Citation
One hundred new animal stories

Material Information

Title:
One hundred new animal stories
Series Title:
The red nursery series
Cover title:
100 new animal stories
Creator:
Lomax, Alfred E
Sunday School Union (England) ( Publisher )
Place of Publication:
London
Publisher:
Sunday School Union
Publication Date:
Language:
English
Physical Description:
125, [3] p., [1] leaf of plates : ill. ; 19 cm.

Subjects

Subjects / Keywords:
Children -- Conduct of life -- Juvenile fiction ( lcsh )
Conduct of life -- Juvenile fiction ( lcsh )
Animals -- Anecdotes -- Juvenile fiction ( lcsh )
Children's stories ( lcsh )
Children's stories -- 1895 ( lcsh )
Publishers' catalogues -- 1895 ( rbgenr )
Prize books (Provenance) -- 1895 ( rbprov )
Publishers' advertisements -- 1895 ( rbgenr )
Bldn -- 1895
Genre:
Children's stories
Publishers' catalogues ( rbgenr )
Prize books (Provenance) ( rbprov )
Publishers' advertisements ( rbgenr )
novel ( marcgt )
Spatial Coverage:
England -- London
Target Audience:
juvenile ( marctarget )

Notes

General Note:
Publisher's advertisements follow text.
General Note:
Some illustrations engraved by Holman and Ferrier.
Statement of Responsibility:
by Alfred E. Lomax ; illustrated by various artists.

Record Information

Source Institution:
University of Florida
Holding Location:
University of Florida
Rights Management:
This item is presumed to be in the public domain. The University of Florida George A. Smathers Libraries respect the intellectual property rights of others and do not claim any copyright interest in this item. Users of this work have responsibility for determining copyright status prior to reusing, publishing or reproducing this item for purposes other than what is allowed by fair use or other copyright exemptions. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions may require permission of the copyright holder. The Smathers Libraries would like to learn more about this item and invite individuals or organizations to contact The Department of Special and Area Studies Collections (special@uflib.ufl.edu) with any additional information they can provide.
Resource Identifier:
026852950 ( ALEPH )
ALH3707 ( NOTIS )
228107569 ( OCLC )

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THE BEAR AND THE HUNTER.
See page 7, Frontispiece.



HUND
os® RBp
NEW

JSSNIMAL STORIES

BY

ALFRED E. LOMAX

Author of ‘‘The Story of Sir Samuel Baker’’
‘*Sir Henry Layard: His Adventures and Discoveries’’
etc. etc.

ILLUSTRATED BY VARIOUS ARTISTS

LONDON
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL UNION
57 & 59 LUDGATE HILL, E.Cc.



MORRISON AND GIBB, PRINTERS, EDINBURGH.



Contents

The Bear and the Hunter :

The Soldier’s Cat >

A Noble Dog. : ,

The Dog and the Teteshone 7

The Old War-Horse .

Black Bob.

The Elephants saw the Toe

Cutting a Tiger’s Claw

Well-behaved Dogs

The Playfulness of Animals

Attacked by Weasels.

A Train and Pigeon Race

A Queer-tempered Horse

The Rats’ Storehouse

Besieged by Wolves and
Panthers. : :

A Queer Place for a Nest

A Clever Dog. .

The Missing Watch

A Clever Fox.

Curious Story of a Cat ea
a Pony

A Wise Monkey

A Greedy Snake

4
7 | What Wasps can do
8 | A Warlike Goose

to | The Angry Birds and the Fox.

11 | The Horse wanted the Basket.

12 | How a Tiger was Caught

14 | The Monkey and the Eggs

14 | Tom the Elephant .

15 | A Cat’s Fight with an Eagle

16 | Sambo and Puck . .

18 | An Elephant’s Memory .

18 | The Adventures of a Cat.

21 | The Tiger and the Fish .

22 e ‘* Big Brown Dog”

22 | The Parrot and the Sparrow
The Cat and the Pigeon .

25 | Monkeysanda Train .

27 | A Child and a Lion ,

28 | The Crow and the Mussel

28 | A Clever Sheep-Dog

30 | The Sheep and the Bridge
A Dog and Snake Fight .

32 | A Grateful Stork

32 | The Ways of Wolves

34 | A Spider catching a Wasp

PAGE



PAGE

36



6 CONTENTS

The Cat and the Parrot .

A Strange Tiger Story

A Dog Sentry .

Puss and her Two- Tee
Family ° :

A Cat-Artist’s Story

Attacked by an Eagle

The Elephant-Nurse

A Wonderful Pet . :

Rescue bya Dog . . :

The Eagle and the Child

He would go Round

The Cat and Chickens

An Intelligent Sheep

The Lost Bank-Notes

The Dog and the Crab

The Magpie’s Chatter. .

A Clever Eel . ° :

Wholesale Tooth-Brushing

A. Prisoner’s Mouse

A Reasoning Cat

A Fight with Wolves

A Decorated Dog

The Buffaloes and the Tiger

Queer Places for Nests

Peace and War

A Man-eating Tiger

The Speed of the Mole

Dogs disposing of Whips

PAGE

64 | The Fire Beetle

66 | An Active Squirrel .

67 | A Noble Horse and Rider
Topsy, the Musical Cat .

68 | Carlo’s Cuteness. :

yo | A Fight with a Cheetah .

72 | The Monkey saved him .

72 | An Intelligent Jay .

73 | The Goose of the Guards

74 | A Hole inthe Ice . :

76 | The Faithful Elephant

77 | Saved by a Cat .

77 | AStrange Fight .

78 | A Strange Mouser .

80 , The Rat’s Deliverer

81 | Three Hundred Monkeys to

81 Breakfast . _
82 | Onlya Dog . °

84 | The Cow and the Shake. %
85 | Clever Jack . °

86 | ‘‘ One at a time, please!”
86 | How the Dog
90 Hens . °
92
93 | A Strange Audience
93 | Two better than One
94 | A Tame Trout é
96 | The
97 Young

saved.

A Dog and his men



Woodcock carrying its

PAGE
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1y/
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ge



ONE HUNDRED
NEW ANIMAL STORIES

—+ 34

The Bear and the Hunter

HUNTER in the Pyrenees was in the
‘habit of digging pits and covering
them with branches and clods of
earth, in order the better to entrap
bears, One day he fell, through
carelessness, into a bear-trap, and
found himself unable to get out. He
had been there for some time, when
he was startled by a bear falling in.
The frightened hunter prepared to
shoot the animal, but the bear ob-
served him, and uttered so terrible a
growl that he was afraid to fire. The two stood watching
each other for some minutes, until the hunter began to
think that he had quieted the suspicions of his enemy,
and was again about to fire. But again the threatening
air of Bruin frightened him into letting fall his gun.
Hours passed, and at length the bear, as anxious to get
free as the man was, rested his forepaws against the sides
of the pit in such a manner that his back formed a kind of
ladder. He did this several times, looking at the hunter
as if inviting him to profit by this mode of escape.
The man accordingly took courage, and the bear
made no objection to his clambering over his back. But
7





8 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

once safely up again, the cruel fellow, instead of returning
the kind act by aiding his helper to escape, deliberately
took aim and shot him dead. We are glad to add that
from that time forward he was so shunned and despised
by the other hunters that he had to quit the country.

— +34

The Soldier’s Cat

URING the dreadful war in the Crimea, more than
thirty years-ago, when the armies of England and
France went away to fight the Russians, a young French
soldier left his native village. As he was marching off
with his regiment, a little cat ran after him coaxingly.
Seeing that she would not let herself be driven away, the
lad lifted her on to his knapsack. He did this half in fun
and half because he loved and pitied the affectionate little
creature.

Day by day she rode, perched up thus, and every
night she slept curled at his side.

At last a great battle was going to be fought, and the
soldier left her in the charge of a sick comrade. But after
he had marched about a mile, up she came again, skipping
along and mewing to be carried. She was lifted to her
usual perch, and soon the regiment was in the thick of
the battle. Musket shots and cannon balls flew right and
. left of them, and more than once the young soldier was
wounded. . Twice he fell, but pussy clung fast with her
little sharp claws. At last a dreadful wound laid him
bleeding on the field.

What did the cat do then? Instead of making off as
fast as her feet could carry her, she sprang to the place
where she saw the blood streaming, and set to work to
lick the wound. At last an army doctor came by, and
the lad was carried away in a faint to the tent,





















THE SOLDIER FELL, BUT PUSSY CLUNG FAST,
9



10 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

When he opened his eyes, his first question was,
« Shall I live?”

“Yes, my good fellow,” answered the doctor, “thanks
to your little cat. If she had not used her tongue in such
a clever manner, you would have died from loss of blood.”

Against the usual rule, pussy was allowed to be with
the young soldier while he lay in hospital, and was fed
with the choicest bits from his plate. The story of her
love and cleverness was soon made known to all, and
much praise and petting she got from others beside her
fond master.

—— 4

A Noble Dog

NEWFOUNDLAND dog and a mastiff lived in a

town by the seashore. They were both very strong,
good-natured, and good-tempered dogs when alone. If,
however, they met in
the street, from some
cause or other they
began to growl and
to snarl at each other.



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fight.

One day they met at
the end of the long pier,
and, as usual, began
quarrelling. A fierce
battle was the result.
As they struggled, they
both rolled off the pier
into the sea. This put
an end to their fighting,
and the dogs began to
swim for the shore as quickly as possible.





This often ended in a.



NEW ANIMAL STORIES II

The Newfoundland, being naturally a good swimmer
and fond of the water, easily reached the shore. Soon he
was on dry land, shaking the water from his coat.
On looking round, however, he saw his enemy, the
mastiff, struggling and exhausted, being quickly carried
out to sea. The noble dog at once plunged into the
water. On reaching the mastiff, he caught him gently by
the collar and brought him safely to the shore. Ever
after this the dogs were the best of friends.

—- 4

The Dog and the Telephone

ANY curious stories are told about the telephone.
Here is one that shows how perfectly the human
voice is carried along the magic wire.

One day a dog whose name was Jack was seen
wandering about the streets of a large city. A gentleman
saw the dog and thought that he knew him. Suddenly
it occurred to him that the dog belonged to one of his
friends who lived some miles away in the country.
Wishing to make sure of this, he took the dog to the
nearest telephone office.

When they arrived, the gentleman asked to be put in
communication with his friend. This was done, and he
put the question, “Have you lost your dog?” The
answer came back at once, “ Yes.”

“Have you any idea where he is?” asked the friend.

“He must be somewhere in the city, as I first missed
him during the afternoon, when I was in town,” was the
reply.
Then he told his friend to call out the dog’s name
through the telephone. At the same time he placed the
dog with his ear close to the instrument. Immediately
the dog gave a loud, joyous bark. He had recognised his





12 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

master’s voice calling to him. The gentlemen who had
found Jack now wished to take the intelligent animal to
his own home to await the arrival of his master, but Jack
would not stir. There he sat, looking up at the telephone
as if expecting that his master would come the same way
as the voice he had heard. Coaxing was all in vain;
Jack remained at the telephone office until his master
came to fetch him away.

—H4—

The Old War-Horse

N old lady, who was very fond of driving about, and

was able to manage a quiet trotting pony well

enough without help, bought a meek-looking horse to
draw her gig.

Now, it happened that this same horse had once
belonged to a cavalry regiment, and had never quite
forgotten the thorough training he had gone through. Of
this the old lady knew nothing. Judge, then, of her
surprise when, as she was driving along an open country
road, a squadron of hussars that were taking part in a
grand review came along, and were fast overtaking the
light carriage.

Immediately the old war-horse. heard the familiar
sound of clattering hoofs, he forgot that he was between
a pair of shafts, and, pricking up his ears, off he started
at the same pace as the line of charging soldiers. In vain

_ the officer shouted to the carriage to clear out of the way.

The poor old lady, tugging at the reins, would gladly
have done so; but the old habit was too strong for the
horse’s obedience, and he and the gig and the old lady
went tearing along at the head of the charge. Nor did
he stop until all the troops drew rein at their destination.















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THE HORSE STARTED OFF AT A GOOD PACE,
13



14 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

Black Bob

LACK BOB belonged to a colonel of the Royal Irish
Light Dragoons, who fell in battle.

The troopers of the regiment bought the horse, and
treated him as a regimental pet. He always marched at
the head of the regiment, and could tell the trumpets of
his own corps from those of any other.

At length the regiment was ordered home, and the
horse had to be left behind. Black Bob was sold to a
gentleman at Cawnpore, and the Irish troopers returned
half the purchase-money, on his new owner promising
that the old horse should be well cared for as long as he
lived.

Days passed by, and as Bob saw no more the well-
known uniforms, and heard no more the trumpets nor the
voices of his old comrades, he began to pine away and
refuse to take any kind of food.

His owner turned him out to graze in a field, when he
at once jumped the fence and trotted off to the old parade-
ground. When he reached the saluting-post, Black Bob
fell down and died.

— + 34

The Elephants saw the Joke

E had eight elephants in our establishment, says a
writer, and one day I decided to pay them a visit

and give them some oranges, of which they were very fond.
The moment I reached the door of the stable in which
they were kept, the whole herd scented the fruit and set
up a loud trumpeting to show their pleasure. The stable
was narrow, and I had only just room to pass along in



NEW ANIMAL STORIES 15

front of the huge creatures, as I gave each of them an
orange. Three times I went along the line, and when I
reached the end for the third time, I found that I had
brought with me twenty-five oranges—three each and one
over, What was I to do with the remaining orange? If
I gave it’ to any one of them, and did not at once give
one to the next, I knew that I should receive a stirring
reminder from the trunk of the animal which thought
that he had been defrauded.

I saw that every elephant in the herd had its greedy
eyes fixed on the solitary orange, yet it was as much as
my life was worth to give it to any of them. How to get
back to the door at which I had entered was a problem I
was trying to solve, when a bright idea struck me.
Holding up the orange so that all of them could see it, I
quietly peeled it, and sucked it myself.

I never enjoyed anything more in my life than the sight
of those animals, for they seemed to enter thoroughly into
the humour of the thing, They nudged each other and
shook their ponderous sides, as I passed safely out eating
the last orange. :

—— 34

Cutting a Tiger’s Claw

CAPTIVE tiger had a claw which penetrated his

toe and caused him considerable pain. It was
therefore proposed to cut the claw and relieve the suffer-
ing animal,

The tiger was a fierce and powerful animal, and there-
fore the operation could not be performed without con-
siderable trouble and no little danger. The following
plan was therefore adopted. In one of the compartments
of his cage a low strong ceiling was built, and several
pieces of timber, nailed firmly together, were placed at



16 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

one end of the compartment. To these were attached
four strong ropes, which reached outside of the cage.

The tiger was then driven into this compartment, the
sliding door was closed, and six strong men began to pull
at the ropes. This drew the framework of timber close to
the iron bars of the cage, with the tiger, howling with
rage, wedged between them. The angry animal exerted
all his strength, and with an enormous effort once broke
the timbers. One of the men, at the risk of losing his
arm, reached through into the cage, over the struggling
beast, and fastened the ropes.

Then the tiger’s leg was caught in a noose and pulled
straight out, while she was held in position by iron bars
above, braced in the timbers at the back of her.

While this was going on, one of the men held a board
in her jaws, which she crunched as if it were a biscuit.
For a time it looked as if the savage beast would prove
too much for her captors, and the operation prove a failure ;
but the surgeon was coolly watching his chance.

When it came, he quickly removed the offending claw
with a knife and a pair of pincers, and the beast was set
free.

se

Well-behaved Dogs

ANY wonderful stories are told of the famous St.

Bernard dogs, which have been the means of saving

scores, if not hundreds of lives, on the snow-covered
mountains of the Alps.

A traveller, who recently visited some of the monasteries
of the monks of St. Bernard, was much struck by the
careful training which these animals undergo. At meal-
time the dogs sit in a row, each with a tin dish before him
containing his food. Grace is said by one of the monks,



NEW ANIMAL STORIES 17
the dogs sitting motionless with bowed heads. Not one
of them stirs until the “amen” is spoken. If a frisky
puppy attempts to touch his food before grace is over, one
of the older dogs growls and gently tugs his ear; this
reminder is quite sufficient to make him behave properly.



THE ST, BERNARD DO!



18 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

The Playfulness of Animals

HE following incident will illustrate how animals and
birds sometimes play tricks on each other. Old
Towler was a large mastiff, and was kept chained up ina
farmyard as a watchdog. A tame magpie used to hop
about the kennel, and seemed on very good terms with
the mastiff, except that he would tease him whenever he
could get a chance. Sometimes the magpie would steal
bits of the dog’s dinner, screaming, “Towler! Towler!
Towler!” all the time. Another trick he was fond of was
to hop on to the farmer’s walking-stick when it was given
to the dog to carry. The dog would hold the stick in his
mouth as long as he could, then suddenly allow it to fall,
seeming to enjoy the scream of the magpie and the flutter
of its wings as the bird fell to the ground. Though the
bird was such a tease the mastiff always kept his temper,
and never made an attempt to harm his bird-companion
in any way.

—+ 4

Attacked by Weasels

A FARMER, who was mowing his grass, saw a weasel
run out of a ditch quite close to the place where he

was working. He at once turned and struck it with his

scythe, wounding it severely.

The animal was so badly hurt that it lay ‘on the
ground screaming with pain. Instantly there appeared
from all sorts of holes and crannies a dozen weasels or
more. As if by common consent, they rushed at the man,
who vainly tried to keep them off with his scythe.
Unable to do so, he threw down the scythe and defended





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THE MAGPIE AND THE MASTIFT.
19



20 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

himself as best he could with his hands and feet. The
little animals ran up his legs and attacked every part of
his body. They bit his arms and his hands, his face, his
nose, and his ears. At last half a dozen of them were
clinging to his cheeks at one time, and worrying about
his neck and behind his ears, just as they do when they
attack rabbits, All the time they kept up a barking,
chittering sound, which had a most disastrous effect on
the man’s nerves.

When the farmer found he could not drive them off,
he began to shout for help. At that moment two gentle-
men rode up, and at once ran to his assistance. They
had with them a brave little terrier, and, assisted by the
dog, and freely using their whip-handles, they succeeded
in killing five of the weasels. The rest of them escaped
to their holes,

The poor farmer was by this time in an almost help-
less condition. He was at once taken to a doctor, who
dressed his wounds, but he was many weeks before he
recovered, and he will carry the scars of the bites he
received to the end of his life.





NEW ANIMAL STORIES 21



A Train and Pigeon Race

HE distance from London to Dover is about seventy
miles, This journey is performed bya train in about
an hour and a half.

Some years ago it was arranged to have a race
between a carrier and the mail train from London to
Dover. A pigeon was taken from London, and the owner
held it in his hand as he sat in the train at Dover, waiting
for the mail to start.. Just as the train left the station the
bird was thrown out of the window. The wind was west
at the time, and the atmosphere hazy, but the sun was
shining. For about a minute the pigeon circled round
and round at a great height above the ground, and then
flew away in a straight line for London.

By this time the train was going at express speed, but
the pigeon travelled faster and arrived at Cannon Street
Station about twenty minutes before the mail.



22 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

A Queer-tempered Horse

LADY gives the following account of a tamed horse

which she rode among the Tibetans :—

“Gyalpo was a beautiful creature; silver grey, as light
as a greyhound, and as strong asacart-horse, His clever-
ness at times suggested reasoning power, and his mis-
chievousness a sense of humour.

“We was, however, quite untamable, rejected all
dainties with indignation, swung his heels into people’s
faces when they went near him, ran at them with his
teeth, seized unwary passers-by by their kamarbands, and
shook them as a dog shakes a cat. He would let no one
go near him but Mando, for whom he formed at first sight
a most singular attachment, but kicked and struck out with
his forefeet, his eyes all the time dancing with fun. One
moment he would attack a stranger with a scream of rage,
the next he would lay his head against Mando’s cheek
with a childlike gentleness.”

— 34

The Rats’ Storehouse

OME people, who lived in the north of England, were
very much concerned to find that there was a bad
smell in their dining-room, for which they could not
account. The opening of windows and doors to let in
fresh air only had a passing effect. As soon as they were
closed it was as bad as ever.

Determined to find out the cause, the people took up
the carpet, and, seeing nothing, they then took up some of
the boards in the floor. To their no small astonishment,
‘they found a wonderful variety of food, enough to stock a
small pantry. They also discovered the bodies of several
dead rats. On examination, they found that one of the
grates in the outside wall, placed there to ventilate the space
between the earth and the floor of the room, was broken.





CATCHING WILD HORSES ON THE STEPPES,

23



24 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

The rats had made their way through this grating and
established themselves under the floor. They had also
obtained access to a baker’s shop near, and had carried off
all they could get. Cakes, buns, tarts, egg-shells, and all
kinds of broken victuals were thickly strewn on the





ground. Two cartloads of eatables were taken out before
the space was cleared.

