Anecdotes of Animals. Unknown

creature, and once or twice tried to wound his trunk with their awls. The noble animal, who knew it was beneath him to crush them, did not hesitate to punish them by other means. He filled his large trunk with water, not of the cleanest quality, and advancing to them, as usual, covered them all at once with the very dirty flood. The fools were laughed at, and the punishment applauded.

      A Just Retaliation.—Page 48

      XXIV

      AN ODD FAMILY

      A gentleman travelling through Mecklenburg relates the following curious incident 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 a loud whistle. At once there came into the room a mastiff, a fine Angora cat, an old raven, and a remarkably large rat, with a bell about its neck. These four animals went to the dish, and without disturbing one another, fed together. After they had eaten, the dog, cat, and rat lay before the fire, and the raven hopped about the room.

      XXV

      THE DOLPHIN

      In the reign of Augustus Cæsar there was, in the Lucrine lake, a dolphin which formed a most romantic attachment to the son of a poor man. The boy had to go every day from Baiæ to Puteoli to school, and such were the friendly terms on which he had got with the dolphin, that he had only to wait by the banks of the lake and cry, “Simo, Simo”—the name he had given to the animal, when, lo! Simo came scudding to the shore, let fall the sharp prickles of his skin, and gently offered his back for the boy to mount upon. The boy, nothing afraid, used to mount at once, and the dolphin, without either rein or spur, would speed across the sea to Puteoli, and after landing the young scholar, wait about the shore till it was time for the boy to go home, when it would again perform the same sort of friendly service. The boy was not ungrateful for such great kindness, 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 kindly manner imaginable. For several years this friendly intercourse was kept up. It was, in fact, only ended by the death of the boy. As the story goes, 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 very grief and sorrow at the loss of its friend.

      XXVI

      A GOOD FINDER

      One day a tradesman, walking with a friend, offered to wager that if he were to hide a five-shilling piece in the dust, his dog would find it and bring it to him. The wager was accepted, and the piece of money marked and hidden. When the two had gone on some distance, the tradesman called 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 their way. Meanwhile a traveller, driving a small chaise, saw the piece of money which his horse had kicked from its hiding-place, alighted, took it up and drove to his inn. The dog had just reached the spot in search of the lost piece, when the stranger picked it up. He followed the chaise, went into the inn, and, having scented the coin in the pocket of the traveller, he kept leaping up at him. Supposing him to be some dog that had lost his master, the traveller took these actions as marks of affection, and as the animal was handsome, decided to keep him. He gave him a good supper, and on retiring, took him with him to his room. But no sooner had he pulled off his trousers than they were seized by the dog. The owner, thinking that the dog only wanted to play with them, took them away. The animal began to bark at the door, which the traveller opened, thinking the animal wanted to go out. The dog snatched up the trousers, and away he went, the traveller, with his nightcap on, posting after him. The dog ran full speed to his master's house, followed by the stranger, who accused the dog of robbing him. “Sir,” said the master, “my dog is a very faithful creature; and if he ran away with your trousers, it is because you have in them money which does not belong to you.” The traveller became still more angry. “Keep calm, sir,” answered the other, smiling; “no doubt there is in your purse a five-shilling piece which you picked up in the road, and which I hid, knowing my dog would bring it back. This was the reason for the robbery which he committed upon you.” The stranger said he had found such a coin, gave it up to the man, and went on his way. But the clever dog had thus proven himself to be a good finder.

      XXVIII

      REVENGE

      A wild stork was brought by a farmer into his poultry yard, to be the companion of a tame one, which he had long kept there; but the tame stork, disliking a rival, fell upon the poor, wild stranger, and beat him 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 sooner alighted than they all together fell upon the tame stork, and killed it.

      XXVIII

      MICE AS SAILORS

      Although there are few who would dispute the cleverness and sagacity of the larger animals, it is doubtful if there are many who credit the mouse with even average intelligence. The following instance may go far to raise our humble friend in the popular estimation; more especially as the story is told by one who really saw the whole performance. In a country where berries are scarce, these little animals were obliged to cross a river to make their forages. In returning with their booty to their homes, they had to recross the stream; in doing which they showed an ingenuity little short of marvelous. The party, which consisted of five, selected a water-lily leaf, on which they placed their berries in a heap in the middle; then, by their united force, they brought it to the water's edge, and after launching it, jumped on it, and placed themselves round the heap, with their heads joined over it, and their backs to the water. In this manner they drifted down the stream until they reached the opposite shore, when they unloaded their cargo, and stored it away for the coming rainy day.