothing more than threaten, one of them lifted a stone from the middle of the garden, and perched with it on a tree planted in the hedge, where she sat, watching the movements of the cat, who, she feared, was after her little ones. As the cat crept along under the hedge, the crow followed her, flying from branch to branch, and from tree to tree; and when at last puss dared to leave her hiding place, the crow, leaving the tree, and hovering over her in the air, let the stone drop from on high on her back.

      XV

      HEROISM OF AN IRISH HEN

      A contest of rather an unusual nature took place in the house of an innkeeper in Ireland. The parties engaged were a hen of the game species and 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, was roused to madness by an attack made by a fierce rat on her helpless little one. The frightened cries of her beloved little chick, while it was being dragged away by the rat,