The rats, found dead, had either eaten poisoned food,
or they had fallen victims to their gluttony, unable to
resist the temptation of indulging in the rich stores of
dainties within their reach. Fe



NEW ANIMAL STORIES 25

Besieged by Wolves and Panthers

OME years ago a settler and his family lived in the
backwoods of North America. One day the father
was taken ill, and as no doctor lived within twelve miles,
one of the workmen, named Gordon, was sent on horse-
back to bring him to the log cabin. It had scarcely
grown dark when the inmates of the dwelling heard wild
beasts howling and roaring outside. Seeing several
wolves about, they securely barred the door and nailed a
blanket over the hole which served as a window.

When night had fairly set in, the house was sur-
rounded by a pack of forty or fifty wolves. As their
number increased, the savage animals grew bolder and
bolder, and united in a grand assault on the dwelling.
The man Gordon had taken with him their only gun, so
the mother and the eldest son armed themselves with
axes, and stood ready to defend the window and the door.

In a short time the wolves had gnawed a hole in the
door, through which they would no doubt have effected
an entrance but for the blows of the sharp-edged weapon,
which fell on any part of an animal that was seen,
When a number of the wolves had been severely
wounded, the pack retired, and a large chest was dragged
across the room, to stop up the hole which they had
made.

This had only just been done when a pounce was
heard on the roof of the house. The sound was accom-
panied by a snarl, which announced the unwelcome
visitor to be a panther. Then another and another
animal sprang on to the roof, until there were at least six
of these dangerous creatures, all determined to effect an
entrance. '

As the chest covered the hole in the door and gave it
additional strength, the mother and son, with their axes
in their hands, stood ready to defend the window.



26 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

They had not been there many minutes when a
panther sprang up and tore down the blanket. moment later, the same animal sprang into the opening
and tried to squeeze his way through. Down fell the
axe on his paws, and one of them was cut clean off and
dropped on the floor. The disabled beast fell back with
a fearful cry of pain and anger, and another sprang into
the opening. Two or three blows of the axes obliged



THE PANTHER.

the animals to retreat. Then a third tried the same
experiment, and received the same treatment.

After this the panthers withdrew, and the wolves
returned. For more than an hour they tried in every
way to effect an entrance, Six or eight of them sprang
against the door at once, with a force that shook the
house, but it remained firm, and all their efforts were
in vain.

When daylight came, the wolves slunk away, but



NEW ANIMAL STORIES 27

Gordon did not return, Nothing was heard of the doctor,
and, to the great grief of the family, the father died.

At ten o’clock in the morning the horse came back
alone, but it was so severely bitten that it died of its
injuries before night. On the following day a few bones
were found at some distance from the dwelling.

They were all that remained of Gordon. He had
been chased by the wolves and devoured during that
awful night.

——H B4—

A Queer Place for a Nest

PORTER had several times seen a rabbit about on

the line as if in search of food. Every day it
appeared at the same time near the same place. This
aroused his curiosity, so he made up his mind to find out
where it went. A rabbit, you know, is a very timid
creature, and therefore he had to act with great caution.

The first time he failed. The rabbit seemed to dis-
appear in a very secret manner, and therefore he had to
wait for another opportunity. On the following day he
saw the rabbit come out from under the line. He kept
perfectly still until the little animal had made its way
into a wood near. Then he went to the place, and care-
fully examined the spot. To his astonishment he found,
under one of the sleepers in the middle of the line, a
rabbit’s nest containing four young ones.

What had induced the timid animal to choose such a
strange place for a nest? We cannot tell, but there it
was, and there it remained, until the young rabbits were
old enough to take care of themselves.

Over that spot scores of trains thundered past every
twenty-four hours, and yet the little family seemed to
take no notice of them.



28 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

A Clever Dog

ere was once a Skye terrier dog named Cloudy,

which accompanied its master to Naples, where he
went to spend a winter. The dog was often taken to
the public library of that city, but as he quarrelled with
the dog belonging to the place, he was shut out. It
appears Cloudy did not like this arrangement, and sought
to obtain entrance by strategy. The door-bell was rung
by pulling a cord, which evidently the dog had taken
notice of. One morning the bell rang loudly, and on the
door being opened, in rushed Cloudy! As the same thing
occurred again and again, the dog was watched, and was
seen to ring the bell either with paws or teeth, When
once the bell tinkled inside, he posted himself ready to
rush in directly the door was opened.

43 4-__

The Missing Watch

NE day a gentleman went with some friends for a
ramble through some woods near his house. They
had a very pleasant morning, but on their return the
gentleman found that he had lost his watch. He remem-
bered that he had it while in the wood, for he had looked
at the time, and spoke of the hour to one of his friends,
Afraid that the watch had fallen among the grass, and
might be trod upon by a passer-by, he at once called his
dog, and, with several persons to help him, went in search
of the watch. The dog ran on before in the direction the
party had walked in the morning, and at length it was out
of sight. The searchers followed as quickly as they
could, and at length they came up with the clever animal.
It was jumping up to a branch on which hung the missing
watch, which had been drawn out of the gentleman’s
pocket and remained suspended till found.









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CLOUDY WAS SEEN TO RING THE PELL,
29



























































































30 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

A Clever Fox

A GENTLEMAN relates an amusing story about a

cunning old American fox. It had been chased over
and over again, and always escaped near the same place
—namely, a wooden fence outside a plantation which led
into a thick forest.



Hounds were brought from a great distance in order
to catch this fox, but they never succeeded. The fox
always made its bed in the middle of a large field, and did
not try to hide, but gave the hounds a good run, and then
disappeared at the fence,

Now, in America there are no hedges, the fields being
divided by rail fences. In the more cultivated parts the



NEW ANIMAL STORIES 31

fence is made by fixing two strong stakes in the ground,
so as to cross each other like the letter X, and nailing
them together where they cross. Long poles are then
laid on the crossed stakes, so that the fence can be made
to any height which is most convenient, the poles being
seldom railed, but held in their place by their own
weight.

Now, foxes often run along a fence or the top of a wall,
as far as the end. Then they go back for some distance
on their own track, and leap off the wall as far as they
can, so as to mislead the hounds. Knowing this trick, the
gentleman took the hounds all round the fence and the
plantation, but could find no signs of the fox. At last he
determined to hide himself near the place when the
hounds were again set on the fox, and try to discover the
trick.

After a while, the fox came quite slowly until he
reached the fence. Then he jumped on the top rail, and
ran along it for about two hundred yards, until he came
opposite a dead tree nearly sixteen feet from the fence.
He paused for a moment, and, with a tremendous jump,
leaped upon the tree, alighting upon a large knot on the
side of the trunk.

Then he ran up the trunk, which was slightly sloping,
and entered a hollow at the top, nearly thirty feet from
the ground, where he lay hid, no one even suspecting
that he could leap from the fence to the tree, much less
run up it.

This feat was the more wonderful, because ivy does not
grow out of doors in America, so that there seemed to be
no foothold. Indeed, had it not been for the knot, the fox
could not have climbed the tree.

The gentleman was so pleased with the cleverness of
the fox, that he would not betray the trick, but amused
himself on many occasions by watching the fox baffle the
hounds,



32 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

Curious Story of a Cat and a Pony

GENTLEMAN owned a very fine pony, which was
A excessively fond of him, and would come from the
paddock at the sound of his voice, and follow him about
like a dog. One day the pony became lame, and was
kept in the stable. About this time a cat had a family of
kittens on a ledge just above the pony’s manger. She and
the pony became great friends. One morning, while
jumping up to her kittens, she rolled off the ledge into the
manger, injuring her foot so that she could scarcely crawl
along to obtain her food at the house. When she came
back, she was unable to get up to her kittens, so she lay
down at the pony’s feet and mewed and looked up
piteously several times. At last the pony seeming to
understand what she wanted, reached down, took the cat
gently in his teeth, and lifted her up to the ledge to her
kittens. This was repeated morning after morning. The
cat would roll off into the manger, go and get her break-
fast, come back, and be lifted up to her family.

ee

A Wise Monkey

LITTLE boy was playing in one of the rooms of his
father’s house with a monkey. The boy, in fun, tied
the cord of a window-blind around his neck and pre-
tended to hang himself, to the immense amusement
of his playmate, which grinned and chattered on a
chair.
Suddenly the boy began to cry, for the cord had got
into a real noose around his neck, Ina very short space
of time the monkey saw that there was something wrong,







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THE PONY LIFTED THE CAT TO THE LEDGE.



34. NEW ANIMAL STORIES

and tried to undo the noose with its paws, but had to give
up the attempt. It then hopped away to another room,
where the boy’s grandmother was sitting, and began to
pull at her gown, to chatter, grimace, and look wistfully
towards the door.

At first, thinking that the animal wanted to bite her,
the old lady was frightened, but seeing that it was
endeavouring with might and main to drag her towards
the door, she rose from her seat and went, guided by the
monkey, to the room where her grandson was moaning.
The boy was instantly set free from the cord, though it
was some time before he recovered from his pain and
fright.

— {3-1

A Greedy Snake

N the reptiles’ cage in a Zoological Garden, a South
American boa-constrictor fought with a large python
from West Africa. The python, being the larger and
stronger snake, was successful, and the rabbit became its
prey.

Soon afterwards the two snakes began to fight over
another rabbit, and as it was the keeper’s time to go
home, he left them to settle the matter as best they
could.

When he returned in the morning, the boa was nowhere
to be seen. Then he found that the unfortunate animal
_ had stuck to the rabbit, and with it had been swallowed
by the python. The boa was seven feét in length, and
the python, which had swallowed it and also two rabbits,
was from twenty-three to twenty-eight inches in circum-
ference,



NEW ANIMAL STORIES 35

What Wasps can Do

N old pump, which had long been out of use, stood

near a house in Germany. One day the owner of

the house thought that he would find out if water could

still be obtained by pumping. He went and lifted the

handle, and in doing so he disturbed a nest of wasps
which had been built inside.

At once the wasps attacked him in a most furious
manner, and he fled down the road, the insects following
him and stinging him all the time.

- A cart was coming along the road, in which were a
peasant and his wife. The man in despair ran round
and round the cart, hoping that the wasps would leave
him. Some of them did so, and attacked the horses, but
a good number still clung to him, until, with one frantic
effort, he threw himself on some thick bushes, and rolled
over and over until he had freed himself from the angry
insects.

With his face swollen, and nearly blind, he hurried
to the nearest house, where they applied raw meat and
wet clay to the swollen parts. Meanwhile, the horses,
maddened by the stinging of the wasps, had bolted. The
peasant and the driver were thrown out, while the poor
wife, who lay at the bottom of the cart, was severely stung.

It took some time to catch the horses and to drive
off or kill the rest of the wasps. Fortunately, however,’
the occupants of the cart were not much hurt.

— +34

A Warlike Goose

NE day a goose marched into the barracks of a
German regiment, and took up its quarters by the
side of the guard-house where the sentries were posted.



36 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

The men were so pleased with the goose coming to join
them of its own free will, that they built a small shed for
it to live in, and daily fed it at their own expense.

For more than twenty years the goose remained
with that regiment, and could neither be driven nor
coaxed away from its friends.

When the regiment was sent to another part of the
country, the goose went with them. All places were alike
to the faithful creature, if only its companions were there.

At length war broke out, and the regiment was
ordered to the front. For a time the goose was very
restless and unhappy. Then it settled down with a new
regiment, until one day the old one came back to the
town. At once it joined them again, and remained with
them until it died.

Now it may be seen stuffed in a glass case on the
gates of the barracks at Stuttgart.

—— E34

The Angry Birds and the Fox

VERY unusual incident was some years ago wit-

nessed near St. Margaret’s, Dover. Some sportsmen
were crossing a field, when they saw a large fox run-
ning from the direction of the cliffs towards the Dover
& Deal Railway at a‘great pace, and evidently frightened.
It was then noticed that he was pursued by a large
number of rooks and starlings, which were fluttering only
a few feet above him. They were following evidently in
anger, as they frequently made a pounce with their beaks
upon his head. At last Reynard reached a small cover
near East Langdon, where he took refuge. The birds
remained hovering for some time over the spot, but,
finding their prey had escaped them, at length flew back
towards the cliffs.

























































































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THE FOX WAS PURSUED BY A NUMBER OF ROOKS AND STARLINGS,
37



38 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

The Horse wanted the Basket

GENTLEMAN often saw a butcher’s boy pass his

house, mounted on a horse which seemed to go like
the wind. He noticed that the boy used neither whip
nor spur, and yet the animal always kept up its rapid
pace.

It was just such a horse as he wanted, for he often
rode in the country, and he liked to enjoy a gallop
over the common. He went to the butcher, and bid
him thirty, forty, and finally eighty guineas for his horse.
At last the butcher consented, and the gentleman
mounted his bargain. It would not stir an inch. He
thought there must be some trickery about the matter,
and said so.

The butcher called his boy, and said to him—

“Here, boy, mount this horse.”

The boy was no sooner on its back than the creature
flew like an arrow.

The gentleman mounted again, with the same result
as before.

“ How is it?” he exclaimed, in wonder.

“Oh,” said the butcher, “you must take the basket.”

— + 34

How a Tiger was Caught

N the Zoological Gardens at Calcutta there is a famous
man-eating tiger that is said to have destroyed three
hundred human beings. This, of course, was in the days
of its freedom, when it roamed at will through the forest
and the jungle of its native wilds.
When its list of victims had become so numerous
that the people were afraid to go about their ordinary



NEW ANIMAL STORIES 39

occupations, the Indian prince of that region decided to
set a trap to capture the dreaded enemy.

A pit was dug and baited with two bullocks, then
men were set to watch from a distance the result. At
the end of two days they saw the crafty animal appear,
and with shouts of joy they made known the welcome
intelligence that it had sprung on the bullocks and dis-
appeared into the trap. ,

Then the prince set about devising a scheme to get
the famous animal out alive. He had a second pit dug
not far from the first, and in this a strong bamboo cage
was placed. A tunnel was then made, large enough to
pass the cage along, from the new pit to the one in which
the tiger was a prisoner. A goat was placed in the
cage, and when only a thin wall of earth remained be-
tween it and the first pit, the door was opened and the
barrier broken down.

At once the tiger plunged through the opening to
seize the goat. The door of the cage fell behind him,
and he was afterwards carried safely to the Gardens, where
he still remains, an object of wonder and admiration.

—— 1 {34—_

The Monkey and the Eggs

TAME monkey was so full of mischief that he often
got himself into trouble. He, however, learned a few
lessons he did not soon forget.

One day he was found carrying off a jug of milk from
the table. He had the jug in both paws, and was trying
to walk upright on his hind legs. The maid, who came
into the room, caught him, and gave him a few sharp
blows with the broom which she had in her hand. After
that he decided to let the milk alone.



40 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

Another time he made his way to the hen-house, where
there was a nest containing a number of eggs. The
mother hen flew about screaming with fear. When she
saw him breaking the eggs as fast as he could, she set upon
him, and gave him so many sharp bites with her bill that
he ran off in great pain.

That was the last visit he paid to the hen-house, nor
would he again touch an egg.

—+ Ba -

Tom the Elephant

OM was an elephant which the Duke of Edinburgh

brought from India. He was a great favourite with

the sailors with whom he made the voyage, and they were

never weary of his funny ways. He knew the meal-times

as well as any of the crew, and was always ready to enjoy

the food provided for him. Every evening he visited the
sailors’ quarters, where he was hailed with delight.

The men collected all sorts of things for their huge
friend, and then amused themselves throwing them into
his mouth. Tom took all that came—biscuits, fruit, and
even tobacco. Nor did he complain when a cake of
blacking was thrown to him.

One day the elephant went to the fire, where a large
pan of cocoa was being made ready for the men on duty.
While the cook went to call the men, Tom helped himself,
and the sailors arrived to find nothing but the empty
vessel.

The cook was very angry when he found that his work
would have to be done again. So he took up the pan
and struck the elephant with it. When he put the vessel
down, Tom had his revenge. He lifted up his huge foot
and smashed the pan to pieces.



NEW ANIMAL STORIES 4I

While the ship was lying at a port on the way home,
Tom was taken ashore and put in a shed which had been
provided for him. At night he got out and took a walk
all alone. He came to a well, where, during the day, his
keeper had made him draw some water. He remem-
bered this, and, not liking the job, he pushed the bucket
into the well. Down went the bucket, but the rope caused
the handle to go round, and Tom received a smart blow,
which made him wince. After that, nothing would induce
him to go near either the bucket or the well.























































TOM HELPED HIMSELF.



42 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

A Cat’s Fight with an Eagle

LARGE eagle was once noticed to be hovering near
to a certain farmyard in Scotland in search of prey.
Suddenly it swooped down and seized a fine tabby cat in
its talons, and flew up into the air. When, apparently,
the cat realised its terrible situation, it began to show
fight, and bit and scratched away at the eagle’s legs and
neck, taking care to keep tight hold of its captor. The
eagle tried in vain to drop the cat, until, faint from loss of
blood, it slowly sank to the earth, where it lay in a dying
condition. The cat jumped quickly away, and sat down
at a safe distance licking her wounds. A few minutes
after, she came purring to her master, as much as to say,
“ Flave you no praise for me?”

Ses oe

Sambo and Puck

AMBO was a fine black retriever, and Puck was a little
terrier. One day the owner of the dogs went out
shooting with a servant, accompanied by Sambo and
Puck. Unfortunately, both the gentleman and his man
fell over a waterfall, a distance of 150 feet. As neither
they nor the dogs returned, a number of persons went out
to look for them. They found the servant alive, but quite
unconscious. He had crawled close to the water, but he
was unable to move farther, or go to the help of his
master.

The gentleman’s body was found quite near the same
place, and by his side was the terrier. The faithful little
animal had stuck to his post for forty-eight hours without
either food or water. Sambo had evidently gone for
help, and, meeting a panther, had been killed by the
savage animal.

q























































































































































































































































































































































































































































THE CAT HELD ON TO ITS CAPTOR.
43



44 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

An Elephant’s Memory

OME years ago, a large circus visited the town of
Hythe, in Kent, and among the animals that went
in procession through the town was a young elephant.

As the huge creature passed by, a kindly-disposed
greengrocer came forward from his shop and gave
him a liberal feast of potatoes. These were greatly
enjoyed, and it seems that the elephant made up his
mind that, if ever he came to Hythe again, he would
pay another visit to the friend who had fed him.

In due course the elephant found himself again
in Hythe with the circus. That night he was put
to bed as usual; but between three and four o’clock
in the morning, before anyone was up, he managed
to let himself out of his stable, and went off on a
“voyage of discovery” down Market Street.

It did not take him long to find the shop which
had such pleasant memories for him; but, alas! the
shutters were up, and its owner upstairs asleep.

Nothing daunted, the elephant set to work, and
lifting the door off its hinges, he shouldered his way
in. Oh, what a feast displayed itself—apples,. potatoes,
cabbages, oranges, even sweets! Our big friend felt
hungry, and had managed to make a very large hole
in the stock of fruit and vegetables before he was
disturbed.

A well-known voice and a sharp crack of the whip
told him of the arrival of his keeper, and he was soon
given to understand that the stable, and not the fruit-
shop, was the proper place for an elephant at three
o'clock in the morning.

But just think what a memory the animal must
have had to be able to find the shop, and know what
it contained, after all those years !



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THE ELEPHANT SHOULDERED HIS WAY INTO THE SHOP,
45



46 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

The Adventures of a Cat

eee ae some packing-cases were wanted in a lace

and silk works at Coventry. It was the custom to
send out goods in these cases, and when emptied they
were returned to the works,

All the empty cases were kept in the basement or
cellar, and on this.occasion a porter brought as many of
them as were wanted from those that had been returned.
Proceeding to open the cases, the man was surprised to
find a very fine tabby cat lying among some paper. The
animal was alive, but in a very weak condition.

The prisoner was at once released from its confine-
ment, and it received every attention. Ina short time it
was quite well, and looking as plump as ever.

A letter was sent to the people who had returned the
case, and they replied that the creature must have been
nailed up and sent off to Coventry about twenty-four days
before.

They added that the cat, which was a valuable one,
had been missing for several weeks, though diligent
search had been made for it. No one could understand
how it came to pass that the imprisoned cat had never
made itself heard before it left the shop, in the railway
van at the station, on the railway journey of two hundred
miles, or in the works. Perhaps, like the mad dog in
Goldsmith’s funny poem, the cat had done it “to serve
some private end.” When a dumb animal does a clever
thing, the reason of which we can understand, we are all
loud in our praises. When we don’t understand, the
animal gets no praise, and is simply called “an odd
creature.” Puss may have hada purpose. At all events, it
was wonderful that the animal was alive after so long an
imprisonment without food or water.



