swallow's old nest, and had laid some eggs in it, when the original
builder and owner made her appearance and claimed possession. The
sparrow, firmly seated, refused to leave the nest. A smart battle
followed, in which the swallow was joined by its mate, and, during the
conflict, by several of their comrades. All the efforts of the swallows
to drive out the usurper were, however, unsuccessful. Finding themselves
completely foiled in this object, they held a council of war to consult
as to what they should do, and the plan they agreed upon shows that it
was with no ordinary degree of ingenuity that they had solved the
question as to what was right and just. Since the sparrow could not be
driven out of the nest, the next question with them appears to have
been, how she could be otherwise punished for her unlawful occupation of
a property belonging to another. The council were of one mind in
thinking that nothing short of the death of the intruder could atone for
so heinous an offense; and having so decided, they went to work to put
their sentence into execution in the following very wonderful manner.
Leaving the scene of the contest for a time, they returned with many
more friends, each bearing a beak full of building materials; and
without any further attempt to beat out the sparrow, they at once set to
work to build up the entrance into the nest, and soon had enclosed the
sparrow within the clay tenement, thus leaving the poor bird to perish
in the stronghold she had so bravely defended.
[Illustration]
LXVI
STRANGE ROOKS
In a large north of England town a pair of strange rooks, after trying
in vain to find a home in a rookery at a little distance from the
Exchange, gave up the attempt, and took refuge on the spire of a
building; and although constantly bothered by other rooks, they built
their nest on the top of the vane, and there reared a brood of young
ones, undisturbed by the noise of the people below them. The nest and
its 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, soon
after which the spire was taken down.
[Illustration]
LXVII
TAME HARES
The hare is scarcely a domestic animal; yet we have an account of one
that was so tame as to feed from the hand, lie under a chair in the
sitting-room, and appear in every way as easy and comfortable as a
lapdog. It now and then went out into the garden, but, after hopping
about in the fresh air for a while, it always returned to the house. Its
usual companions were a greyhound and a spaniel, with whom it spent its
evenings, the whole three playing and sleeping together on the same
hearth. What makes the circumstance more remarkable is, that the
greyhound and spaniel were both so fond of hare-hunting, that they used
often to go out coursing together, without anybody with them. They were
like the "Sly Couple," of whose devotion to the chase an amusing story
is told.
A traveller once brought a young hare to such a degree of frolicsome
familiarity, that it would run and jump about his sofa and bed; leap
upon and pat him with its fore feet; or while he was reading, it would
sometimes knock the book out of his hands, as if to claim, like a
fondled child, his exclusive attention.
[Illustration]
LXVIII
THE PIG POINTER
A sow, which was a thin, long-legged animal, when young took such a
fancy to some pointer puppies that a gamekeeper on a neighboring estate
was breaking, that it played, and often came to feed with them. This led
the gamekeeper, who had broken many a dog as obstinate as a pig, to
think he might also manage to break a pig.
The little animal would often go out with the puppies to some distance
from home; and he coaxed it farther by a sort of pudding made of barley
meal, which he carried in one of his pockets. The other pocket he filled
with stones, which he threw at the pig whenever she misbehaved.
He found the animal tractable, and soon taught her what he wished by
this mode of reward and punishment. They were frequently seen out
together, when the sow quartered her ground as regularly as any pointer,
stood when she came on game (having an excellent nose), and backed other
dogs as well as ever a pointer did. When she came on the cold scent of
game, she slackened her trot, and gradually dropped her ears and tail;
till she was certain, and then fell down on her knees. So staunch was
she, that she would frequently remain for five minutes and upwards on
her 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 once
given to her.
[Illustration]
LXIX
A WISE OURANG-OUTANG
A well-known traveller tells a story about the ourang-outang in its wild
state, which shows that it has both a good memory and some ingenuity.
When the fruits on the mountains are gone, these animals often go down
to the seacoast, where they feed upon various kinds of shell-fish, but
in particular on a large sort of oyster, which commonly lies open on the
shore. "Fearful," he says, "of putting in their paws, lest the oyster
should close and crush them, they insert a stone as a wedge within the
shell. 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, while
he was himself away, would have been starved by them if it had not found
a friend in the kitchen of a friend of its master's, which in better
days it had occasionally visited. On the return of the master it had
plenty at home, and had no further need of food; but still it did not
forget 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, he
no doubt decided was no private property. He snatched up the duck in his
teeth, 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, and
then scampered off with much seeming joy at having given this real proof
of his gratitude.
