FOUR-FOOTED FRIENDS.
ALILA has a tame monkey at home now. He has taught him many clever
tricks. Every night when he goes to bed, the monkey curls himself up
by his side and lies there till morning. He seems to love his little
master very dearly and often rides on his shoulder while Alila is
working.
Until a few months ago, the boy has lived on a sugar plantation owned
by a rich Tagal planter. The plantation is divided up into small farms
and rented to different workmen. The planter furnishes one buffalo and
all the needed tools to care for each little place.
When the harvest time arrives in December, each tenant carries his crop
to the mill for grinding. He is allowed one-third of it for himself,
and, whatever price it brings, it must support his family for the next
year.
[Illustration: "SOMETIMES ALILA RIDES ON HIS BACK"]
Alila is not the least afraid of his father's buffalo. When he was only
three years old the huge creature would obey him and allow him to drive
anywhere he pleased. He seemed to know by the tone of the boy's voice
just what he wished him to do.
It made an odd picture,--the tiny little fellow, holding a slender rein
in his chubby hands as he trotted along by the buffalo's side. The rein
was fastened to a piece of split rattan drawn through the animal's
nose. Yet somehow every motion of Alila was understood by him. Is it
the boy's patience that makes the beast so gentle? We like to think so.
If we should take Alila's place the animal would not stir to obey us.
He would at once become stubborn and ugly, because he is not used to
our quick, nervous, impatient ways.
He cannot work all day like a horse. After two or three hours, he needs
to stop and rest. But that is not enough,--he suffers if he cannot
have a bath. Sometimes Alila rides on his back when he plunges into
the river, and holds on without fear while the buffalo stretches his
head down and holds it under the water for two minutes at a time as he
searches for food.
How Alila does love him! He has the next place in his heart to his
father and mother. But the buffalo has other good friends beside
Alila's family. They are not people, nor even other buffaloes. They
are white herons that follow him as he ploughs. They are not afraid if
Alila is the only person there. As the animal's heavy feet plod over
the ground, worms and insects come to the surface. The herons know this
and easily get a good breakfast.
Besides these attendants, a small blackbird often keeps the buffalo
company, who will raise up his head in delight to meet it. Why is
it? Because the bird flies about his head and neck and picks off the
insects from his skin.
This buffalo has lived on the farm from the time he was caught wild
when a baby. If he had not been so young he could never have been
tamed. A wild buffalo is a terrible thing; he is most to be dreaded of
any creature in the islands.