NEW ANIMAL STORIES 47



The Tiger and the Fish

NE day a sportsman went fishing in India, accom-
panied by an old and faithful native servant, who
carried his rifle to be ready in case any large game
was met with, the country being exceedingly full of
jungle.

The two became separated; but the fisher, knowing
that the servant was well able to take care of himself,
proceeded to the river, where, after a while, he hooked
a large fish, weighing over twenty pounds.

Returning with the fish, he met in a ravine leading
up from the river a huge tiger, from whose presence he
moved before it saw him, hiding nimbly behind a rock.
He was so anxious to avoid the fierce creature that the
fish fell from his hands, and was fully exposed to the
view of the tiger.

Even then, however, it seemed as if the tiger would
pass it without notice; but, in an evil moment, just



48 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

when the animal appeared to have made up his mind
to move on, the fish gave a feeble flop, which at once
_ attracted the tiger’s attention.

The beast made straight for the fish, seized it by
the head, and carried it off. The fish was still joined
to the tackle, and no sooner did the tiger feel the re-
sistance of the reel, than he gave a sudden jerk which
resulted in hooking him by. the lip.

At this moment the enraged animal caught sight of
the hiding sportsman, and fixed his green and glittering
eyes upon him. The latter, not knowing how to act,
began to play with the beast, as he might with a fish;
but, though the tiger was uncertain what to do for a
moment, the proceeding was not likely to last long.
Luckily, the native servant turned up, and with a well-
‘aimed shot laid low the monarch of the forest.

ee

The “ Big Brown Dog”

N the wilds of Canada, where the log houses are

many miles apart, and where the ground is still

covered with thick forests, lived the little boy of whom
this story is told.

He had started out one afternoon in the autumn to
pick berries. He had not meant to go far from the
house, but he walked on, picking and eating, until it
began.to grow dark. Then he thought it was time to
be at home, and so he turned to go there. But where
was home? Was it down yonder past the pines, or
straight ahead beyond the briers?

Alas! there were so many briers, and the pines
grew so close together and looked so much alike!
The poor child ran first this way, and then that;
‘but home came no nearer. Hejwas indeed lost.



NEW ANIMAL STORIES 49

In the meantime the boy’s parents became alarmed
at his absence, and started in search of him. All that
night they sought far and wide, but could find no trace
of their son. The next day the neighbours joined in
the search, and day after day they kept it up, until six
days had passed, and the boy was not found.

On the morning of the seventh day the weary band
would have given up the search, feeling sure that the
boy was dead; but the father and mother still went
on looking with weary eyes and sad hearts, calling
their son’s: name with their tired voices.

‘At last, the father sat down to rest on an old
fallen tree. Something seemed to stir in its hollow
depths, and in a moment he had put his hand into the
hole. It rested on his boy. Yes, there was the little
fellow, warm and breathing, but very weak, and only
just alive. The neighbours crowded around, and gently
drew him out of the tree and carried him home.

By and by he grew stronger, and could then answer
their questions. ‘What had he lived on all these seven
long days?” Berries—always berries.

“But how had he kept warm through the cold,
frosty nights?” Oh, he had slept in a tree, and a
nice big brown dog had kept him warm by lying close
to him. <

The neighbours looked at one another, and at the
father and mother. They knew every dog in all the
country round. There were only a very few of them, and
not one big brown dog was in the number. The hollow
tree was again examined, and, from what they saw, they
felt sure that a large bear had used it as a sleeping-
place, and that he had kindly allowed the child to
share his bed.

The boy soon got well and strong, and in time
grew up to be a sturdy farmer. When he had chil-
dren of his own, nothing pleased them so much as to
hear from their father thesstory of the big brown dog.

4



50 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

The Parrot and the Sparrow

ARROTS may be taught many tricks, to imitate a
variety of sounds, and even to. talk. -They live
chiefly on seeds and fruits. The parrots that are kept
as pets are the green parrot from South America, and
the grey parrot with a scarlet tail from West Africa.

Once a parrot named Jack was presented to one
of the public gardens in Paris. After Jack had been
there for some time, he showed a great liking for a little
wild sparrow which used to pick up crumbs or grains
of corn that fell from the parrot’s food-tin. As soon
as the parrot’s perch was fixed in the morning, up flew
the sparrow. When Jack saw him, he lifted up his
unchained foot that the sparrow might perch upon it.

The two birds would remain thus for some time;
the parrot, with his head on one side, gazing fondly
on his tiny friend, and the sparrow flapping his wings.
Then the parrot would go carefully down to his food-
tin, where he seemed to expect the little bird to share
his breakfast.

The meal being over, the parrot opened one of his
wings, and the sparrow went under and pecked and
rummaged about, much to the satisfaction of Jack.
When one wing was cleaned, he held out the other,
and the same process was gone through again.

The sparrow seemed to know that all this was ex-
pected of him, and he appeared to take a delight in it.
When he had finished, the birds both tucked their heads
under their wings, and sitting side by side, they fell
asleep. 5 :

At length the parrot was very ill, and his little
friend became both doctor and nurse. He flew about
the garden and seemed to be searching for somethung.
When he came back, he had in his beak a long blade
of grass. He gave this to the parrot, who managed to



NEW ANIMAL STORIES 51

eat it. This was repeated for three or four days until
Jack was cured.

One day the sparrow was pecking on the grass close
to the parrot’s perch when a large cat rushed at him.
On seeing this, the parrot gave a most terrible shriek,
and the terrified cat fled for its life.

— + 4—

The Cat and the Pigeon

iN PIGEON once made her nest in a hayloft which was

infested with rats. Several times these troublesome
creatures destroyed the pigeon’s eggs, or carried off her
young ones and devoured them.

One day a cat took up her abode in the hayloft fora
time to rear her kittens. The cat and the pigeon soon
became great friends, though, as a rule, cats kill and eat
birds.

They were often seen feeding from the same dish, and
when the cat went out for a short run, the pigeon
fluttered near her, and seemed to enjoy the company of
her four-footed friend.

The rats tried once or twice to get at the pigeon’s eggs
after the cat had arrived in the loft, but they soon found
that she was too wide-awake for them. When two of
them had lost their lives in the attempt, the rest took
care to seek food in other quarters. This protection in-
creased the friendship that had sprung up between the two
mothers.

The pigeon also showed her gratitude by watching over
the kittens in the absence of the cat. If anyone went
near them, she attacked the intruder in the most vigorous
manner, and tried to drive them off with her beak and
wings.



52 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

Monkeys and a Train

RAILWAY line was laid through a part of India

where there was a native temple. Here a host of
monkeys were kept, and regarded as sacred animals. The
lines aroused the curiosity of the mischievous creatures,
and often they went out in gangs to try to pull up the
metals. They began by removing the earth from the
sides of the rails until they had laid bare the nuts and
bolts, and the sleepers on which the rails rested.

These they did not understand, and vainly tried to
remove. Asa rule, they stopped work when they saw a
train approaching. They were not, however, so frightened
by it as to run away. They simply jumped on to the
side till the train had passed, and then went on with their
work.

One day one of the monkeys did not move with the
rest. Seeing his danger, several of the rest got hold of
him by the tail, and pulled him out of danger.

— +34

A Child and a Lion

PERSON who lived some years in South Africa, tells

the following story :— _

The infant son of one of the Dutch settlers had strayed
away. When the father missed him, he gathered together
some of his friends, who armed themselves and went in
search of the child. After some time, they found foot-
prints leading in the direction of the bush. Following up
these, they came upon a large open space, at the farther
side of which they discovered the object of their search,
sitting hugging a little wooden doll, and munching a piece
of bread and butter. Before they could make their way







THE MONKEYS TRIED TO PULL UP THE RAILWAY LINES.

53



54 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

through the thick, tangled undergrowth, a large lion
sprang into the clearing. The little boy, far from being
frightened, ran to meet the lion, holding up his bread and
butter, and said, “ Take a bit, doggie.”

The father stood powerless, through fear, to move or
speak, expecting each instant to see the child crushed under
the lion’s paw ; but, instead of doing as he dreaded, the lion



turned himself over and lay on his back at the child’s feet,
looking up in his face as a cat would doat play. Watching
his opportunity, the father raised his gun and fired, hitting
the lion in the knee. The animal sprang up, and leaving
the child, rushéd on the party, injuring two of the number
before it was finally a

From this circumstante the child was christened by the
settlers “ Daniel.”





NEW ANIMAL STORIES 55

The Crow and the Mussel

AR crow is said to be a very wise bird. It certainly
can do very clever things, as you shall see.

Crows will eat almost anything, dead or alive. They
have been seen picking up
all sorts of odds and ends
in the street, and making
off with young ducks,
chickens, or other birds.
Those that live near the
sea also help themselves to
shrimps and young crabs.
They are always on the
watch for anything that
may be washed up by the .
tide.

A crow that was very
fond of mussels was seen
to pick one up in his bill
and then fly to a great
height. He knew that he :
could not crack the shell,
but he could let the mussel
fall. This he did, taking:
care to let it come down
on the stones. Of course the shell was broken, and the |
crow was able.to feed on its contents.



ee

A Clever Sheep-Dog

FARMER sold a large flock of sheep to a dealer, and
lent the man his dog to assist in driving them to the
next town, distant about thirty-five miles,



56 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

When the man was ready to start, the farmer called
the dog and gave the intelligent animal its orders, The
arrangement made between the farmer and the dealer
was that when the sheep arrived at the town, the dealer
should give the dog a meal and send him home.

The dealer set out with the dog and thesheep. Several
days passed away, and the farmer became very anxious
about the dog. He began to fear that the faithful creature
had met with an accident.

At length he was awakened early one morning by hear-
ing a noise in the farmyard. He looked out of the
window, and then he saw his dog in charge of a large flock
of sheep.

On examination, he found that some of the sheep were
those he had sold to the dealer a few days before. The
farmer then made inquiries, and learned that the dealer
had been so pleased with the dog that he decided to try
to keep him. He therefore tied him up when he got to
the town, to prevent him from returning to his master.

The dog succeeded in freeing himself, and then there
seemed to be an idea in his mind that the dealer, who
wished to steal him, had no right tothe sheep. He there-
fore collected the whole flock, which was feeding in a field
near, and drove it as quickly as he could to his master.

—+4—

The Sheep and the Bridge

ieee was a sheep-dog, owned out on the Carthage
Pike, near Elmwood, whose sagacity was wonderful.
A gentleman was coming down Spring Grove Avenue,
just above Chester Park, and observed a little commotion
at the north end of the large covered wooden avenue bridge
which spans Mill Creek.
Approaching nearer, he discovered a flock of sheep that



























































































































































A WAY OUT OF THE DIFFICULTY.

b7



58 NEW ANIMAL ‘STORIES

had blocked the north entrance to the bridge. Their
owner was patiently seated in a waggon behind them,
apparently unconcerned. A large shepherd-dog had been
struggling for several minutes to induce the sheep to enter
the bridge and go on. But they were evidently suspicious,
and did not dare to venture into the forbidding place.
Frightened at the dog’s barking and urging, the hindmost
sheep kept crowding up, while the leaders held back.

As we said before, the owner was unconcerned, confi-
dent that his sagacious dog would find a way to settle the
puzzling problem. Presently the dog, discouraged at his
unsuccessful effort to drive, leaped upon the backs of the
sheep, ran along to the bridge entrance, leaped upon the
floor, and seizing in his mouth the woolly neck of one of
the ewes, dragged her along on to the bridge. Once on
the floor of the bridge, the old ewe’s suspicions were
allayed, and she trotted across, followed by the whole
flock, while the dog, stepping on one side, let them all pass,
and then trotted along after.

—- B1-—

A Dog and Snake. Fight

N English doctor in India gives the following account

of an encounter between a dog and a cobra:—

One day while we were sitting outside after dinner, my
wife felt something moving against her feet, and jumped
up fromher chair. At the same moment, our terrier, lying
close by, saw and flew at the object, which, by its hissing,
at once declared itself to be a snake.

While I called for lights and sticks, the reptile retreated
into the hollow of a tree, against which is a fernery, and
hissed so loudly that my servants and I were deceived
into thinking the noise to be that of a cat. :

After prodding into the recesses of the rockery with



NEW ANIMAL STORIES 59

sticks for several minutes, the loud hissing being continued
the while, the snake suddenly came out before my servant,
and stood erect upon the stonework with expanded hood.

At this moment, the dog, who had all along been
trying, by barking violently, to dislodge the reptile, rushed
twice, at least, and dragged it down upon the ground from
the rockery. I beat off the dog, and hit the snake two
blows with a piece of
split bamboo, seven feet ©
long, and quite supple,
held near one end.

Very little injury could
have been inflicted upon
the snake by these
blows, which were made
quite at random; and
while it was writhing
vigorously, and before I
. could strike it again,
the dog carried it away,
and was found, a few
minutes afterwards, forty
yards off, worrying the
reptile, which he held
by the throat, and had
killed.

The cobra, the head
of which I have preserved, was three feet seven inches.
long, with distinct spectacles and perfect fangs. The
dog is alive, and was not the least ill after the encounter.

In another case of a fight between a terrier and a cobra,
the snake bit the dog on the lower lip. The dog severed
the snake in two, but the snake’s bite did its work. The
brave little terrier died a few minutes afterwards,





60 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

A Grateful Stork

NCE a pair of storks took up their abode on the roof
of a schoolhouse in Germany, One day the teacher













































































































































































































































































































































THE STORK’S NEST.

found one of the birds lying exhausted on the ground

before his door.
Now, in that country it is considered a piece of good



NEW ANIMAL STORIES 61

luck to have a stork’s nest on the house, and therefore he
picked up the bird, took it into his dwelling, and nursed
it carefully. When it was getting well, he took it out of
doors and carried it to the field near his house, where it
was fed by its mate.

At length the stork was cured and able to return to its
nest, but every evening while it remained, it flew down
from the roof, and gravely walked by the side of its friend
from the schoolhouse to the meadows.

This novel sight attracted considerable attention, and
often the two friends were accompanied by a group of
wondering village children.

A weaver of Bruges, also, rescued a young stork which
had fallen out of the nest, and was like to die.. He fed
and reared it, and the bird grew and thrived. Day by
day it would perch on the high beam above the old man’s
loom; and he, having neither wife nor child, came to look
upon the beautiful white bird as a friend. He would talk
to it, and it would listen with a wise and solemn air, as if
it quite understood. One day the loom was silent, and in
the lonely cottage the old weaver lay dead. Stranger
hands bore him to his last resting-place. But round and
round the spot the stork flew disconsolately, and when
the funeral party had left the spot the bird nestled on the
grave and died of grief.

ee

The Ways of Wolves

T is said that if treated kindly, a young wolf will
become as tractable as any young dog, learning a
name and answering to it as readily. When a wolf is
trained, you cannot drive him off from you. The wild
wolves may howl ever so loudly near him, but he simply
seems to have a scorn of them and their ways.



62 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

He is a picture of great contentment. Nor does a
recent writer think it would be difficult to tame a grown
wolf. “The cowboys of Texas,” he says, “sometimes
ride them down and catch them with their ropes, and
when they are not immediately killed by these rough
riders, but kept a little while and treated with some kind-
ness, they become quite docile, permitting anyone to
stroke them gently about the head.

“J have never known a serious effort to tame the fully-
grown wolf. I never knew but one tamed wolf to utter
the long howl, and he seemed to do it solely out of a spirit
of mischief-making. He was a frequent companion of
some ladies on their walks, and in some way he found
that he could give them a great but harmless scare by
howling. Therefore, every now and then, at a favourable
opportunity, he would break out; and when the ladies
screamed, he would appear to burst almost with the fun
of the thing.

“Wolves have some very evil ways in their taming,
which sometimes demand severe and repeated correction
with a switch. They are exceedingly fond of poultry,
and will soon destroy an entire hen-roost if not
watched.

“They also show great cunning in stealing ahen. For
instance, they have been known, when supplied with a
piece of bread, to go off with it to a lonely place in the
yard, where they will crouch flat on the ground with the
forefeet stretched out before them. They will then
crunch the bread so as to have a great many crumbs lying
quite near the mouth and all around it.

“A chicken will soon be attracted, which, when
observing, the wolf will shut his eyes and appear to fall
into a deep sleep. However, he never is so wide-awake.
The foolish chicken draws nearer and nearer to the fatal
mouth. Suddenly the wolf seizes it and kills it before it
has time to squeal. To devour it, feathers and all, is but
the work of a moment. It is hard to whip this fondness



NEW ANIMAL STORIES 63

for chicken-stealing out of the wolf, and some people
become tired of them on this account and kill them.

“An old farmer living a mile or two from where I write
this, had a pack of seven tamed wolves, with which he
considered himself the smartest man in the country, being
a great hunter; but as each wolf must have a chicken
nearly every day, the women of his family at length took
offence.and caused them all to be killed.

“Wolves have the same weakness for ducks and turkeys,
but will not kill pigs or sheep, as wild wolves do. The
wolf may be set upon other animals like the dog, but he
means to kill, and will most surely do so if let alone.
The dog is content to seize a hog by the ear and hold him,
but the tame wolf will take him by the throat and kill.

“They make excellent deer-dogs, rapid in pursuit and
of great endurance, but when they catch the deer they
will eat him if the hunter does not come up very soon.
But dogs must be taken with them on the chase, as they
give no mouth, and their pursuit is silent and swift.
Therefore, without the noisy hound, the hunter would
soon be utterly lost from his pack.”

— 1-34

A Spider catching a Wasp

NE day a man heard a remarkably loud buzzing in an

outhouse near his dwelling. On going out to find

the cause, he saw a wasp caught by the hind leg in a
spider’s web.

The buzzing which had attracted the man’s attention
was caused by the rapid action of the insect’s wings in
its efforts to free itself.

The owner of the web, quite a small spider, patiently
watched the struggles of the wasp from above, and far
out of reach. Presently, however, it saw that the wasp
was endeavouring, with the fellow-leg of the opposite side,



64 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

to free the one that was caught. Then it cunningly ran
down its rope,and rapidly attached a thread to the foot of

- the free leg also.
Then the legs of
the wasp were
drawn below its
back, and _ the
spider returned to
its former place of
safety.

Soon the wasp
was completely
exhausted, and lay
quite still. Then
the spider slipped
down upon the
body of its captive
Sti lA and inserted some

SS poison intoits body.
It also wrapped the insect’s wings round with fresh threads.

As there was no further appearance of life or motion,
the victorious spider dragged its victim into a convenient
place to be feasted upon at its leisure.

—_-{3-1—_—_.

The Cat and the Parrot

R. A. T, ELWES, the artist, tells the following remark-

able story of a cat and a parrot :—

“When we were children, we used to pass on our way
to school a certain house, where we generally made a halt
to watch the antics of a cat and parrot, which had been
brought up together. It especially amused us to hear the
parrot screech, ‘Puss! Puss! scratch Polly’s poll, and to
see the cat gravely proceed to do as she was bidden.
In the midst of the fun Polly would look up and say to
us, ‘ Be off with you, rude children,—be off to school.’”































































































































































’S POLL.”

“puss! puss! SCRATCH POLLY



66 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

A Strange Tiger Story

FEW months ago two gentlemen in India determined
to get rid of a tiger that had killed a number of the
natives. Two of the most recent victims were watchmen,
and therefore the gentlemen went on duty themselves,
thinking that the tiger might return to the spot where he
had been successful in procuring his prey.
They remained on
the watch all night,
fully armed, listening
to every sound, and
ready to fire at the
first appearance of
the savage creature.
About three in the
morning, one of the
gentlemen said that
he would go to bed,
as he felt certain that
the tiger would not
then appear.
Proceeding to carry
out his intention, he
passed into the house
through one of the
large windows in the verandah, which opened down
to the ground.

He had hardly closed the window behind him when he
saw a large dark mass land on the verandah, right on his
friend. This was followed by a scuffle and a cry for help.
Seizing his rifle and a sword bayonet, he flung open the
window and rushed out into the garden. To his astonish-
ment, he saw his friend coming along the path by the
side of the tiger, with his hand in the animal’s mouth.

Afraid to fire for fear that he should hurt his friend, he





-NEW ANIMAL STORIES 67

went quietly up to the tiger, plunged the bayonet into the
animal’s body, and then fired with deadly aim. There
was a roar and a scuffle, and a moment later the tiger fell
dead.

The gentleman’s hand was found to be in a terribly
mangled condition, and was some time before it thoroughly
healed.

There is no doubt that the presence of mind shown
by the gentlemen prevented the destruction of one or
both.

——— HB

A Dog Sentry

N officer tells the following story :—

“Many years ago, when | was serving in one of
Her Majesty’s cavalry regiments, there belonged to the
corps in general, and no one in particular, a remarkably
well-bred, rough Irish terrier. Where he came from
nobody knew; but there he was, and without him the
regiment would have been about as much at a loss as
without its colonel or riding-master.