[Illustration]
LXXI
WRENS LEARNING TO SING
A wren built her nest in a box, so placed that a family had a chance to
watch the mother bird teaching her young ones the art of singing
peculiar to wrens. She fixed herself on one side of the opening in the
box, directly before the young birds, and began singing over her whole
song 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 went
very distinctly through the rest of the song. The young bird made a
second attempt, beginning where it had stopped before, and kept up the
song as long as it was able. If the note was lost again, the mother
began anew where it stopped, and finished it. Then the little one
resumed the song and finished it.
This done, the mother sang over the whole series of notes a second time
with great care, and a second of the young ones tried to follow her. The
wren followed the same course with this one as with the first; and so on
with the third and all the rest. It sometimes happened that the young
bird would lose the tune three or four or more times in the same
attempt, and the mother would always begin where they stopped and sing
the rest of the song; and when each little bird had sung the whole song
through, she repeated the whole strain. Sometimes two of the young
birds began together. The mother did just the same as when one sang
alone. This practise was repeated day after day, and several times a
day.
[Illustration]
LXXII
RARE HONESTY
A mastiff dog, who owed more to the kindness of a neighbor than to his
master, was once locked by mistake in the well-stored pantry of his
benefactor for a whole day, where there were, within his reach, milk,
butter, bread and meat, in abundance. On the return of the servant to
the pantry, seeing the dog come out, and knowing the time it had been
shut in there, she trembled for fear of the waste which she was sure her
carelessness must have brought about; but on close examination, it was
found that the honest creature had not tasted of anything, although, on
coming out, he fell on a bone that was given him, with all the
greediness of hunger.
[Illustration]
LXXIII
DIVISION OF LABOR
The Alpine marmots are said to work together in the collection of
materials for the building of their homes. Some of them, we are told,
cut the herbage, others collect it into heaps; a third set serve as
wagons to carry it to their holes; while still others perform all the
work of draught horses. The manner of the latter part of the curious
process is this. The animal that is to be the wagon, lies down on its
back, and stretching out its four legs as wide as it can, allows itself
to 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. The
task of thus serving as a wagon being, evidently, the least desirable
part 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 an
old 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; but
so 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 Brazilian
language, "What a company of white men are here!" They asked it, "Who is
that man?" (pointing to the prince). The parrot answered, "Some general
or other." When the attendants carried it up to him, he asked it,
through the aid of an interpreter (for he did not understand its
language), "Whence do you come?" The parrot answered, "From Marignan."
The prince asked, "To whom do you belong?" It answered, "To a
Portuguese." He asked again, "What do you there?" The parrot answered,
"I look after chickens." The prince laughing, exclaimed, "You look after
chickens!" The parrot in reply said, "Yes, I do; and I know well how to
do it;" clucking at the same time in imitation of the noise made by the
hen to call her little chicks together.
[Illustration]
The prince afterward said that although the parrot spoke in a language
he did not understand, yet he could not be deceived, for he had in the
room at the time both a Dutchman who spoke Brazilian, and a Brazilian
who spoke Dutch; that he asked them separately and privately, and both
agreed 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 with
their nest and six young ones, were placed in a double cage, with a pair
of canaries, which had a brood of little ones also; there being a
partition of wire netting between the cages.
At first the goldfinches seemed careless about their young ones. The
father canary, attracted by the cries of the baby goldfinches, forced
himself through a flaw in the wire, and began to feed them. This it did
regularly, until the goldfinches undertook the work themselves, and
rendered 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 carried
the food in a basket, and one evening, when the dog was returning to his
master with his dinner, two other dogs, attracted by the savory smell
coming from the basket, made up their minds to attack him. The dog put
his basket on the ground and set himself courageously against the first
one that advanced against him; but while he was fighting with one, the
other ran to the basket, and began to help himself. At length, seeing
that there was no chance of beating both dogs, and saving his master's
dinner, he threw himself between his two opponents, and without further
ceremony, quickly ate up the rest of the food himself, and then returned
to his master with the empty basket.
