Law 6. A SCOUT IS A FRIEND TO ANIMALS.
_He should save them, so far as possible, from pain, and should not
kill any animal unnecessarily, even if it is only a fly, for it is one
of God's creatures. Killing an animal for food, or an animal which is
harmful, is allowable.
It is a curious thing that animals and children both seem to recognise
a good man when they meet him, and are at once friendly with him; and
I have always found that the bravest men are in their turn kind to
them.
You must have noticed how our soldiers at the Front and our sailors in
the Fleet all seem to have their pet animals and mascots, and when I
was in France I noticed on many occasions our men playing with the
little French children among their ruined homes close up to the firing
line.
They were all the best of friends: although they knew scarcely a word
of each other's language.
In the same way as a Knight or a Boy Scout is chivalrous to weaker
folk, so he is chivalrous also to animals.
Animals are weaker folk than ourselves in the matter of mind and
understanding, but they can be very affectionate and faithful where
they have learnt that the human being, though strong _enough to_
hurt, them, is kind and gentle. They are quick to show that they
appreciate such kindness. You know how your own dog half-curls himself
round Wagging his tail and grinning with pleasure when he sees you;
and also how your horse nuzzles you all over to find the sugar that he
knows you are going to give him.
So give animals all the kindness you can, and make their lives happy.
Many boys are inclined to be cruel simply because they don't
think--they are not yet manly enough--they are, as I said before, in
the silly-ass stage.
But a Scout who is manly and chivalrous towards people will at all
times be the same towards animals. It is wonderful what pleasure you
can get out of it in return, whether you train your dog to obey your
slightest sign, or whether you tame a robin to be your friend.
The other day I came across a proprietor of a garage who showed
himself to be a good and kindly man because he had supplied the Scout
troop of the town with a loft to use as a club-room. But he proved to
me that he was a good man by taking me into his sitting-room and
showing me his tame canary, which did every kind of trick at his
command, and sang to him, answered his whistle, and came at his call
and kissed him.
Apart from the interest of training an animal in confinement, there is
all the fun and adventure to be got out of stalking and watching
animals and birds in the wild and learning their ways and customs. The
more you do this, and the more you understand about how they are made
and how they do their various works, the better you will understand
the wonders of Nature and of the Creator.
* * * * *