“On parade, Jack was always well to the fore, taking as
much interest in the turn-out as the officer command-
ing. He regularly accompanied the regiment when out
marching, but objected to the hurry and bustle of field-
days. It was, however, at night that his services were
of most value.

“As regularly as half-past six came round, the hour
appointed for guard-mounting, Jack would put in an
appearance, always spending his night in the guard-room,
and never failing to make his round of the sentries with
each relief, and also with the visiting officer. It was
whispered that by a quiet tug at the overalls of some
sleepy sentry, he had been the means of saving more



68 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

than one from punishment.” For, as you know, very few
offences are so severely punished, especially in war-time,
as that of being found asleep at the post of watch.

“On one occasion, when a trooper of the regiment of
whom he was very fond was locked up for a term of
fourteen days, Jack could not by means of threats or
coaxings be induced to move away from the cell-door |
until the time expired.

“Jn the matter of food, as may be imagined, Jack was
thoroughly well treated, and he was a welcome guest in
every room in the barracks. He knew the dinner-bugle
as well as the men themselves. One day he would
present himself at A room, the next at B, and so on,
never to my knowledge dining with the same host two
days together.

“Poor old chap! In the course of time and the fulness
‘of years he died of old age, but to nearly the very last he
regularly performed his self-imposed duty of going the
rounds.”

tie

Puss and her Two-Legged Family

HERE was once a brood of chickens which were
placed in a basket by the kitchen fire. Some time
after, upon going downstairs,a gentleman was surprised
to find that the cat had turned the basket over and let all
the chickens out. They were hopping about and ‘around
her as contented as could be, and the cat was purring
away as though she had got the most wonderful family .
in the world. When, a day or two later, the chickens
were taken away, the cat went wandering about the house,
and would not be comforted.



















































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































———
CMEWITT, SCS

THE CHICKS WERE HOPPING AROUND THE CAT,
69



70 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

A Cat-Artist’s Story

N artist famous for his pictures of cats, told the
following story when asked why he had taken to
painting cats :—

“Some years ago, Peter was a black-and-white kitten,
and had a great love for mouse-hunting. I had him
when he had just gained his eyesight, and the second
day in his new home he brought a half-dead young
mouse, who had held on so tight to Peter’s nose that it
bled.

“ Peter was so plucky that I took a fancy tohim, for he
would not part with the mouse, and marched up and
down with his tail bolt upright till the mouse was killed
for him. He had the run of the house, and strength
coming apace with courage, he soon learned to kill his
mice himself, and these he always brought upstairs and
laid at my feet.

“T began to pet him a great deal, and he would come
and sit on my drawing-table for hours together, and
watch my pen and brush, but the instant I attempted to
sketch him he disappeared under the table and sat at my
feet.

“Presently I began to teach him tricks, in which he
took a keen delight. For instance, he would run down-
stairs after a rabbit’s foot, and bring it up and lay it at
my feet. Then he would run and hide behind the door,
and peep round till he saw me coming. Then he would
bolt, and I ran after him, and he ran after me, and
away we went, upstairs and downstairs, and all over the
house.

“In such wild frolics as these 1 began to study him.
Imagine me rolling over the floor, now on hands and .
knees, now crouching up and down stairs, Peter striking
a hundred queer positions which I had never seen in any
other cat, jumping sideways and round on the tip of his



NEW ANIMAL STORIES a1

toes, twirling around with blazing eyes and open mouth,
his whiskers up, and his hair standing on end.

“But at the sight of the pencil or sketch-book on the
ground he took the sulks, and lay down on the hearth-
rug; so that the only sketch I ever made of him was
while his back was turned towards me, a back view, and
yet he was the best model I could have had. All his
movements fired my imagination, and I had only to romp
madly with him for a few moments to get any amount of
ideas. Thus I gradually got a cat engraved on my mind,
and his little ways were not easy to forget.

“Peter attached himself to me to such an extent that if
I moved from the house he would sit on the stairs till he
learned to know my footsteps when I opened the door, and
ran down to meet me. But, try as I would, he evidently
thought it was not quite the thing to sit for his portrait,
and to this day my sketches of him are from memory.

“Some of his tricks were quite out of the way. He
would sit upon my knees, put his paws together in front
of him, and when told to say his prayers, would
‘“Miaow.’ At meal-times he had his own chair, and sat
quiet till we had finished, when he miaowed three times
for his dinner.

“He was very curious, and noticed any new things in
the house. Ifa picture was put on the wall, he would sit
on the ground and stare at it fora long time. He would
also lie on the ground on his back and put his paws
together, with his tail out and his head back, and then
‘die’ till told to ‘live again,’

“With such a pet by me, I was always wishing to do
something which no one had ever done before in cats, but
for a long time—in fact months—I doubted whether
people would care for anything funny in the cat line.
I tried one or two pictures, but I was always told that no
one cared for cats. At last I produced ‘The Cat’s
Christmas Party.’ Its success was very great, and that
was how I came to draw cats.”



72 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

Attacked by an Eagle

OT long ago, a man was walking over the hills in
the south of Scotland, when he had a remarkable
adventure,

It took place about midday, when the sun was
shining in a cloudless sky. Suddenly a shadow, for
which he could not account, passed over him, and the
same instant he received a blow and his hat was knocked
off his head. ;

Looking up, he saw a large eagle hovering over him,
and poising itself for another swoop. He had no weapon
to use in his defence, but fortunately he had his umbrella
in his hand. Down came the eagle, and the umbrella did
good service in warding off the attack. This happened
several times. Suddenly an express train, dashing
through the valley near, alarmed the eagle, for it at once
flew away, and left the man to pursue his journey in
peace,

a

The Elephant-Nurse

HEN an elephant is employed as a nurse in India, the

huge animal is generally fastened by one leg to a

chain fixed to a peg which has been driven into the
ground.

Then the baby is laid down on the grass near him,
and the mother goes away to her work, quite sure that no
human being could be more careful of her child than the
elephant will be.

The baby has no fear of its ponderous nurse, and
crawls about the animal’s feet and legs with the greatest
freedom. If the baby crawls too far away, the elephant



NEW ANIMAL STORIES 73

gently winds his trunk around the child’s body, and
tenderly places it back again.

No strangers are allowed to gonear the child. If any-
one attempted to do so, the elephant would at once
attack them and even kill them if they did not keep out
of his way.

———3-1-_—.

A Wonderful Pet

LD SOUP, for that was the elephant’s curious name,

was born more than a hundred years ago, and he

lived some years since on the banks of the river Ganges,
near the city of Cawnpore, in India.

Old Soup was working one day with a number of
other elephants and some soldiers, in loading a ship with
bags of rice. Major Daly was the officer in charge of the
soldiers, and Old Soup and the other elephants belonged
to him. This was just about the time of Old Soup’s
hundredth birthday, and as the elephants one by one
marched up to the ship’s side and delivered their bags of
rice, Major Daly’s little boy and girl stood watching the
old fellows at their work. —

All at once one of the elephants began to throw his
bags of rice into the river, and the Major soon saw that
the animal had gone mad.

- The mad elephant, having killed his keeper, turned
and ran towards the Major’s children, who were hurrying
with their nurse to get indoors. How they would have
fared if they had been left to themselves, we cannot say ;
but Old Soup was there, and when he saw the mad
elephant chasing the Major’s children, he dashed in ~
between them, and fought the mad creature until he laid
him dying on the ground.

It was a terrible fight. It lasted for an hour anda
half; and though Old Soup was conqueror in the end, he



4 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

had many wounds to remind him of the struggle. His
ears were badly torn, and his head was bruised, and one
of his tusks was broken off short; but he saved the
lives of his master’s children, and it is not surprising that
they made him a pet after that,

But Old Soup became something more than a pet, he
became a nurse as well, and often would he take the
children out by the hour together; and the Major said,
over and over again, that he would far rather trust his
children with. Old Soup than with any number of Hindu
nurses.

Old Soup was very fond of helping his little friends
to catch the golden tench which abound in the river
Ganges. Little Jim baited the hook for him and took off
the fish when it was caught, but Old Soup did all the
rest; and no angler was ever more pleased at getting a
bite than Old Soup in landing a prize.

3} 1.

Rescue by a Dog

RESCUE by a Newfoundland dog was recently

witnessed by the passers-by on the Thames Embank-
ment one Monday afternoon, amidst considerable excite-
ment. Some children were playing on the steps of
Cleopatra’s Needle, when one of them, a little girl about
ten years of age, overbalanced herself, and fell into the
water.

She sank immediately, and would have been drowned
had not her companions shrieked loudly for help. A
gentleman happened to be passing at the time with a
magnificent Newfoundland dog, and upon hearing the cries
for assistance, he directed the dog’s attention to the child,
who had just risen to the surface.

The noble animal at once sprang into the watee and























































































































































































































































































A STRANGE FISHERMAN.
75



76 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

reached the child in a few seconds. Seizing her by the .
clothing, he swam with her to the steps, where he was
assisted by his master and other bystanders to land with
his burden. The poor child was nearly unconscious when
rescued, but after she had received some attention she was
in a fit state to be taken home.

a

The Eagle and the Child

N eagle was one day flying over a garden in Germany,

when he saw a child, about nine months old, lying

on a carpet on the ground. The bird at once dashed
down to seize the child.

The nurse, who was near at the time, saw the bird,
and ran to save the child from its clutches. She hada
shawl in her hand, and this she threw over the eagle’s
head.

Unable to see, the bird could not seize the child, and
the nurse held on so that he could not get away. All
the time she cried out loudly for help. Her cries were
heard, and soon the eagle was securely bound. He was
then sent to the Zoological Gardens. The nurse was well
rewarded for her courage and presence of mind.



















NEW ANIMAL STORIES “4

He would go Round

A HORSE was once employed for many years, in fact

during the greater part of his life, in turning a large
arm that worked a pump. Round and round he went,
day after day, and week after week, year in and year
out.

Then he become old and blind and stiff. He was
worn out, So he was turned into a pasture, or left to crop
the grass without anyone to disturb or bother him. But
the funny thing about the old horse was that every
morning, after grazing a while, he would start on a tramp,
going round and round in a circle, just as he had been
accustomed to do for so many years.

He would keep it up for hours, and people often stopped
to wonder what had got into the old steed to make him
walk around in such a solemn way when there was no
earthly need of it. But it was the force of habit.

pa

The Cat and Chickens

VERYONE knows that cats are fond of birds and

spend much of their time hunting and trying to

catch their feathered prey. It is also well known that
cats often do much mischief in farmyards.

Not long ago, however, a story was told about a cat,
which shows that it can have feelings of pity for an animal
which it usually regards as fair game.

Ata farm in the north of England a hen one day had
a brood of chickens. There were ten in all, and the
mother led her family to feed in the farmyard. In some
way one of the chickens got hurt, and could not go with



78 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

the rest in search of food. The mother seemed to be so
busy with the nine that she did not notice the lame one.
It was therefore left behind, and was in great danger of
being starved to death.

One of the farmer’s children noticed that the chicken
could not walk, and going out to look for the little
creature, she could not find it anywhere.

On the following day one of the maids happened to
look into a warm corner where the cat kept her three
kittens, and there she saw the missing bird. To het
surprise, the cat was licking the injured leg, and seemed
to be trying to make the chicken as comfortable as
possible. As long as the poor thing could not walk, the
cat carried it in her mouth every day into the farmyard,
where it could get some food. Then she carried it back
to lie with her own kittens.

— 1-334.

An Intelligent Sheep

Sera: as a rule are not supposed to have much sense,
but here is a story that shows how one sheep had a
good deal of sympathy with another.

A minister, who used to go out on a tricycle to visit
his people, was one day crossing a field in which were a
number of sheep. He noticed that one of them, instead
of running away as the others had done, came towards
him. The sheep looked up at him in a most imploring
way, at the same time bleating piteously. The minister,
who was at a loss to know what was the matter, got down
from his tricycle.

The sheep no sooner saw this than it ran off to the
other end of the field. The minister followed the animal,
and there he found a stream, into which another sheep
had fallen and was unable to get out.



DAN)
NY ASN
MRR







THE SHEEP AT THE MEADOW-STREAM.
79



80 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

He at once went to the assistance of the poor animal,
and helped it on to the bank. Then the two friends went
off to join the rest of the flock.

—r- 3 4——

The Lost Bank-Notes

SETTLER in Australia lived in a tent which he
shared with a comrade. They were both employed
on a large sheep-farm a long way from the town.

The two men slept on beds made up on the ground,
with a large box between them, on which they placed the
light which lit up the tent.

One day one of the men went to the nearest town to
buy a stock of provisions, and his mate asked him to
change a ten-pound note for two five-pound notes.

When the man returned, he gave his friend the notes,
and as the hour was late, they were placed on the box and
left there till morning. When the men awoke, the notes
were gone. After looking everywhere they could think of,
they decided to explore all mice-nests they could find.
This they did, and in one of them, which was under the
floor of the tent, they found the missing notes not the
least torn or in any way damaged.

(SB Sits Goes
OG 38285 fl
on Domand the o/atm of SWS. ound 22) |

1852 Febt4, Landen 4 Hb 1082 ‘
p lor bee ou ened Compey the By

BANK of ENGLAND







NEW ANIMAL STORIES 81

The Dog and the Crab

A COUNTRYMAN was one day walking through the
streets with his dog, when he saw a live crab in a
fishmonger’s window. This caused him to stand several
minutes to watch the movements of the animal.
The fishmonger asked the man to buy the fish, but he
declined todo so. Then he said—
“Will it bite?”
“Put your finger in his mouth and see,” said the man.
“Nay,” was the reply, “but let him try to bite my
dog’s tail.”
The fishmonger thought that this was a good joke, so
he put the dog’s tail into the crab’s claw.
At once the dog ran off in a great fright, carrying the
crab with him.
“Call him back! Call him back!” cried the fish-
monger. “He is running away with my crab.”
“Nay, nay,” said the man. “Call him back yourself.”
Then he walked off, and found both the dog and the
crab waiting for him at his lodgings.

——_-{3 4

The Magpie’s Chatter

HE magpie is a black-and-white bird of the crow

species. It is noted for its cunning, and for a habit

of hiding any article it can find. It is easily tamed, and

may be taught to speak a few words. From the constant

chatter of this bird comes the saying, “to chatter like a
magpie.”

A magpie once led to the discovery of a sum of lost
money. A woman who lived in Wales died. Her friends
always thought that she possessed a large amount of

6



82 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

money, but when they came to search for it, they only
found a few pence.

A poor girl who had lived with the woman was sus-
pected of having taken the money, and she was closely
questioned about it. She declared that she had not
touched a farthing of her mistress’s money.

A magpie that was in the room when the woman’s
friends were questioning the girl, called out repeatedly—

“ll hide more yet! I’ll hide more yet!”

The bird at the same time put its bill on a certain spot
on the floor. This caused the searchers to think that the
bird knew where the money was. They therefore sent for
a joiner, and he took up a plank. What was their surprise
when they found nine hundred pounds which had been
hidden by the niagpie!

———-3 1.
A Clever Eel

PARTY of fishermen once saw a movement in the
shallow water on one side of a dock in the Hudson
River. Leaning over, they saw a large water -snake
moving landwards with an eel nearly half the size of the
snake.

The reptile had the eel by the throat, and the slimy
thing was making for dry ground, where it could more
easily kill its prey, which was making a frantic effort to
get free. Twice the eel squirmed itself loose from the
snake and made for the water, but each time it was
again caught and brought to land.

After a third chase for the eel, the snake seemed to
lose all patience, and winding itself about the wriggling
eel, pressed nearly all the life out of it and then dropped
it on the beach. The eel seemed to be dead, and lay
there quite still.

The snake wound itself in and out of a little opening

















THE MAGPIE AT HOME,
83



84 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

out of the dock, returning every now and then to smell its
prey, for which it was evidently getting up an appetite.
The latter had just disappeared under a rock for the
fourth time, when the eel, which had been only shamming,
began moving towards the water, which it soon reached,
and immediately disappeared.

When the snake returned to the spot and found no
fish for dinner, its movements were like those of an angry,
disappointed child. It lashed its tail furiously, coiled
itself half-a-dozen times as though preparing to attack an
enemy, moved rapidly round and round the spot where
the eel had lain, and then made for the open water,
whence it was soon lost to view.

—H B4—_

Wholesale Tooth-Brushing

VESSEL was once anchored, for a time, close to the
bank of a river in South America, where the forest
came down to the edge of the stream.

In the early morning the sailors washed themselves on
deck, and this process was often watched by one or more
monkeys from the forest. One of the sailors always
carefully brushed his teeth after he had done washing,
and one day he looked up and saw a monkey imitating
his example.

This took place on two or three mornings, to the no
small amusement of the men on board, who had noticed
the antics of their visitor.

Several days passed away, and then, instead of one
monkey, they saw quite an army of monkeys approaching.
When the sailor began to brush his teeth, they all did
likewise; at the same time they jabbered away as only
monkeys can do. The brushes they used were sticks,
straws, or anything that came handy.





NEW ANIMAL STORIES 85

A Prisoner’s Mouse

PRISONER caught a mouse in his cell in Holloway
Prison. He did not kill it, but gave it some of
the porridge which had been supplied for his supper.

When he had made friends with the mouse, he taught
it to perform many little tricks, and when he went out
to take exercise in the prison-yard he carried his little
friend with him in his pocket.

The story reached the governor, who, however, was
too kind-hearted to order the man to give up the mouse.
This privilege was much valued by the prisoner, who,
for a time, was very unwell, and unable to leave his
cell.

The man and the mouse passed many happy hours
together, and every day the little animal became more
tame. It always appeared at breakfast-time, and re-
ceived a share of the man’s food, eating it out of his
hand.

Out of the small pieces of coloured matting the
prisoner made his little friend a very pretty collar, and
in many ways he showed his affection for his companion.

During the daytime the mouse was busy cleaning
itself with its paws, for mice are very clean animals. At
length it would scarcely leave the man, and it came to
know his voice so well that it would run to him in the
darkness when he called for it.

This is only one of many stories that could be told of
how such little creatures have relieved the dreadful dull-
ness of prison life. In the old French prison, the Bastille,
which was pulled down about a hundred years ago, several
prisoners lying chained in the horrible dungeons made
the time pass less wearily by getting the rats to come for
crumbs, and gradually taming them and making them do
little tricks,



86 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

A Reasoning Cat

N the great Crimea War, after the French had taken
the Malakoff, a certain strong fortress, a cat was
found by an English officer bayoneted through the foot
and pinned to the ground. He took her to the doctor's
tent, where the wound was carefully dressed, and each
morning she was carried to the doctor to have her wound
examined. This was repeated four or five mornings,
when the officer was seized with illness and could not take
puss as.usual. Some time afterwards, the doctor called
on the officer to say that the cat had very wisely paid
a visit to his tent and sat quietly down for her wound
to be attended to. This she continued to do while the
officer was ill. After he had recovered, and the cat’s
wound had healed, the cat accompanied the officer on
his field duties. In writing home, the officer in describ-
ing the incident said, “It was simply ridiculous to see
that cat following me about with its tail stuck up in the
air.”

a

A Fight with Wolves

HERE were sounds of merriment in the cottage of
honest old Casper Schmidt the woodcutter, as his
son had that day married the lovely Isabel. All the
village was invited to the wedding held at Casper’s
house, and the bride and bridegroom were to ride home
by moonlight. It was late when old Carl came to say
that the horses were harnessed and the sleigh ready.
“Come, dearest,” whispered Casper; “the horses are
ready, and it is time we should be making our way home-
wards.” So, after many adieus, they started.
They rode for about two miles, and they had all the



















































THE CAT WENT TO THE DOCTOR’S TENT.

87



88 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

while been too deeply engaged with their loving con-
versation to see that they had already entered the
forest.

Casper had, before setting out, provided himself with
a couple of pistols and a hunting-knife, as the way was
said to be infested with robbers.

They rode for about an hour, when there seemed to
come from the forest a deep, sullen roar, like the falling
of water, but to the practised ear of Casper it sounded
something more.

Still keeping up the conversation with his wife, Casper
looked carefully to the priming of his pistols.

“Isabel, do you hear anything?” he asked.

“No, Casper, nothing but the sobbing of the wind.”

He was silent. He did not like to tell his beloved
wife his fears, but he felt certain the sound they heard
was that of wolves.

Lashing the horses until they seemed to fly over the
frozen ground, he tried with all speed to outstrip the
fast approaching pack.

“On, on, good horses! for your lives, on!”

Away they dashed, with a rapidity that threatened to
overturn the sleigh.

“Casper, Casper, why this fearful haste?” asked
Isabel in trembling accents.

He bent down and whispered, “ The wolves !”

She uttered a cry of terror, and fainted away.

Casper grasped his knife in one hand and his pistol
with the other, and resolved to protect her with his
life.