[Illustration]
LXXVII
GOING TO MARKET
A butcher and cattle dealer had a dog which he usually took with him
when he drove cattle to market at a town some nine miles distant from
his 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 his
dog, that he made a wager that he would trust him with a certain number
of 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 least
no one who had any control over the dog; nor was anybody to interfere or
be within a quarter of a mile.
On the day of the trial, the dog went about his business in the most
skilful and knowing manner; and although he had often to drive his
charge through the herds that were grazing, yet he never lost one, but
conducting them into the very yard to which he was wont to drive them
when with his master, he delivered them up to the person appointed to
receive them.
What more particularly marked the dog's sagacity was, that, when the
path the herd travelled lay through a spot where others were grazing, he
would run forward, stop his own drove, and then driving the others
from each side of the path, collect his scattered charge and then go on
again. He was several times afterward sent thus alone for the amusement
of the curious or the convenience of his master, and always did his work
in 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 of
escape through the water to higher land, climbed up a tree. One of the
boatmen rowing about to assist the unfortunate people, seeing her, rowed
up to the tree, and, eager for the game, climbed it, without properly
fastening his boat.
The frightened hare, as its pursuer came near, sprang from the tree into
the boat, which thus set in motion, floated away, leaving its owner in
the tree in dread of being washed away by the current. After several
hours' 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 and
the mongoose, is of great use to the natives because of its great hatred
of snakes, which would otherwise make every footstep of the traveller
most dangerous. This little creature, on seeing a snake, no matter how
large, will instantly dart on it, and seize it by the throat, if he
finds himself in an open place, where he has a chance of running to a
certain herb, which he some way knows to be an antidote against the
poison of the bite, if he should happen to receive one. A gentleman
visiting the island of Ceylon saw the experiment tried in a closed room,
where the ichneumon, instead of attacking his enemy, did all in his
power to avoid him. On being carried out of the house, however, and put
near his antagonist in the field, he at once darted at the snake, and
soon killed it. It then suddenly disappeared for a few minutes, and
again returned as soon as it had found and eaten the herb it knew was an
antidote.
[Illustration]
LXXX
MUSICAL MICE
"One rainy winter evening, as I was alone in my room," says an American
gentleman, "I took up my flute and began to play. In a few minutes my
attention was directed to a mouse that I saw creeping from a hole, and
coming toward the chair in which I was sitting. I stopped playing, and
it ran quickly back to its hole. I began again shortly afterward, and
was much surprised to see it reappear, and take its old position. The
actions of the little animal were truly amusing. It lay down on the
floor, shut its eyes, and seemed delighted, but the minute I stopped my
playing, it instantly disappeared again. This experiment I often
repeated with the same result. I also noted that the mouse was
differently affected, as the music varied from the slow and sad to the
brisk or lively. It finally went away, and all my art could not coax it
to return."
[Illustration]
LXXXI
A CARRIER'S DOG
A carrier on his way to a market town had to stop at some houses by the
roadside, in the way of his business, leaving his cart and horse upon
the public road, under the protection of a passenger and a trusty dog.
Upon his return he missed one of the women passengers, and likewise a
led horse which was owned by a gentleman of the neighborhood. The horse
he was taking along, tied to the end of the cart. On inquiry he found
out that during his absence, the woman, who had been anxious to try the
mettle of the pony, had mounted it, and the animal had set off at full
speed. The carrier expressed much anxiety for the safety of the young
woman, casting at the same time an expressive look at his dog. Oscar
observed his master's eye, and aware of its meaning, instantly set off
in pursuit of the pony. Coming up with it soon after, he made a sudden
spring, 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 repeated
endeavors, would not let go his hold, and the pony was actually led into
the stable with the dog still clinging to it. When the carrier entered
the stable, Oscar wagged his tail in token of his satisfaction, and at
once 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 it
was necessary to clear a path right through the mass of birds which were
sitting 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 last
some of the company amused themselves by mounting them, and riding them
into the sea.
LXXXIII
THE BEAR CUBS
A mother bear, with two cubs, came too near a whaler, and was shot. The
cubs not trying to escape, were taken alive. The little creatures,
though at first seeming quite unhappy, at length became in some measure
reconciled to their fate, and being quite tame, were allowed sometimes
to 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. Finding
itself, however, held by the rope, it tried to free itself in the
following clever way.