The wolves had by this time come to within twenty
yards of the sleigh. Casper fired in among the pack,
and two wolves fell, They were quickly devoured by
their companions.

The wolves now completely surrounded the sleigh,
and Casper, grasping his knife, killed two more.

Isabel, when she recovered from the shock, bravely

















































































































































































































































































































































































A SLEIGH ATTACKED BY WOLVES.
89



go NEW ANIMAL STORIES

snatched up the pistols her husband had dropped, and
quickly loading them, fired on the surrounding pack,
Casper still hewing them down on all sides.

Some of the pack had now reached the horses, and
one fastened its teeth into one poor creature’s throat.
Still the sleigh dashed on.

The house could now be seen in the distance, and
in another ten minutes they would have reached it, and
so have been safe, when one poor horse fell from the
effects of the bite of the wolf. The other still kept
bravely on, ‘although it was quite certain that he must
soon drop, from the weight of the dead horse, and the
many wolves which surrounded them.

Casper was stabbing away at the beasts, when a
hasty exclamation made him turn his head. A great
brute had caught Isabel by the arm and was dragging
her out of the sleigh. He quickly went to the assistance
of his beloved wife, and not a moment too soon, as the
brute had hold of her, and was pulling her out with
all his force. The knife of Casper soon found a place
in his heart.

They were now about fifty yards from home, and in
a few moments would be safe. They dashed up to the
house, and quickly shut the door. They were safe, but
a dismal howl outside showed that the faithful animal
which had drawn them so well had become a prey to
the wolves.

— {3 3—_.

A Decorated Dog

A GREAT battle was raging. The French had to hold

their own against the armies of Russia and Austria.
For a long time it seemed as if our neighbour across the
Channel would be beaten.



NEW ANIMAL STORIES QI

In those days the French were famous for the great
victories they were constantly winning on the battlefield,
and after a hard struggle they added one more to the
list,

While the conflict was still undecided, the standard-
bearer of the French regiment was struck down, never



THE DOG ON THE BATTLEFIELD.

to rise again, and the flag he carried fell from his lifeless
hands.

An Austrian rushed forward and seized the flag.
But at that moment a dog which belonged to the fallen
officer’s company sprang on the Austrian, bore him to the
ground, and carried off the blood-stained flag in triumph.
For this brave deed, performed with all the fierce daring
of a real soldier, the dog received the Order of the Legion
of Honour.



92 NEW ANIMAL STORIES





The Buffaloes and the Tiger

BLACK boy in Singapore was one day driving a herd
of tame buffaloes home, when a tiger suddenly made
its appearance at the edge of the jungle.

Springing on the lad, the tiger was about to carry him
off, when his cries of terror drew the attention of two of
the buffaloes. They at once ran to his assistance, and,
with heads down, charged the tiger.

The savage beast dropped the boy to defend himself.
One buffalo fought him, and the other stood over the
little keeper, who was so badly injured that he could not
move without great pain.

As the boy did not appear with his charge at the
usual time, his father became alarmed, and went in search
of him.

When he came to the place where the attack had been
made, he found the wounded lad lying there and the two
buffaloes guarding him. The tiger had gone off some
time before, and the rest of the herd had wandered away
in search of food.



NEW ANIMAL STORIES 93

Queer Places for Nests

WALLOWS often build their nests in strange places.
Once a pair of these birds built a nest in a lamp-
bracket, which was fixed close to a kitchen door. Yet the
lamp was taken out of the bracket every day to be
trimmed.

Another pair built a nest on the frame of a picture
which hung over the fireplace in an old hall in Bath.
They went in and out of the room through a broken
window.

Another pair built a nest inside a schoolroom. One
of the windows was left open for several days, and the
swallows took a fancy to the place for a dwelling. There
they remained all the season, and safely reared their
young ones. What a lesson of kindness it was to those
scholars to be so trusted by the birds !

One of the strangest places ever chosen for a nest was
the iron network of the famous Eiffel Tower in Paris.
Here a pair of swallows made their home at a height of
nearly one thousand feet from the ground.

SS

Peace and War

ERHAPS some of you have visited the old Vzcfory, the
famous warship of Lord Nelson. The great English
admiral was on this ship during the fierce battle of
Trafalgar, and was struck down by a shot in the very
moment of victory.

As you may guess, the gallant ship was terribly
knocked about by the firing of the enemy’s cannon; her
sails were torn, her rigging was cut away in places, and
much of the woodwork was left all in splinters, and a great
cannon-shot had gone clean through one of the masts.



94 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

A remnant of one of these masts was set up by King
William IV. in a little stone arbour in the beautiful
grounds round Bushey House. A pair of robins built
their nest in the snug hole made by the cannon-shot.
And here they brought up their family, and fed them till
they could fly. This very mast was in the picture Bachy
at the Naval Exhibition in London some years ago.

—1-34-——_

A Man-eating Tiger

DISTRICT in Madras was for a time infested with

tigers, which showed a strong liking for human flesh.

One person after another was carried off, until the fierce
creatures became the terror of the country round about.

One tiger was especially singled out as being the most
terrible of the man-eaters, and the Government offered a
reward of twenty pounds for its capture. As it was
known to have killed between twenty and thirty persons,
and had more than once been discovered in the act of
devouring a human body, the natives were eager to have
their enemy destroyed.

Afraid of openly attacking the savage beast, a large
piece of meat, containing a quantity of arsenic, was placed
near the spot where he had been seen. The flesh dis-
appeared, and the tiger was seen to be in great pain.
Two days afterwards, the people turned out in large
numbers and shot arrows at the suffering animal until he
fell dead.

Seeing that six hundred persons took part in the hunt,
the reward was divided among them, though many of the
people were more satisfied to know that the tiger was
dead than they would have been to receive the whole
reward,





A ROBIN’S NEST JN TUE MAST OF THE ‘‘ VICTORY,”
9



96 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

The Speed of the Mole

HEN a mole is out hunting it has to return home by
the same road,because, as a rule, it makes only one
track from its fortress.

Some years ago, a gentleman wanted to know how fast
the little animal could run, and this was the plan he
adopted to get his information.

He first of all found out the direction in which the
mole had made its highway, and also learned that it was
hunting at the distant end of the tunnel. He next
placed, at certain distances all along the line, pieces of
straw, pushing one end of each into the mole’s road and
fastening tiny paper flags to the other end. Then he
blew a horn close to the end of the tunnel.

The loud noise alarmed the mole, which ran off as fast
as it could to its home, showing its progress by knocking
down the flags as it passed the various straws. It was
calculated that the speed of the frightened creature was
equal to that of a horse at full trot.





NEW ANIMAL STORIES 97

Dogs disposing of Whips

HE following story was told by a lady :—

“Some twenty years ago, we had a poodle, white,
with one black ear. After the manner of his race, he was
never quite happy unless he carried something in his
mouth.

“He was very intelligent and teachable. He had,
however, one great fault: he was a thief. Anything he
could get hold of, he seemed to think, was his own.

“On one occasion, he entered the room of one of the
maid-servants and stole some cake, carefully shutting the
door after him with his feet, the latter part being a trick
I had taught him.

“The woman was as scared as if the dog had been an
evil spirit. The necessity of discipline on the one hand
and of occupation on the other, induced me one day to
enter a saddler’s shop, situated in a street about half a
mile from our house, and buy a whip.

“Shortly after my return home, the dog again stole
something, so I gave him a beating with the whip he had
carried home. Going for a walk the next day, the dog, as
usual, accompanied me, and was entrusted with the whip
to carry.

“Directly he got outside the door, he started off at his
best pace straight down the street, paying no attention
whatever to my repeated calls. He entered the saddler’s
shop and laid the whip on the floor. When I arrived, the
saddler showed me the whip lying exactly where the dog
had laid it.”

Another dog, whose master had been obliged to give
him a thorough good whipping for some offence, did not
forget what he had suffered. He trusted his master, but
he hated the sight of the whip. Soon after this, the
gentleman was about to go out, and intended to take the

7



98 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

dog with him. He was called back into the house a
moment, and put down his hat and gloves and whip on the
hall-table. The dog espied them, stole into the hall,
picked up the whip, and bolted off. Having hidden the
hateful thing in a safe place, he came racing back, and met
his master, quite prepared to enjoy the walk.

—+g34—

The Fire Beetle

A TRAVELLER says :—

“In my trunk, the other day, I found a small
bottle. In that bottle was a brown beetle about an inch
long. It was shaped like the half of a pea-nut, and had a
little yellow dot on each side of its head, behind its eyes.

“You have seen the fire-fly, that plays about meadows
and moist places on summer nights. The female fire-fly
is a kind of slug, which we call the glow-worm. Its light
is stronger than that of the male, which is the insect we
see flying in the air,

“This beetle that I found in the bottle was a very large
fire-fly, from the West Indies. It is called the fire-beetle.
It has a long Latin name, signifying that it shines by night.

“Some fire-flies have their lamps on the lower part of
the body, others under the wings; but the one I was now
looking at had his placed like the lamps of a coach. They
throw their light ahead so that their owner can see where
he is going.

“We wonder how they can give out this light, and why

. they are furnished with little lanterns, while other insects
must go about in the dark. This is something that their

‘ wise Maker has hidden from us.
“We know that the light of one attracts another, and
that is how the fire-fly in the air can find his mate, the
glow-worm in the grass. They may be kept as pets, and





























eT







Mi































































































































THE DOG TOOK THE WHIP, AND BOLTED OFF,
99



Full Text


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Tae Miocano Epucariona Co. Lim, BIRMINGHAM, vt CESTER, AND
- Be LEAM/, INGTON.



The Baldwin Library

B aie
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LSS


































































































































































THE BEAR AND THE HUNTER.
See page 7, Frontispiece.
HUND
os® RBp
NEW

JSSNIMAL STORIES

BY

ALFRED E. LOMAX

Author of ‘‘The Story of Sir Samuel Baker’’
‘*Sir Henry Layard: His Adventures and Discoveries’’
etc. etc.

ILLUSTRATED BY VARIOUS ARTISTS

LONDON
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL UNION
57 & 59 LUDGATE HILL, E.Cc.
MORRISON AND GIBB, PRINTERS, EDINBURGH.
Contents

The Bear and the Hunter :

The Soldier’s Cat >

A Noble Dog. : ,

The Dog and the Teteshone 7

The Old War-Horse .

Black Bob.

The Elephants saw the Toe

Cutting a Tiger’s Claw

Well-behaved Dogs

The Playfulness of Animals

Attacked by Weasels.

A Train and Pigeon Race

A Queer-tempered Horse

The Rats’ Storehouse

Besieged by Wolves and
Panthers. : :

A Queer Place for a Nest

A Clever Dog. .

The Missing Watch

A Clever Fox.

Curious Story of a Cat ea
a Pony

A Wise Monkey

A Greedy Snake

4
7 | What Wasps can do
8 | A Warlike Goose

to | The Angry Birds and the Fox.

11 | The Horse wanted the Basket.

12 | How a Tiger was Caught

14 | The Monkey and the Eggs

14 | Tom the Elephant .

15 | A Cat’s Fight with an Eagle

16 | Sambo and Puck . .

18 | An Elephant’s Memory .

18 | The Adventures of a Cat.

21 | The Tiger and the Fish .

22 e ‘* Big Brown Dog”

22 | The Parrot and the Sparrow
The Cat and the Pigeon .

25 | Monkeysanda Train .

27 | A Child and a Lion ,

28 | The Crow and the Mussel

28 | A Clever Sheep-Dog

30 | The Sheep and the Bridge
A Dog and Snake Fight .

32 | A Grateful Stork

32 | The Ways of Wolves

34 | A Spider catching a Wasp

PAGE



PAGE

36
6 CONTENTS

The Cat and the Parrot .

A Strange Tiger Story

A Dog Sentry .

Puss and her Two- Tee
Family ° :

A Cat-Artist’s Story

Attacked by an Eagle

The Elephant-Nurse

A Wonderful Pet . :

Rescue bya Dog . . :

The Eagle and the Child

He would go Round

The Cat and Chickens

An Intelligent Sheep

The Lost Bank-Notes

The Dog and the Crab

The Magpie’s Chatter. .

A Clever Eel . ° :

Wholesale Tooth-Brushing

A. Prisoner’s Mouse

A Reasoning Cat

A Fight with Wolves

A Decorated Dog

The Buffaloes and the Tiger

Queer Places for Nests

Peace and War

A Man-eating Tiger

The Speed of the Mole

Dogs disposing of Whips

PAGE

64 | The Fire Beetle

66 | An Active Squirrel .

67 | A Noble Horse and Rider
Topsy, the Musical Cat .

68 | Carlo’s Cuteness. :

yo | A Fight with a Cheetah .

72 | The Monkey saved him .

72 | An Intelligent Jay .

73 | The Goose of the Guards

74 | A Hole inthe Ice . :

76 | The Faithful Elephant

77 | Saved by a Cat .

77 | AStrange Fight .

78 | A Strange Mouser .

80 , The Rat’s Deliverer

81 | Three Hundred Monkeys to

81 Breakfast . _
82 | Onlya Dog . °

84 | The Cow and the Shake. %
85 | Clever Jack . °

86 | ‘‘ One at a time, please!”
86 | How the Dog
90 Hens . °
92
93 | A Strange Audience
93 | Two better than One
94 | A Tame Trout é
96 | The
97 Young

saved.

A Dog and his men



Woodcock carrying its

PAGE
98
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II4
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1y/
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119

120
121

ge
ONE HUNDRED
NEW ANIMAL STORIES

—+ 34

The Bear and the Hunter

HUNTER in the Pyrenees was in the
‘habit of digging pits and covering
them with branches and clods of
earth, in order the better to entrap
bears, One day he fell, through
carelessness, into a bear-trap, and
found himself unable to get out. He
had been there for some time, when
he was startled by a bear falling in.
The frightened hunter prepared to
shoot the animal, but the bear ob-
served him, and uttered so terrible a
growl that he was afraid to fire. The two stood watching
each other for some minutes, until the hunter began to
think that he had quieted the suspicions of his enemy,
and was again about to fire. But again the threatening
air of Bruin frightened him into letting fall his gun.
Hours passed, and at length the bear, as anxious to get
free as the man was, rested his forepaws against the sides
of the pit in such a manner that his back formed a kind of
ladder. He did this several times, looking at the hunter
as if inviting him to profit by this mode of escape.
The man accordingly took courage, and the bear
made no objection to his clambering over his back. But
7


8 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

once safely up again, the cruel fellow, instead of returning
the kind act by aiding his helper to escape, deliberately
took aim and shot him dead. We are glad to add that
from that time forward he was so shunned and despised
by the other hunters that he had to quit the country.

— +34

The Soldier’s Cat

URING the dreadful war in the Crimea, more than
thirty years-ago, when the armies of England and
France went away to fight the Russians, a young French
soldier left his native village. As he was marching off
with his regiment, a little cat ran after him coaxingly.
Seeing that she would not let herself be driven away, the
lad lifted her on to his knapsack. He did this half in fun
and half because he loved and pitied the affectionate little
creature.

Day by day she rode, perched up thus, and every
night she slept curled at his side.

At last a great battle was going to be fought, and the
soldier left her in the charge of a sick comrade. But after
he had marched about a mile, up she came again, skipping
along and mewing to be carried. She was lifted to her
usual perch, and soon the regiment was in the thick of
the battle. Musket shots and cannon balls flew right and
. left of them, and more than once the young soldier was
wounded. . Twice he fell, but pussy clung fast with her
little sharp claws. At last a dreadful wound laid him
bleeding on the field.

What did the cat do then? Instead of making off as
fast as her feet could carry her, she sprang to the place
where she saw the blood streaming, and set to work to
lick the wound. At last an army doctor came by, and
the lad was carried away in a faint to the tent,


















THE SOLDIER FELL, BUT PUSSY CLUNG FAST,
9
10 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

When he opened his eyes, his first question was,
« Shall I live?”

“Yes, my good fellow,” answered the doctor, “thanks
to your little cat. If she had not used her tongue in such
a clever manner, you would have died from loss of blood.”

Against the usual rule, pussy was allowed to be with
the young soldier while he lay in hospital, and was fed
with the choicest bits from his plate. The story of her
love and cleverness was soon made known to all, and
much praise and petting she got from others beside her
fond master.

—— 4

A Noble Dog

NEWFOUNDLAND dog and a mastiff lived in a

town by the seashore. They were both very strong,
good-natured, and good-tempered dogs when alone. If,
however, they met in
the street, from some
cause or other they
began to growl and
to snarl at each other.



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fight.

One day they met at
the end of the long pier,
and, as usual, began
quarrelling. A fierce
battle was the result.
As they struggled, they
both rolled off the pier
into the sea. This put
an end to their fighting,
and the dogs began to
swim for the shore as quickly as possible.





This often ended in a.
NEW ANIMAL STORIES II

The Newfoundland, being naturally a good swimmer
and fond of the water, easily reached the shore. Soon he
was on dry land, shaking the water from his coat.
On looking round, however, he saw his enemy, the
mastiff, struggling and exhausted, being quickly carried
out to sea. The noble dog at once plunged into the
water. On reaching the mastiff, he caught him gently by
the collar and brought him safely to the shore. Ever
after this the dogs were the best of friends.

—- 4

The Dog and the Telephone

ANY curious stories are told about the telephone.
Here is one that shows how perfectly the human
voice is carried along the magic wire.

One day a dog whose name was Jack was seen
wandering about the streets of a large city. A gentleman
saw the dog and thought that he knew him. Suddenly
it occurred to him that the dog belonged to one of his
friends who lived some miles away in the country.
Wishing to make sure of this, he took the dog to the
nearest telephone office.

When they arrived, the gentleman asked to be put in
communication with his friend. This was done, and he
put the question, “Have you lost your dog?” The
answer came back at once, “ Yes.”

“Have you any idea where he is?” asked the friend.

“He must be somewhere in the city, as I first missed
him during the afternoon, when I was in town,” was the
reply.
Then he told his friend to call out the dog’s name
through the telephone. At the same time he placed the
dog with his ear close to the instrument. Immediately
the dog gave a loud, joyous bark. He had recognised his


12 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

master’s voice calling to him. The gentlemen who had
found Jack now wished to take the intelligent animal to
his own home to await the arrival of his master, but Jack
would not stir. There he sat, looking up at the telephone
as if expecting that his master would come the same way
as the voice he had heard. Coaxing was all in vain;
Jack remained at the telephone office until his master
came to fetch him away.

—H4—

The Old War-Horse

N old lady, who was very fond of driving about, and

was able to manage a quiet trotting pony well

enough without help, bought a meek-looking horse to
draw her gig.

Now, it happened that this same horse had once
belonged to a cavalry regiment, and had never quite
forgotten the thorough training he had gone through. Of
this the old lady knew nothing. Judge, then, of her
surprise when, as she was driving along an open country
road, a squadron of hussars that were taking part in a
grand review came along, and were fast overtaking the
light carriage.

Immediately the old war-horse. heard the familiar
sound of clattering hoofs, he forgot that he was between
a pair of shafts, and, pricking up his ears, off he started
at the same pace as the line of charging soldiers. In vain

_ the officer shouted to the carriage to clear out of the way.

The poor old lady, tugging at the reins, would gladly
have done so; but the old habit was too strong for the
horse’s obedience, and he and the gig and the old lady
went tearing along at the head of the charge. Nor did
he stop until all the troops drew rein at their destination.












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THE HORSE STARTED OFF AT A GOOD PACE,
13
14 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

Black Bob

LACK BOB belonged to a colonel of the Royal Irish
Light Dragoons, who fell in battle.

The troopers of the regiment bought the horse, and
treated him as a regimental pet. He always marched at
the head of the regiment, and could tell the trumpets of
his own corps from those of any other.

At length the regiment was ordered home, and the
horse had to be left behind. Black Bob was sold to a
gentleman at Cawnpore, and the Irish troopers returned
half the purchase-money, on his new owner promising
that the old horse should be well cared for as long as he
lived.

Days passed by, and as Bob saw no more the well-
known uniforms, and heard no more the trumpets nor the
voices of his old comrades, he began to pine away and
refuse to take any kind of food.

His owner turned him out to graze in a field, when he
at once jumped the fence and trotted off to the old parade-
ground. When he reached the saluting-post, Black Bob
fell down and died.

— + 34

The Elephants saw the Joke

E had eight elephants in our establishment, says a
writer, and one day I decided to pay them a visit

and give them some oranges, of which they were very fond.
The moment I reached the door of the stable in which
they were kept, the whole herd scented the fruit and set
up a loud trumpeting to show their pleasure. The stable
was narrow, and I had only just room to pass along in
NEW ANIMAL STORIES 15

front of the huge creatures, as I gave each of them an
orange. Three times I went along the line, and when I
reached the end for the third time, I found that I had
brought with me twenty-five oranges—three each and one
over, What was I to do with the remaining orange? If
I gave it’ to any one of them, and did not at once give
one to the next, I knew that I should receive a stirring
reminder from the trunk of the animal which thought
that he had been defrauded.

I saw that every elephant in the herd had its greedy
eyes fixed on the solitary orange, yet it was as much as
my life was worth to give it to any of them. How to get
back to the door at which I had entered was a problem I
was trying to solve, when a bright idea struck me.
Holding up the orange so that all of them could see it, I
quietly peeled it, and sucked it myself.

I never enjoyed anything more in my life than the sight
of those animals, for they seemed to enter thoroughly into
the humour of the thing, They nudged each other and
shook their ponderous sides, as I passed safely out eating
the last orange. :

—— 34

Cutting a Tiger’s Claw

CAPTIVE tiger had a claw which penetrated his

toe and caused him considerable pain. It was
therefore proposed to cut the claw and relieve the suffer-
ing animal,

The tiger was a fierce and powerful animal, and there-
fore the operation could not be performed without con-
siderable trouble and no little danger. The following
plan was therefore adopted. In one of the compartments
of his cage a low strong ceiling was built, and several
pieces of timber, nailed firmly together, were placed at
16 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

one end of the compartment. To these were attached
four strong ropes, which reached outside of the cage.

The tiger was then driven into this compartment, the
sliding door was closed, and six strong men began to pull
at the ropes. This drew the framework of timber close to
the iron bars of the cage, with the tiger, howling with
rage, wedged between them. The angry animal exerted
all his strength, and with an enormous effort once broke
the timbers. One of the men, at the risk of losing his
arm, reached through into the cage, over the struggling
beast, and fastened the ropes.

Then the tiger’s leg was caught in a noose and pulled
straight out, while she was held in position by iron bars
above, braced in the timbers at the back of her.

While this was going on, one of the men held a board
in her jaws, which she crunched as if it were a biscuit.
For a time it looked as if the savage beast would prove
too much for her captors, and the operation prove a failure ;
but the surgeon was coolly watching his chance.

When it came, he quickly removed the offending claw
with a knife and a pair of pincers, and the beast was set
free.

se

Well-behaved Dogs

ANY wonderful stories are told of the famous St.

Bernard dogs, which have been the means of saving

scores, if not hundreds of lives, on the snow-covered
mountains of the Alps.

A traveller, who recently visited some of the monasteries
of the monks of St. Bernard, was much struck by the
careful training which these animals undergo. At meal-
time the dogs sit in a row, each with a tin dish before him
containing his food. Grace is said by one of the monks,
NEW ANIMAL STORIES 17
the dogs sitting motionless with bowed heads. Not one
of them stirs until the “amen” is spoken. If a frisky
puppy attempts to touch his food before grace is over, one
of the older dogs growls and gently tugs his ear; this
reminder is quite sufficient to make him behave properly.



THE ST, BERNARD DO!
18 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

The Playfulness of Animals

HE following incident will illustrate how animals and
birds sometimes play tricks on each other. Old
Towler was a large mastiff, and was kept chained up ina
farmyard as a watchdog. A tame magpie used to hop
about the kennel, and seemed on very good terms with
the mastiff, except that he would tease him whenever he
could get a chance. Sometimes the magpie would steal
bits of the dog’s dinner, screaming, “Towler! Towler!
Towler!” all the time. Another trick he was fond of was
to hop on to the farmer’s walking-stick when it was given
to the dog to carry. The dog would hold the stick in his
mouth as long as he could, then suddenly allow it to fall,
seeming to enjoy the scream of the magpie and the flutter
of its wings as the bird fell to the ground. Though the
bird was such a tease the mastiff always kept his temper,
and never made an attempt to harm his bird-companion
in any way.

—+ 4

Attacked by Weasels

A FARMER, who was mowing his grass, saw a weasel
run out of a ditch quite close to the place where he

was working. He at once turned and struck it with his

scythe, wounding it severely.

The animal was so badly hurt that it lay ‘on the
ground screaming with pain. Instantly there appeared
from all sorts of holes and crannies a dozen weasels or
more. As if by common consent, they rushed at the man,
who vainly tried to keep them off with his scythe.
Unable to do so, he threw down the scythe and defended


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THE MAGPIE AND THE MASTIFT.
19
20 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

himself as best he could with his hands and feet. The
little animals ran up his legs and attacked every part of
his body. They bit his arms and his hands, his face, his
nose, and his ears. At last half a dozen of them were
clinging to his cheeks at one time, and worrying about
his neck and behind his ears, just as they do when they
attack rabbits, All the time they kept up a barking,
chittering sound, which had a most disastrous effect on
the man’s nerves.

When the farmer found he could not drive them off,
he began to shout for help. At that moment two gentle-
men rode up, and at once ran to his assistance. They
had with them a brave little terrier, and, assisted by the
dog, and freely using their whip-handles, they succeeded
in killing five of the weasels. The rest of them escaped
to their holes,

The poor farmer was by this time in an almost help-
less condition. He was at once taken to a doctor, who
dressed his wounds, but he was many weeks before he
recovered, and he will carry the scars of the bites he
received to the end of his life.


NEW ANIMAL STORIES 21



A Train and Pigeon Race

HE distance from London to Dover is about seventy
miles, This journey is performed bya train in about
an hour and a half.

Some years ago it was arranged to have a race
between a carrier and the mail train from London to
Dover. A pigeon was taken from London, and the owner
held it in his hand as he sat in the train at Dover, waiting
for the mail to start.. Just as the train left the station the
bird was thrown out of the window. The wind was west
at the time, and the atmosphere hazy, but the sun was
shining. For about a minute the pigeon circled round
and round at a great height above the ground, and then
flew away in a straight line for London.

By this time the train was going at express speed, but
the pigeon travelled faster and arrived at Cannon Street
Station about twenty minutes before the mail.
22 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

A Queer-tempered Horse

LADY gives the following account of a tamed horse

which she rode among the Tibetans :—

“Gyalpo was a beautiful creature; silver grey, as light
as a greyhound, and as strong asacart-horse, His clever-
ness at times suggested reasoning power, and his mis-
chievousness a sense of humour.

“We was, however, quite untamable, rejected all
dainties with indignation, swung his heels into people’s
faces when they went near him, ran at them with his
teeth, seized unwary passers-by by their kamarbands, and
shook them as a dog shakes a cat. He would let no one
go near him but Mando, for whom he formed at first sight
a most singular attachment, but kicked and struck out with
his forefeet, his eyes all the time dancing with fun. One
moment he would attack a stranger with a scream of rage,
the next he would lay his head against Mando’s cheek
with a childlike gentleness.”

— 34

The Rats’ Storehouse

OME people, who lived in the north of England, were
very much concerned to find that there was a bad
smell in their dining-room, for which they could not
account. The opening of windows and doors to let in
fresh air only had a passing effect. As soon as they were
closed it was as bad as ever.

Determined to find out the cause, the people took up
the carpet, and, seeing nothing, they then took up some of
the boards in the floor. To their no small astonishment,
‘they found a wonderful variety of food, enough to stock a
small pantry. They also discovered the bodies of several
dead rats. On examination, they found that one of the
grates in the outside wall, placed there to ventilate the space
between the earth and the floor of the room, was broken.


CATCHING WILD HORSES ON THE STEPPES,

23
24 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

The rats had made their way through this grating and
established themselves under the floor. They had also
obtained access to a baker’s shop near, and had carried off
all they could get. Cakes, buns, tarts, egg-shells, and all
kinds of broken victuals were thickly strewn on the





ground. Two cartloads of eatables were taken out before
the space was cleared.

The rats, found dead, had either eaten poisoned food,
or they had fallen victims to their gluttony, unable to
resist the temptation of indulging in the rich stores of
dainties within their reach. Fe
NEW ANIMAL STORIES 25

Besieged by Wolves and Panthers

OME years ago a settler and his family lived in the
backwoods of North America. One day the father
was taken ill, and as no doctor lived within twelve miles,
one of the workmen, named Gordon, was sent on horse-
back to bring him to the log cabin. It had scarcely
grown dark when the inmates of the dwelling heard wild
beasts howling and roaring outside. Seeing several
wolves about, they securely barred the door and nailed a
blanket over the hole which served as a window.

When night had fairly set in, the house was sur-
rounded by a pack of forty or fifty wolves. As their
number increased, the savage animals grew bolder and
bolder, and united in a grand assault on the dwelling.
The man Gordon had taken with him their only gun, so
the mother and the eldest son armed themselves with
axes, and stood ready to defend the window and the door.

In a short time the wolves had gnawed a hole in the
door, through which they would no doubt have effected
an entrance but for the blows of the sharp-edged weapon,
which fell on any part of an animal that was seen,
When a number of the wolves had been severely
wounded, the pack retired, and a large chest was dragged
across the room, to stop up the hole which they had
made.

This had only just been done when a pounce was
heard on the roof of the house. The sound was accom-
panied by a snarl, which announced the unwelcome
visitor to be a panther. Then another and another
animal sprang on to the roof, until there were at least six
of these dangerous creatures, all determined to effect an
entrance. '

As the chest covered the hole in the door and gave it
additional strength, the mother and son, with their axes
in their hands, stood ready to defend the window.
26 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

They had not been there many minutes when a
panther sprang up and tore down the blanket. moment later, the same animal sprang into the opening
and tried to squeeze his way through. Down fell the
axe on his paws, and one of them was cut clean off and
dropped on the floor. The disabled beast fell back with
a fearful cry of pain and anger, and another sprang into
the opening. Two or three blows of the axes obliged



THE PANTHER.

the animals to retreat. Then a third tried the same
experiment, and received the same treatment.

After this the panthers withdrew, and the wolves
returned. For more than an hour they tried in every
way to effect an entrance, Six or eight of them sprang
against the door at once, with a force that shook the
house, but it remained firm, and all their efforts were
in vain.

When daylight came, the wolves slunk away, but
NEW ANIMAL STORIES 27

Gordon did not return, Nothing was heard of the doctor,
and, to the great grief of the family, the father died.

At ten o’clock in the morning the horse came back
alone, but it was so severely bitten that it died of its
injuries before night. On the following day a few bones
were found at some distance from the dwelling.

They were all that remained of Gordon. He had
been chased by the wolves and devoured during that
awful night.

——H B4—

A Queer Place for a Nest

PORTER had several times seen a rabbit about on

the line as if in search of food. Every day it
appeared at the same time near the same place. This
aroused his curiosity, so he made up his mind to find out
where it went. A rabbit, you know, is a very timid
creature, and therefore he had to act with great caution.

The first time he failed. The rabbit seemed to dis-
appear in a very secret manner, and therefore he had to
wait for another opportunity. On the following day he
saw the rabbit come out from under the line. He kept
perfectly still until the little animal had made its way
into a wood near. Then he went to the place, and care-
fully examined the spot. To his astonishment he found,
under one of the sleepers in the middle of the line, a
rabbit’s nest containing four young ones.

What had induced the timid animal to choose such a
strange place for a nest? We cannot tell, but there it
was, and there it remained, until the young rabbits were
old enough to take care of themselves.

Over that spot scores of trains thundered past every
twenty-four hours, and yet the little family seemed to
take no notice of them.
28 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

A Clever Dog

ere was once a Skye terrier dog named Cloudy,

which accompanied its master to Naples, where he
went to spend a winter. The dog was often taken to
the public library of that city, but as he quarrelled with
the dog belonging to the place, he was shut out. It
appears Cloudy did not like this arrangement, and sought
to obtain entrance by strategy. The door-bell was rung
by pulling a cord, which evidently the dog had taken
notice of. One morning the bell rang loudly, and on the
door being opened, in rushed Cloudy! As the same thing
occurred again and again, the dog was watched, and was
seen to ring the bell either with paws or teeth, When
once the bell tinkled inside, he posted himself ready to
rush in directly the door was opened.

43 4-__

The Missing Watch

NE day a gentleman went with some friends for a
ramble through some woods near his house. They
had a very pleasant morning, but on their return the
gentleman found that he had lost his watch. He remem-
bered that he had it while in the wood, for he had looked
at the time, and spoke of the hour to one of his friends,
Afraid that the watch had fallen among the grass, and
might be trod upon by a passer-by, he at once called his
dog, and, with several persons to help him, went in search
of the watch. The dog ran on before in the direction the
party had walked in the morning, and at length it was out
of sight. The searchers followed as quickly as they
could, and at length they came up with the clever animal.
It was jumping up to a branch on which hung the missing
watch, which had been drawn out of the gentleman’s
pocket and remained suspended till found.






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30 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

A Clever Fox

A GENTLEMAN relates an amusing story about a

cunning old American fox. It had been chased over
and over again, and always escaped near the same place
—namely, a wooden fence outside a plantation which led
into a thick forest.



Hounds were brought from a great distance in order
to catch this fox, but they never succeeded. The fox
always made its bed in the middle of a large field, and did
not try to hide, but gave the hounds a good run, and then
disappeared at the fence,

Now, in America there are no hedges, the fields being
divided by rail fences. In the more cultivated parts the
NEW ANIMAL STORIES 31

fence is made by fixing two strong stakes in the ground,
so as to cross each other like the letter X, and nailing
them together where they cross. Long poles are then
laid on the crossed stakes, so that the fence can be made
to any height which is most convenient, the poles being
seldom railed, but held in their place by their own
weight.

Now, foxes often run along a fence or the top of a wall,
as far as the end. Then they go back for some distance
on their own track, and leap off the wall as far as they
can, so as to mislead the hounds. Knowing this trick, the
gentleman took the hounds all round the fence and the
plantation, but could find no signs of the fox. At last he
determined to hide himself near the place when the
hounds were again set on the fox, and try to discover the
trick.

After a while, the fox came quite slowly until he
reached the fence. Then he jumped on the top rail, and
ran along it for about two hundred yards, until he came
opposite a dead tree nearly sixteen feet from the fence.
He paused for a moment, and, with a tremendous jump,
leaped upon the tree, alighting upon a large knot on the
side of the trunk.

Then he ran up the trunk, which was slightly sloping,
and entered a hollow at the top, nearly thirty feet from
the ground, where he lay hid, no one even suspecting
that he could leap from the fence to the tree, much less
run up it.

This feat was the more wonderful, because ivy does not
grow out of doors in America, so that there seemed to be
no foothold. Indeed, had it not been for the knot, the fox
could not have climbed the tree.

The gentleman was so pleased with the cleverness of
the fox, that he would not betray the trick, but amused
himself on many occasions by watching the fox baffle the
hounds,
32 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

Curious Story of a Cat and a Pony

GENTLEMAN owned a very fine pony, which was
A excessively fond of him, and would come from the
paddock at the sound of his voice, and follow him about
like a dog. One day the pony became lame, and was
kept in the stable. About this time a cat had a family of
kittens on a ledge just above the pony’s manger. She and
the pony became great friends. One morning, while
jumping up to her kittens, she rolled off the ledge into the
manger, injuring her foot so that she could scarcely crawl
along to obtain her food at the house. When she came
back, she was unable to get up to her kittens, so she lay
down at the pony’s feet and mewed and looked up
piteously several times. At last the pony seeming to
understand what she wanted, reached down, took the cat
gently in his teeth, and lifted her up to the ledge to her
kittens. This was repeated morning after morning. The
cat would roll off into the manger, go and get her break-
fast, come back, and be lifted up to her family.

ee

A Wise Monkey

LITTLE boy was playing in one of the rooms of his
father’s house with a monkey. The boy, in fun, tied
the cord of a window-blind around his neck and pre-
tended to hang himself, to the immense amusement
of his playmate, which grinned and chattered on a
chair.
Suddenly the boy began to cry, for the cord had got
into a real noose around his neck, Ina very short space
of time the monkey saw that there was something wrong,




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THE PONY LIFTED THE CAT TO THE LEDGE.
34. NEW ANIMAL STORIES

and tried to undo the noose with its paws, but had to give
up the attempt. It then hopped away to another room,
where the boy’s grandmother was sitting, and began to
pull at her gown, to chatter, grimace, and look wistfully
towards the door.

At first, thinking that the animal wanted to bite her,
the old lady was frightened, but seeing that it was
endeavouring with might and main to drag her towards
the door, she rose from her seat and went, guided by the
monkey, to the room where her grandson was moaning.
The boy was instantly set free from the cord, though it
was some time before he recovered from his pain and
fright.

— {3-1

A Greedy Snake

N the reptiles’ cage in a Zoological Garden, a South
American boa-constrictor fought with a large python
from West Africa. The python, being the larger and
stronger snake, was successful, and the rabbit became its
prey.

Soon afterwards the two snakes began to fight over
another rabbit, and as it was the keeper’s time to go
home, he left them to settle the matter as best they
could.

When he returned in the morning, the boa was nowhere
to be seen. Then he found that the unfortunate animal
_ had stuck to the rabbit, and with it had been swallowed
by the python. The boa was seven feét in length, and
the python, which had swallowed it and also two rabbits,
was from twenty-three to twenty-eight inches in circum-
ference,
NEW ANIMAL STORIES 35

What Wasps can Do

N old pump, which had long been out of use, stood

near a house in Germany. One day the owner of

the house thought that he would find out if water could

still be obtained by pumping. He went and lifted the

handle, and in doing so he disturbed a nest of wasps
which had been built inside.

At once the wasps attacked him in a most furious
manner, and he fled down the road, the insects following
him and stinging him all the time.

- A cart was coming along the road, in which were a
peasant and his wife. The man in despair ran round
and round the cart, hoping that the wasps would leave
him. Some of them did so, and attacked the horses, but
a good number still clung to him, until, with one frantic
effort, he threw himself on some thick bushes, and rolled
over and over until he had freed himself from the angry
insects.

With his face swollen, and nearly blind, he hurried
to the nearest house, where they applied raw meat and
wet clay to the swollen parts. Meanwhile, the horses,
maddened by the stinging of the wasps, had bolted. The
peasant and the driver were thrown out, while the poor
wife, who lay at the bottom of the cart, was severely stung.

It took some time to catch the horses and to drive
off or kill the rest of the wasps. Fortunately, however,’
the occupants of the cart were not much hurt.

— +34

A Warlike Goose

NE day a goose marched into the barracks of a
German regiment, and took up its quarters by the
side of the guard-house where the sentries were posted.
36 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

The men were so pleased with the goose coming to join
them of its own free will, that they built a small shed for
it to live in, and daily fed it at their own expense.

For more than twenty years the goose remained
with that regiment, and could neither be driven nor
coaxed away from its friends.

When the regiment was sent to another part of the
country, the goose went with them. All places were alike
to the faithful creature, if only its companions were there.

At length war broke out, and the regiment was
ordered to the front. For a time the goose was very
restless and unhappy. Then it settled down with a new
regiment, until one day the old one came back to the
town. At once it joined them again, and remained with
them until it died.

Now it may be seen stuffed in a glass case on the
gates of the barracks at Stuttgart.

—— E34

The Angry Birds and the Fox

VERY unusual incident was some years ago wit-

nessed near St. Margaret’s, Dover. Some sportsmen
were crossing a field, when they saw a large fox run-
ning from the direction of the cliffs towards the Dover
& Deal Railway at a‘great pace, and evidently frightened.
It was then noticed that he was pursued by a large
number of rooks and starlings, which were fluttering only
a few feet above him. They were following evidently in
anger, as they frequently made a pounce with their beaks
upon his head. At last Reynard reached a small cover
near East Langdon, where he took refuge. The birds
remained hovering for some time over the spot, but,
finding their prey had escaped them, at length flew back
towards the cliffs.






















































































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THE FOX WAS PURSUED BY A NUMBER OF ROOKS AND STARLINGS,
37
38 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

The Horse wanted the Basket

GENTLEMAN often saw a butcher’s boy pass his

house, mounted on a horse which seemed to go like
the wind. He noticed that the boy used neither whip
nor spur, and yet the animal always kept up its rapid
pace.

It was just such a horse as he wanted, for he often
rode in the country, and he liked to enjoy a gallop
over the common. He went to the butcher, and bid
him thirty, forty, and finally eighty guineas for his horse.
At last the butcher consented, and the gentleman
mounted his bargain. It would not stir an inch. He
thought there must be some trickery about the matter,
and said so.

The butcher called his boy, and said to him—

“Here, boy, mount this horse.”

The boy was no sooner on its back than the creature
flew like an arrow.

The gentleman mounted again, with the same result
as before.

“ How is it?” he exclaimed, in wonder.

“Oh,” said the butcher, “you must take the basket.”

— + 34

How a Tiger was Caught

N the Zoological Gardens at Calcutta there is a famous
man-eating tiger that is said to have destroyed three
hundred human beings. This, of course, was in the days
of its freedom, when it roamed at will through the forest
and the jungle of its native wilds.
When its list of victims had become so numerous
that the people were afraid to go about their ordinary
NEW ANIMAL STORIES 39

occupations, the Indian prince of that region decided to
set a trap to capture the dreaded enemy.