Near the edge of the floe was a crack in the ice. It was of considerable
length, but only eighteen inches or two feet wide, and three or four
feet deep. To this spot the bear turned; and when, on crossing the
chasm, the bight of the rope fell into it, he placed himself across the
opening; then suspending himself by his hind feet, with a leg on each
side, he dropped his head and most all of his body into the chasm; and
with a foot applied to each side of the neck, tried for some minutes to
push the rope over his head.
Finding that this scheme did not work, he moved to the main ice, and
running 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, after
repeated attempts to make his escape in this way, every failure of which
he 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 very
small partridges. The old bird cried, fluttered, and ran trembling along
just before the dog's nose, till she had drawn him to a considerable
distance; when she took wing and flew farther off, but not out of the
field. At this the dog went back nearly to the place where the young
ones lay concealed in the grass. The old bird no sooner saw this than
she flew back again, settled first before the dog's nose, and a second
time acted the same part, rolling and tumbling about till she drew off
his 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 of
India, for the purpose of cutting wood for the ship. One of the men,
having strayed from the rest, was greatly frightened by the appearance
of a large lioness, who came toward him. But when she had come up to
him, 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 several
times, as if trying to make him follow her. At length he went, and when
he reached the tree, he saw a huge baboon with two young cubs in her
arms. He supposed they must belong to the lioness, as she lay down like
a cat, and seemed to be watching them very anxiously. The man being
afraid to climb the tree, decided to cut it down, and having his axe
with him, he at once set to work, the lioness, meantime, watching to see
what he was doing. When the tree fell, she sprang upon the baboon, and
after tearing her in pieces, she turned round and fawned round the man,
rubbing her head against him in great fondness, and in token of her
gratitude for the service he had done her. After this she took the cubs
away, 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 as
they would horses. They are harnessed like horses, and chiefly employed
in drawing little carts filled with fish, vegetables, and other produce.
Before the year 1795, such dogs were also employed in smuggling; which
was the easier, as they are exceedingly docile.
The dogs were trained to go back and forth between two places on the
frontiers, without any person to attend them. Being well loaded with
little parcels of goods, lace, and the like, they set out at midnight,
and went only when it was perfectly dark. An excellent, quick-scented
dog always went some paces before the others, stretched out his nose
toward all quarters, and when he scented custom house officers, turned
back, which was the signal for immediate flight.
Concealed behind bushes, or in ditches, the dogs waited till all was
safe, then continued their journey, and at last reached, beyond the
frontier, the dwelling-house of the receiver of the goods, who was in
the secret. But here, also, the leading dog only at first showed
himself. On a certain whistle, which was a signal that all was right,
they all hastened up. They were then unloaded, taken to a nearby
stable, where there was a good layer of hay and plenty of good food.
There they rested until midnight, and they then returned in the same
manner 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 severely
wounded, fell from the back of his elephant. The Macedonian soldiers,
supposing him dead, pushed forward, in order to rob him of his rich
clothing and accoutrements; but the faithful elephant, standing over the
body 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 his
trunk, and placed him again on his back.
The troops of Porus came by this time to his relief, and the king was
saved; but the elephant died of the wounds which it had so bravely
received 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 banks
of a river. One quiet evening the idle birds amused themselves with
chasing one another through endless mazes, and in their flight they made
the air sound with many discordant noises. In the midst of this play, it
unfortunately happened that one of the rooks, by a sudden turn, struck
his head against the wing of another. The wounded bird instantly fell
into the river. A general cry of distress followed. The birds hovered
with every expression of anxiety over their distressed companion.
Encouraged by their sympathy, and perhaps by the language of counsel
known to themselves, he sprang into the air, and by one strong effort
reached the point of a rock that projected into the river. The joy
became loud and universal; but, alas! it was soon changed into notes of
sorrow, 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 the
mother 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 the
most hideous scream, without being able to see any cause for it. Her
young ones, however, the moment the warning was given, hid under the
bushes, the grass, or whatever else seemed to offer shelter or
protection. They even stretched themselves at full length on the ground,
and lay as motionless as if dead.