A pit was dug and baited with two bullocks, then
men were set to watch from a distance the result. At
the end of two days they saw the crafty animal appear,
and with shouts of joy they made known the welcome
intelligence that it had sprung on the bullocks and dis-
appeared into the trap. ,

Then the prince set about devising a scheme to get
the famous animal out alive. He had a second pit dug
not far from the first, and in this a strong bamboo cage
was placed. A tunnel was then made, large enough to
pass the cage along, from the new pit to the one in which
the tiger was a prisoner. A goat was placed in the
cage, and when only a thin wall of earth remained be-
tween it and the first pit, the door was opened and the
barrier broken down.

At once the tiger plunged through the opening to
seize the goat. The door of the cage fell behind him,
and he was afterwards carried safely to the Gardens, where
he still remains, an object of wonder and admiration.

—— 1 {34—_

The Monkey and the Eggs

TAME monkey was so full of mischief that he often
got himself into trouble. He, however, learned a few
lessons he did not soon forget.

One day he was found carrying off a jug of milk from
the table. He had the jug in both paws, and was trying
to walk upright on his hind legs. The maid, who came
into the room, caught him, and gave him a few sharp
blows with the broom which she had in her hand. After
that he decided to let the milk alone.
40 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

Another time he made his way to the hen-house, where
there was a nest containing a number of eggs. The
mother hen flew about screaming with fear. When she
saw him breaking the eggs as fast as he could, she set upon
him, and gave him so many sharp bites with her bill that
he ran off in great pain.

That was the last visit he paid to the hen-house, nor
would he again touch an egg.

—+ Ba -

Tom the Elephant

OM was an elephant which the Duke of Edinburgh

brought from India. He was a great favourite with

the sailors with whom he made the voyage, and they were

never weary of his funny ways. He knew the meal-times

as well as any of the crew, and was always ready to enjoy

the food provided for him. Every evening he visited the
sailors’ quarters, where he was hailed with delight.

The men collected all sorts of things for their huge
friend, and then amused themselves throwing them into
his mouth. Tom took all that came—biscuits, fruit, and
even tobacco. Nor did he complain when a cake of
blacking was thrown to him.

One day the elephant went to the fire, where a large
pan of cocoa was being made ready for the men on duty.
While the cook went to call the men, Tom helped himself,
and the sailors arrived to find nothing but the empty
vessel.

The cook was very angry when he found that his work
would have to be done again. So he took up the pan
and struck the elephant with it. When he put the vessel
down, Tom had his revenge. He lifted up his huge foot
and smashed the pan to pieces.
NEW ANIMAL STORIES 4I

While the ship was lying at a port on the way home,
Tom was taken ashore and put in a shed which had been
provided for him. At night he got out and took a walk
all alone. He came to a well, where, during the day, his
keeper had made him draw some water. He remem-
bered this, and, not liking the job, he pushed the bucket
into the well. Down went the bucket, but the rope caused
the handle to go round, and Tom received a smart blow,
which made him wince. After that, nothing would induce
him to go near either the bucket or the well.























































TOM HELPED HIMSELF.
42 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

A Cat’s Fight with an Eagle

LARGE eagle was once noticed to be hovering near
to a certain farmyard in Scotland in search of prey.
Suddenly it swooped down and seized a fine tabby cat in
its talons, and flew up into the air. When, apparently,
the cat realised its terrible situation, it began to show
fight, and bit and scratched away at the eagle’s legs and
neck, taking care to keep tight hold of its captor. The
eagle tried in vain to drop the cat, until, faint from loss of
blood, it slowly sank to the earth, where it lay in a dying
condition. The cat jumped quickly away, and sat down
at a safe distance licking her wounds. A few minutes
after, she came purring to her master, as much as to say,
“ Flave you no praise for me?”

Ses oe

Sambo and Puck

AMBO was a fine black retriever, and Puck was a little
terrier. One day the owner of the dogs went out
shooting with a servant, accompanied by Sambo and
Puck. Unfortunately, both the gentleman and his man
fell over a waterfall, a distance of 150 feet. As neither
they nor the dogs returned, a number of persons went out
to look for them. They found the servant alive, but quite
unconscious. He had crawled close to the water, but he
was unable to move farther, or go to the help of his
master.

The gentleman’s body was found quite near the same
place, and by his side was the terrier. The faithful little
animal had stuck to his post for forty-eight hours without
either food or water. Sambo had evidently gone for
help, and, meeting a panther, had been killed by the
savage animal.

q




















































































































































































































































































































































































































































THE CAT HELD ON TO ITS CAPTOR.
43
44 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

An Elephant’s Memory

OME years ago, a large circus visited the town of
Hythe, in Kent, and among the animals that went
in procession through the town was a young elephant.

As the huge creature passed by, a kindly-disposed
greengrocer came forward from his shop and gave
him a liberal feast of potatoes. These were greatly
enjoyed, and it seems that the elephant made up his
mind that, if ever he came to Hythe again, he would
pay another visit to the friend who had fed him.

In due course the elephant found himself again
in Hythe with the circus. That night he was put
to bed as usual; but between three and four o’clock
in the morning, before anyone was up, he managed
to let himself out of his stable, and went off on a
“voyage of discovery” down Market Street.

It did not take him long to find the shop which
had such pleasant memories for him; but, alas! the
shutters were up, and its owner upstairs asleep.

Nothing daunted, the elephant set to work, and
lifting the door off its hinges, he shouldered his way
in. Oh, what a feast displayed itself—apples,. potatoes,
cabbages, oranges, even sweets! Our big friend felt
hungry, and had managed to make a very large hole
in the stock of fruit and vegetables before he was
disturbed.

A well-known voice and a sharp crack of the whip
told him of the arrival of his keeper, and he was soon
given to understand that the stable, and not the fruit-
shop, was the proper place for an elephant at three
o'clock in the morning.

But just think what a memory the animal must
have had to be able to find the shop, and know what
it contained, after all those years !
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THE ELEPHANT SHOULDERED HIS WAY INTO THE SHOP,
45
46 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

The Adventures of a Cat

eee ae some packing-cases were wanted in a lace

and silk works at Coventry. It was the custom to
send out goods in these cases, and when emptied they
were returned to the works,

All the empty cases were kept in the basement or
cellar, and on this.occasion a porter brought as many of
them as were wanted from those that had been returned.
Proceeding to open the cases, the man was surprised to
find a very fine tabby cat lying among some paper. The
animal was alive, but in a very weak condition.

The prisoner was at once released from its confine-
ment, and it received every attention. Ina short time it
was quite well, and looking as plump as ever.

A letter was sent to the people who had returned the
case, and they replied that the creature must have been
nailed up and sent off to Coventry about twenty-four days
before.

They added that the cat, which was a valuable one,
had been missing for several weeks, though diligent
search had been made for it. No one could understand
how it came to pass that the imprisoned cat had never
made itself heard before it left the shop, in the railway
van at the station, on the railway journey of two hundred
miles, or in the works. Perhaps, like the mad dog in
Goldsmith’s funny poem, the cat had done it “to serve
some private end.” When a dumb animal does a clever
thing, the reason of which we can understand, we are all
loud in our praises. When we don’t understand, the
animal gets no praise, and is simply called “an odd
creature.” Puss may have hada purpose. At all events, it
was wonderful that the animal was alive after so long an
imprisonment without food or water.
NEW ANIMAL STORIES 47



The Tiger and the Fish

NE day a sportsman went fishing in India, accom-
panied by an old and faithful native servant, who
carried his rifle to be ready in case any large game
was met with, the country being exceedingly full of
jungle.

The two became separated; but the fisher, knowing
that the servant was well able to take care of himself,
proceeded to the river, where, after a while, he hooked
a large fish, weighing over twenty pounds.

Returning with the fish, he met in a ravine leading
up from the river a huge tiger, from whose presence he
moved before it saw him, hiding nimbly behind a rock.
He was so anxious to avoid the fierce creature that the
fish fell from his hands, and was fully exposed to the
view of the tiger.

Even then, however, it seemed as if the tiger would
pass it without notice; but, in an evil moment, just
48 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

when the animal appeared to have made up his mind
to move on, the fish gave a feeble flop, which at once
_ attracted the tiger’s attention.

The beast made straight for the fish, seized it by
the head, and carried it off. The fish was still joined
to the tackle, and no sooner did the tiger feel the re-
sistance of the reel, than he gave a sudden jerk which
resulted in hooking him by. the lip.

At this moment the enraged animal caught sight of
the hiding sportsman, and fixed his green and glittering
eyes upon him. The latter, not knowing how to act,
began to play with the beast, as he might with a fish;
but, though the tiger was uncertain what to do for a
moment, the proceeding was not likely to last long.
Luckily, the native servant turned up, and with a well-
‘aimed shot laid low the monarch of the forest.

ee

The “ Big Brown Dog”

N the wilds of Canada, where the log houses are

many miles apart, and where the ground is still

covered with thick forests, lived the little boy of whom
this story is told.

He had started out one afternoon in the autumn to
pick berries. He had not meant to go far from the
house, but he walked on, picking and eating, until it
began.to grow dark. Then he thought it was time to
be at home, and so he turned to go there. But where
was home? Was it down yonder past the pines, or
straight ahead beyond the briers?

Alas! there were so many briers, and the pines
grew so close together and looked so much alike!
The poor child ran first this way, and then that;
‘but home came no nearer. Hejwas indeed lost.
NEW ANIMAL STORIES 49

In the meantime the boy’s parents became alarmed
at his absence, and started in search of him. All that
night they sought far and wide, but could find no trace
of their son. The next day the neighbours joined in
the search, and day after day they kept it up, until six
days had passed, and the boy was not found.

On the morning of the seventh day the weary band
would have given up the search, feeling sure that the
boy was dead; but the father and mother still went
on looking with weary eyes and sad hearts, calling
their son’s: name with their tired voices.

‘At last, the father sat down to rest on an old
fallen tree. Something seemed to stir in its hollow
depths, and in a moment he had put his hand into the
hole. It rested on his boy. Yes, there was the little
fellow, warm and breathing, but very weak, and only
just alive. The neighbours crowded around, and gently
drew him out of the tree and carried him home.

By and by he grew stronger, and could then answer
their questions. ‘What had he lived on all these seven
long days?” Berries—always berries.

“But how had he kept warm through the cold,
frosty nights?” Oh, he had slept in a tree, and a
nice big brown dog had kept him warm by lying close
to him. <

The neighbours looked at one another, and at the
father and mother. They knew every dog in all the
country round. There were only a very few of them, and
not one big brown dog was in the number. The hollow
tree was again examined, and, from what they saw, they
felt sure that a large bear had used it as a sleeping-
place, and that he had kindly allowed the child to
share his bed.

The boy soon got well and strong, and in time
grew up to be a sturdy farmer. When he had chil-
dren of his own, nothing pleased them so much as to
hear from their father thesstory of the big brown dog.

4
50 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

The Parrot and the Sparrow

ARROTS may be taught many tricks, to imitate a
variety of sounds, and even to. talk. -They live
chiefly on seeds and fruits. The parrots that are kept
as pets are the green parrot from South America, and
the grey parrot with a scarlet tail from West Africa.

Once a parrot named Jack was presented to one
of the public gardens in Paris. After Jack had been
there for some time, he showed a great liking for a little
wild sparrow which used to pick up crumbs or grains
of corn that fell from the parrot’s food-tin. As soon
as the parrot’s perch was fixed in the morning, up flew
the sparrow. When Jack saw him, he lifted up his
unchained foot that the sparrow might perch upon it.

The two birds would remain thus for some time;
the parrot, with his head on one side, gazing fondly
on his tiny friend, and the sparrow flapping his wings.
Then the parrot would go carefully down to his food-
tin, where he seemed to expect the little bird to share
his breakfast.

The meal being over, the parrot opened one of his
wings, and the sparrow went under and pecked and
rummaged about, much to the satisfaction of Jack.
When one wing was cleaned, he held out the other,
and the same process was gone through again.

The sparrow seemed to know that all this was ex-
pected of him, and he appeared to take a delight in it.
When he had finished, the birds both tucked their heads
under their wings, and sitting side by side, they fell
asleep. 5 :

At length the parrot was very ill, and his little
friend became both doctor and nurse. He flew about
the garden and seemed to be searching for somethung.
When he came back, he had in his beak a long blade
of grass. He gave this to the parrot, who managed to
NEW ANIMAL STORIES 51

eat it. This was repeated for three or four days until
Jack was cured.

One day the sparrow was pecking on the grass close
to the parrot’s perch when a large cat rushed at him.
On seeing this, the parrot gave a most terrible shriek,
and the terrified cat fled for its life.

— + 4—

The Cat and the Pigeon

iN PIGEON once made her nest in a hayloft which was

infested with rats. Several times these troublesome
creatures destroyed the pigeon’s eggs, or carried off her
young ones and devoured them.

One day a cat took up her abode in the hayloft fora
time to rear her kittens. The cat and the pigeon soon
became great friends, though, as a rule, cats kill and eat
birds.

They were often seen feeding from the same dish, and
when the cat went out for a short run, the pigeon
fluttered near her, and seemed to enjoy the company of
her four-footed friend.

The rats tried once or twice to get at the pigeon’s eggs
after the cat had arrived in the loft, but they soon found
that she was too wide-awake for them. When two of
them had lost their lives in the attempt, the rest took
care to seek food in other quarters. This protection in-
creased the friendship that had sprung up between the two
mothers.

The pigeon also showed her gratitude by watching over
the kittens in the absence of the cat. If anyone went
near them, she attacked the intruder in the most vigorous
manner, and tried to drive them off with her beak and
wings.
52 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

Monkeys and a Train

RAILWAY line was laid through a part of India

where there was a native temple. Here a host of
monkeys were kept, and regarded as sacred animals. The
lines aroused the curiosity of the mischievous creatures,
and often they went out in gangs to try to pull up the
metals. They began by removing the earth from the
sides of the rails until they had laid bare the nuts and
bolts, and the sleepers on which the rails rested.

These they did not understand, and vainly tried to
remove. Asa rule, they stopped work when they saw a
train approaching. They were not, however, so frightened
by it as to run away. They simply jumped on to the
side till the train had passed, and then went on with their
work.

One day one of the monkeys did not move with the
rest. Seeing his danger, several of the rest got hold of
him by the tail, and pulled him out of danger.

— +34

A Child and a Lion

PERSON who lived some years in South Africa, tells

the following story :— _

The infant son of one of the Dutch settlers had strayed
away. When the father missed him, he gathered together
some of his friends, who armed themselves and went in
search of the child. After some time, they found foot-
prints leading in the direction of the bush. Following up
these, they came upon a large open space, at the farther
side of which they discovered the object of their search,
sitting hugging a little wooden doll, and munching a piece
of bread and butter. Before they could make their way




THE MONKEYS TRIED TO PULL UP THE RAILWAY LINES.

53
54 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

through the thick, tangled undergrowth, a large lion
sprang into the clearing. The little boy, far from being
frightened, ran to meet the lion, holding up his bread and
butter, and said, “ Take a bit, doggie.”

The father stood powerless, through fear, to move or
speak, expecting each instant to see the child crushed under
the lion’s paw ; but, instead of doing as he dreaded, the lion



turned himself over and lay on his back at the child’s feet,
looking up in his face as a cat would doat play. Watching
his opportunity, the father raised his gun and fired, hitting
the lion in the knee. The animal sprang up, and leaving
the child, rushéd on the party, injuring two of the number
before it was finally a

From this circumstante the child was christened by the
settlers “ Daniel.”


NEW ANIMAL STORIES 55

The Crow and the Mussel

AR crow is said to be a very wise bird. It certainly
can do very clever things, as you shall see.

Crows will eat almost anything, dead or alive. They
have been seen picking up
all sorts of odds and ends
in the street, and making
off with young ducks,
chickens, or other birds.
Those that live near the
sea also help themselves to
shrimps and young crabs.
They are always on the
watch for anything that
may be washed up by the .
tide.

A crow that was very
fond of mussels was seen
to pick one up in his bill
and then fly to a great
height. He knew that he :
could not crack the shell,
but he could let the mussel
fall. This he did, taking:
care to let it come down
on the stones. Of course the shell was broken, and the |
crow was able.to feed on its contents.



ee

A Clever Sheep-Dog

FARMER sold a large flock of sheep to a dealer, and
lent the man his dog to assist in driving them to the
next town, distant about thirty-five miles,
56 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

When the man was ready to start, the farmer called
the dog and gave the intelligent animal its orders, The
arrangement made between the farmer and the dealer
was that when the sheep arrived at the town, the dealer
should give the dog a meal and send him home.

The dealer set out with the dog and thesheep. Several
days passed away, and the farmer became very anxious
about the dog. He began to fear that the faithful creature
had met with an accident.

At length he was awakened early one morning by hear-
ing a noise in the farmyard. He looked out of the
window, and then he saw his dog in charge of a large flock
of sheep.

On examination, he found that some of the sheep were
those he had sold to the dealer a few days before. The
farmer then made inquiries, and learned that the dealer
had been so pleased with the dog that he decided to try
to keep him. He therefore tied him up when he got to
the town, to prevent him from returning to his master.

The dog succeeded in freeing himself, and then there
seemed to be an idea in his mind that the dealer, who
wished to steal him, had no right tothe sheep. He there-
fore collected the whole flock, which was feeding in a field
near, and drove it as quickly as he could to his master.

—+4—

The Sheep and the Bridge

ieee was a sheep-dog, owned out on the Carthage
Pike, near Elmwood, whose sagacity was wonderful.
A gentleman was coming down Spring Grove Avenue,
just above Chester Park, and observed a little commotion
at the north end of the large covered wooden avenue bridge
which spans Mill Creek.
Approaching nearer, he discovered a flock of sheep that
























































































































































A WAY OUT OF THE DIFFICULTY.

b7
58 NEW ANIMAL ‘STORIES

had blocked the north entrance to the bridge. Their
owner was patiently seated in a waggon behind them,
apparently unconcerned. A large shepherd-dog had been
struggling for several minutes to induce the sheep to enter
the bridge and go on. But they were evidently suspicious,
and did not dare to venture into the forbidding place.
Frightened at the dog’s barking and urging, the hindmost
sheep kept crowding up, while the leaders held back.

As we said before, the owner was unconcerned, confi-
dent that his sagacious dog would find a way to settle the
puzzling problem. Presently the dog, discouraged at his
unsuccessful effort to drive, leaped upon the backs of the
sheep, ran along to the bridge entrance, leaped upon the
floor, and seizing in his mouth the woolly neck of one of
the ewes, dragged her along on to the bridge. Once on
the floor of the bridge, the old ewe’s suspicions were
allayed, and she trotted across, followed by the whole
flock, while the dog, stepping on one side, let them all pass,
and then trotted along after.

—- B1-—

A Dog and Snake. Fight

N English doctor in India gives the following account

of an encounter between a dog and a cobra:—

One day while we were sitting outside after dinner, my
wife felt something moving against her feet, and jumped
up fromher chair. At the same moment, our terrier, lying
close by, saw and flew at the object, which, by its hissing,
at once declared itself to be a snake.

While I called for lights and sticks, the reptile retreated
into the hollow of a tree, against which is a fernery, and
hissed so loudly that my servants and I were deceived
into thinking the noise to be that of a cat. :

After prodding into the recesses of the rockery with
NEW ANIMAL STORIES 59

sticks for several minutes, the loud hissing being continued
the while, the snake suddenly came out before my servant,
and stood erect upon the stonework with expanded hood.

At this moment, the dog, who had all along been
trying, by barking violently, to dislodge the reptile, rushed
twice, at least, and dragged it down upon the ground from
the rockery. I beat off the dog, and hit the snake two
blows with a piece of
split bamboo, seven feet ©
long, and quite supple,
held near one end.

Very little injury could
have been inflicted upon
the snake by these
blows, which were made
quite at random; and
while it was writhing
vigorously, and before I
. could strike it again,
the dog carried it away,
and was found, a few
minutes afterwards, forty
yards off, worrying the
reptile, which he held
by the throat, and had
killed.

The cobra, the head
of which I have preserved, was three feet seven inches.
long, with distinct spectacles and perfect fangs. The
dog is alive, and was not the least ill after the encounter.

In another case of a fight between a terrier and a cobra,
the snake bit the dog on the lower lip. The dog severed
the snake in two, but the snake’s bite did its work. The
brave little terrier died a few minutes afterwards,


60 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

A Grateful Stork

NCE a pair of storks took up their abode on the roof
of a schoolhouse in Germany, One day the teacher













































































































































































































































































































































THE STORK’S NEST.

found one of the birds lying exhausted on the ground

before his door.
Now, in that country it is considered a piece of good
NEW ANIMAL STORIES 61

luck to have a stork’s nest on the house, and therefore he
picked up the bird, took it into his dwelling, and nursed
it carefully. When it was getting well, he took it out of
doors and carried it to the field near his house, where it
was fed by its mate.

At length the stork was cured and able to return to its
nest, but every evening while it remained, it flew down
from the roof, and gravely walked by the side of its friend
from the schoolhouse to the meadows.

This novel sight attracted considerable attention, and
often the two friends were accompanied by a group of
wondering village children.

A weaver of Bruges, also, rescued a young stork which
had fallen out of the nest, and was like to die.. He fed
and reared it, and the bird grew and thrived. Day by
day it would perch on the high beam above the old man’s
loom; and he, having neither wife nor child, came to look
upon the beautiful white bird as a friend. He would talk
to it, and it would listen with a wise and solemn air, as if
it quite understood. One day the loom was silent, and in
the lonely cottage the old weaver lay dead. Stranger
hands bore him to his last resting-place. But round and
round the spot the stork flew disconsolately, and when
the funeral party had left the spot the bird nestled on the
grave and died of grief.

ee

The Ways of Wolves

T is said that if treated kindly, a young wolf will
become as tractable as any young dog, learning a
name and answering to it as readily. When a wolf is
trained, you cannot drive him off from you. The wild
wolves may howl ever so loudly near him, but he simply
seems to have a scorn of them and their ways.
62 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

He is a picture of great contentment. Nor does a
recent writer think it would be difficult to tame a grown
wolf. “The cowboys of Texas,” he says, “sometimes
ride them down and catch them with their ropes, and
when they are not immediately killed by these rough
riders, but kept a little while and treated with some kind-
ness, they become quite docile, permitting anyone to
stroke them gently about the head.

“J have never known a serious effort to tame the fully-
grown wolf. I never knew but one tamed wolf to utter
the long howl, and he seemed to do it solely out of a spirit
of mischief-making. He was a frequent companion of
some ladies on their walks, and in some way he found
that he could give them a great but harmless scare by
howling. Therefore, every now and then, at a favourable
opportunity, he would break out; and when the ladies
screamed, he would appear to burst almost with the fun
of the thing.

“Wolves have some very evil ways in their taming,
which sometimes demand severe and repeated correction
with a switch. They are exceedingly fond of poultry,
and will soon destroy an entire hen-roost if not
watched.

“They also show great cunning in stealing ahen. For
instance, they have been known, when supplied with a
piece of bread, to go off with it to a lonely place in the
yard, where they will crouch flat on the ground with the
forefeet stretched out before them. They will then
crunch the bread so as to have a great many crumbs lying
quite near the mouth and all around it.

“A chicken will soon be attracted, which, when
observing, the wolf will shut his eyes and appear to fall
into a deep sleep. However, he never is so wide-awake.
The foolish chicken draws nearer and nearer to the fatal
mouth. Suddenly the wolf seizes it and kills it before it
has time to squeal. To devour it, feathers and all, is but
the work of a moment. It is hard to whip this fondness
NEW ANIMAL STORIES 63

for chicken-stealing out of the wolf, and some people
become tired of them on this account and kill them.

“An old farmer living a mile or two from where I write
this, had a pack of seven tamed wolves, with which he
considered himself the smartest man in the country, being
a great hunter; but as each wolf must have a chicken
nearly every day, the women of his family at length took
offence.and caused them all to be killed.

“Wolves have the same weakness for ducks and turkeys,
but will not kill pigs or sheep, as wild wolves do. The
wolf may be set upon other animals like the dog, but he
means to kill, and will most surely do so if let alone.
The dog is content to seize a hog by the ear and hold him,
but the tame wolf will take him by the throat and kill.

“They make excellent deer-dogs, rapid in pursuit and
of great endurance, but when they catch the deer they
will eat him if the hunter does not come up very soon.
But dogs must be taken with them on the chase, as they
give no mouth, and their pursuit is silent and swift.
Therefore, without the noisy hound, the hunter would
soon be utterly lost from his pack.”

— 1-34

A Spider catching a Wasp

NE day a man heard a remarkably loud buzzing in an

outhouse near his dwelling. On going out to find

the cause, he saw a wasp caught by the hind leg in a
spider’s web.

The buzzing which had attracted the man’s attention
was caused by the rapid action of the insect’s wings in
its efforts to free itself.

The owner of the web, quite a small spider, patiently
watched the struggles of the wasp from above, and far
out of reach. Presently, however, it saw that the wasp
was endeavouring, with the fellow-leg of the opposite side,
64 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

to free the one that was caught. Then it cunningly ran
down its rope,and rapidly attached a thread to the foot of

- the free leg also.
Then the legs of
the wasp were
drawn below its
back, and _ the
spider returned to
its former place of
safety.

Soon the wasp
was completely
exhausted, and lay
quite still. Then
the spider slipped
down upon the
body of its captive
Sti lA and inserted some

SS poison intoits body.
It also wrapped the insect’s wings round with fresh threads.

As there was no further appearance of life or motion,
the victorious spider dragged its victim into a convenient
place to be feasted upon at its leisure.

—_-{3-1—_—_.

The Cat and the Parrot

R. A. T, ELWES, the artist, tells the following remark-

able story of a cat and a parrot :—

“When we were children, we used to pass on our way
to school a certain house, where we generally made a halt
to watch the antics of a cat and parrot, which had been
brought up together. It especially amused us to hear the
parrot screech, ‘Puss! Puss! scratch Polly’s poll, and to
see the cat gravely proceed to do as she was bidden.
In the midst of the fun Polly would look up and say to
us, ‘ Be off with you, rude children,—be off to school.’”




























































































































































’S POLL.”

“puss! puss! SCRATCH POLLY
66 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

A Strange Tiger Story

FEW months ago two gentlemen in India determined
to get rid of a tiger that had killed a number of the
natives. Two of the most recent victims were watchmen,
and therefore the gentlemen went on duty themselves,
thinking that the tiger might return to the spot where he
had been successful in procuring his prey.
They remained on
the watch all night,
fully armed, listening
to every sound, and
ready to fire at the
first appearance of
the savage creature.
About three in the
morning, one of the
gentlemen said that
he would go to bed,
as he felt certain that
the tiger would not
then appear.
Proceeding to carry
out his intention, he
passed into the house
through one of the
large windows in the verandah, which opened down
to the ground.

He had hardly closed the window behind him when he
saw a large dark mass land on the verandah, right on his
friend. This was followed by a scuffle and a cry for help.
Seizing his rifle and a sword bayonet, he flung open the
window and rushed out into the garden. To his astonish-
ment, he saw his friend coming along the path by the
side of the tiger, with his hand in the animal’s mouth.

Afraid to fire for fear that he should hurt his friend, he


-NEW ANIMAL STORIES 67

went quietly up to the tiger, plunged the bayonet into the
animal’s body, and then fired with deadly aim. There
was a roar and a scuffle, and a moment later the tiger fell
dead.

The gentleman’s hand was found to be in a terribly
mangled condition, and was some time before it thoroughly
healed.

There is no doubt that the presence of mind shown
by the gentlemen prevented the destruction of one or
both.

——— HB

A Dog Sentry

N officer tells the following story :—

“Many years ago, when | was serving in one of
Her Majesty’s cavalry regiments, there belonged to the
corps in general, and no one in particular, a remarkably
well-bred, rough Irish terrier. Where he came from
nobody knew; but there he was, and without him the
regiment would have been about as much at a loss as
without its colonel or riding-master.

“On parade, Jack was always well to the fore, taking as
much interest in the turn-out as the officer command-
ing. He regularly accompanied the regiment when out
marching, but objected to the hurry and bustle of field-
days. It was, however, at night that his services were
of most value.

“As regularly as half-past six came round, the hour
appointed for guard-mounting, Jack would put in an
appearance, always spending his night in the guard-room,
and never failing to make his round of the sentries with
each relief, and also with the visiting officer. It was
whispered that by a quiet tug at the overalls of some
sleepy sentry, he had been the means of saving more
68 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

than one from punishment.” For, as you know, very few
offences are so severely punished, especially in war-time,
as that of being found asleep at the post of watch.

“On one occasion, when a trooper of the regiment of
whom he was very fond was locked up for a term of
fourteen days, Jack could not by means of threats or
coaxings be induced to move away from the cell-door |
until the time expired.

“Jn the matter of food, as may be imagined, Jack was
thoroughly well treated, and he was a welcome guest in
every room in the barracks. He knew the dinner-bugle
as well as the men themselves. One day he would
present himself at A room, the next at B, and so on,
never to my knowledge dining with the same host two
days together.

“Poor old chap! In the course of time and the fulness
‘of years he died of old age, but to nearly the very last he
regularly performed his self-imposed duty of going the
rounds.”

tie

Puss and her Two-Legged Family

HERE was once a brood of chickens which were
placed in a basket by the kitchen fire. Some time
after, upon going downstairs,a gentleman was surprised
to find that the cat had turned the basket over and let all
the chickens out. They were hopping about and ‘around
her as contented as could be, and the cat was purring
away as though she had got the most wonderful family .
in the world. When, a day or two later, the chickens
were taken away, the cat went wandering about the house,
and would not be comforted.
















































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































———
CMEWITT, SCS

THE CHICKS WERE HOPPING AROUND THE CAT,
69
70 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

A Cat-Artist’s Story

N artist famous for his pictures of cats, told the
following story when asked why he had taken to
painting cats :—

“Some years ago, Peter was a black-and-white kitten,
and had a great love for mouse-hunting. I had him
when he had just gained his eyesight, and the second
day in his new home he brought a half-dead young
mouse, who had held on so tight to Peter’s nose that it
bled.

“ Peter was so plucky that I took a fancy tohim, for he
would not part with the mouse, and marched up and
down with his tail bolt upright till the mouse was killed
for him. He had the run of the house, and strength
coming apace with courage, he soon learned to kill his
mice himself, and these he always brought upstairs and
laid at my feet.

“T began to pet him a great deal, and he would come
and sit on my drawing-table for hours together, and
watch my pen and brush, but the instant I attempted to
sketch him he disappeared under the table and sat at my
feet.

“Presently I began to teach him tricks, in which he
took a keen delight. For instance, he would run down-
stairs after a rabbit’s foot, and bring it up and lay it at
my feet. Then he would run and hide behind the door,
and peep round till he saw me coming. Then he would
bolt, and I ran after him, and he ran after me, and
away we went, upstairs and downstairs, and all over the
house.

“In such wild frolics as these 1 began to study him.
Imagine me rolling over the floor, now on hands and .
knees, now crouching up and down stairs, Peter striking
a hundred queer positions which I had never seen in any
other cat, jumping sideways and round on the tip of his
NEW ANIMAL STORIES a1

toes, twirling around with blazing eyes and open mouth,
his whiskers up, and his hair standing on end.

“But at the sight of the pencil or sketch-book on the
ground he took the sulks, and lay down on the hearth-
rug; so that the only sketch I ever made of him was
while his back was turned towards me, a back view, and
yet he was the best model I could have had. All his
movements fired my imagination, and I had only to romp
madly with him for a few moments to get any amount of
ideas. Thus I gradually got a cat engraved on my mind,
and his little ways were not easy to forget.

“Peter attached himself to me to such an extent that if
I moved from the house he would sit on the stairs till he
learned to know my footsteps when I opened the door, and
ran down to meet me. But, try as I would, he evidently
thought it was not quite the thing to sit for his portrait,
and to this day my sketches of him are from memory.

“Some of his tricks were quite out of the way. He
would sit upon my knees, put his paws together in front
of him, and when told to say his prayers, would
‘“Miaow.’ At meal-times he had his own chair, and sat
quiet till we had finished, when he miaowed three times
for his dinner.

“He was very curious, and noticed any new things in
the house. Ifa picture was put on the wall, he would sit
on the ground and stare at it fora long time. He would
also lie on the ground on his back and put his paws
together, with his tail out and his head back, and then
‘die’ till told to ‘live again,’

“With such a pet by me, I was always wishing to do
something which no one had ever done before in cats, but
for a long time—in fact months—I doubted whether
people would care for anything funny in the cat line.
I tried one or two pictures, but I was always told that no
one cared for cats. At last I produced ‘The Cat’s
Christmas Party.’ Its success was very great, and that
was how I came to draw cats.”
72 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

Attacked by an Eagle

OT long ago, a man was walking over the hills in
the south of Scotland, when he had a remarkable
adventure,

It took place about midday, when the sun was
shining in a cloudless sky. Suddenly a shadow, for
which he could not account, passed over him, and the
same instant he received a blow and his hat was knocked
off his head. ;

Looking up, he saw a large eagle hovering over him,
and poising itself for another swoop. He had no weapon
to use in his defence, but fortunately he had his umbrella
in his hand. Down came the eagle, and the umbrella did
good service in warding off the attack. This happened
several times. Suddenly an express train, dashing
through the valley near, alarmed the eagle, for it at once
flew away, and left the man to pursue his journey in
peace,

a

The Elephant-Nurse

HEN an elephant is employed as a nurse in India, the

huge animal is generally fastened by one leg to a

chain fixed to a peg which has been driven into the
ground.

Then the baby is laid down on the grass near him,
and the mother goes away to her work, quite sure that no
human being could be more careful of her child than the
elephant will be.

The baby has no fear of its ponderous nurse, and
crawls about the animal’s feet and legs with the greatest
freedom. If the baby crawls too far away, the elephant
NEW ANIMAL STORIES 73

gently winds his trunk around the child’s body, and
tenderly places it back again.

No strangers are allowed to gonear the child. If any-
one attempted to do so, the elephant would at once
attack them and even kill them if they did not keep out
of his way.

———3-1-_—.

A Wonderful Pet

LD SOUP, for that was the elephant’s curious name,

was born more than a hundred years ago, and he

lived some years since on the banks of the river Ganges,
near the city of Cawnpore, in India.

Old Soup was working one day with a number of
other elephants and some soldiers, in loading a ship with
bags of rice. Major Daly was the officer in charge of the
soldiers, and Old Soup and the other elephants belonged
to him. This was just about the time of Old Soup’s
hundredth birthday, and as the elephants one by one
marched up to the ship’s side and delivered their bags of
rice, Major Daly’s little boy and girl stood watching the
old fellows at their work. —

All at once one of the elephants began to throw his
bags of rice into the river, and the Major soon saw that
the animal had gone mad.

- The mad elephant, having killed his keeper, turned
and ran towards the Major’s children, who were hurrying
with their nurse to get indoors. How they would have
fared if they had been left to themselves, we cannot say ;
but Old Soup was there, and when he saw the mad
elephant chasing the Major’s children, he dashed in ~
between them, and fought the mad creature until he laid
him dying on the ground.

It was a terrible fight. It lasted for an hour anda
half; and though Old Soup was conqueror in the end, he
4 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

had many wounds to remind him of the struggle. His
ears were badly torn, and his head was bruised, and one
of his tusks was broken off short; but he saved the
lives of his master’s children, and it is not surprising that
they made him a pet after that,

But Old Soup became something more than a pet, he
became a nurse as well, and often would he take the
children out by the hour together; and the Major said,
over and over again, that he would far rather trust his
children with. Old Soup than with any number of Hindu
nurses.

Old Soup was very fond of helping his little friends
to catch the golden tench which abound in the river
Ganges. Little Jim baited the hook for him and took off
the fish when it was caught, but Old Soup did all the
rest; and no angler was ever more pleased at getting a
bite than Old Soup in landing a prize.

3} 1.

Rescue by a Dog

RESCUE by a Newfoundland dog was recently

witnessed by the passers-by on the Thames Embank-
ment one Monday afternoon, amidst considerable excite-
ment. Some children were playing on the steps of
Cleopatra’s Needle, when one of them, a little girl about
ten years of age, overbalanced herself, and fell into the
water.

She sank immediately, and would have been drowned
had not her companions shrieked loudly for help. A
gentleman happened to be passing at the time with a
magnificent Newfoundland dog, and upon hearing the cries
for assistance, he directed the dog’s attention to the child,
who had just risen to the surface.

The noble animal at once sprang into the watee and




















































































































































































































































































A STRANGE FISHERMAN.
75
76 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

reached the child in a few seconds. Seizing her by the .
clothing, he swam with her to the steps, where he was
assisted by his master and other bystanders to land with
his burden. The poor child was nearly unconscious when
rescued, but after she had received some attention she was
in a fit state to be taken home.

a

The Eagle and the Child

N eagle was one day flying over a garden in Germany,

when he saw a child, about nine months old, lying

on a carpet on the ground. The bird at once dashed
down to seize the child.

The nurse, who was near at the time, saw the bird,
and ran to save the child from its clutches. She hada
shawl in her hand, and this she threw over the eagle’s
head.

Unable to see, the bird could not seize the child, and
the nurse held on so that he could not get away. All
the time she cried out loudly for help. Her cries were
heard, and soon the eagle was securely bound. He was
then sent to the Zoological Gardens. The nurse was well
rewarded for her courage and presence of mind.
















NEW ANIMAL STORIES “4

He would go Round

A HORSE was once employed for many years, in fact

during the greater part of his life, in turning a large
arm that worked a pump. Round and round he went,
day after day, and week after week, year in and year
out.

Then he become old and blind and stiff. He was
worn out, So he was turned into a pasture, or left to crop
the grass without anyone to disturb or bother him. But
the funny thing about the old horse was that every
morning, after grazing a while, he would start on a tramp,
going round and round in a circle, just as he had been
accustomed to do for so many years.

He would keep it up for hours, and people often stopped
to wonder what had got into the old steed to make him
walk around in such a solemn way when there was no
earthly need of it. But it was the force of habit.

pa

The Cat and Chickens

VERYONE knows that cats are fond of birds and

spend much of their time hunting and trying to

catch their feathered prey. It is also well known that
cats often do much mischief in farmyards.

Not long ago, however, a story was told about a cat,
which shows that it can have feelings of pity for an animal
which it usually regards as fair game.

Ata farm in the north of England a hen one day had
a brood of chickens. There were ten in all, and the
mother led her family to feed in the farmyard. In some
way one of the chickens got hurt, and could not go with
78 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

the rest in search of food. The mother seemed to be so
busy with the nine that she did not notice the lame one.
It was therefore left behind, and was in great danger of
being starved to death.

One of the farmer’s children noticed that the chicken
could not walk, and going out to look for the little
creature, she could not find it anywhere.

On the following day one of the maids happened to
look into a warm corner where the cat kept her three
kittens, and there she saw the missing bird. To het
surprise, the cat was licking the injured leg, and seemed
to be trying to make the chicken as comfortable as
possible. As long as the poor thing could not walk, the
cat carried it in her mouth every day into the farmyard,
where it could get some food. Then she carried it back
to lie with her own kittens.

— 1-334.

An Intelligent Sheep

Sera: as a rule are not supposed to have much sense,
but here is a story that shows how one sheep had a
good deal of sympathy with another.

A minister, who used to go out on a tricycle to visit
his people, was one day crossing a field in which were a
number of sheep. He noticed that one of them, instead
of running away as the others had done, came towards
him. The sheep looked up at him in a most imploring
way, at the same time bleating piteously. The minister,
who was at a loss to know what was the matter, got down
from his tricycle.

The sheep no sooner saw this than it ran off to the
other end of the field. The minister followed the animal,
and there he found a stream, into which another sheep
had fallen and was unable to get out.
DAN)
NY ASN
MRR







THE SHEEP AT THE MEADOW-STREAM.
79
80 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

He at once went to the assistance of the poor animal,
and helped it on to the bank. Then the two friends went
off to join the rest of the flock.

—r- 3 4——

The Lost Bank-Notes

SETTLER in Australia lived in a tent which he
shared with a comrade. They were both employed
on a large sheep-farm a long way from the town.

The two men slept on beds made up on the ground,
with a large box between them, on which they placed the
light which lit up the tent.

One day one of the men went to the nearest town to
buy a stock of provisions, and his mate asked him to
change a ten-pound note for two five-pound notes.

When the man returned, he gave his friend the notes,
and as the hour was late, they were placed on the box and
left there till morning. When the men awoke, the notes
were gone. After looking everywhere they could think of,
they decided to explore all mice-nests they could find.
This they did, and in one of them, which was under the
floor of the tent, they found the missing notes not the
least torn or in any way damaged.

(SB Sits Goes
OG 38285 fl
on Domand the o/atm of SWS. ound 22) |

1852 Febt4, Landen 4 Hb 1082 ‘
p lor bee ou ened Compey the By

BANK of ENGLAND




NEW ANIMAL STORIES 81

The Dog and the Crab

A COUNTRYMAN was one day walking through the
streets with his dog, when he saw a live crab in a
fishmonger’s window. This caused him to stand several
minutes to watch the movements of the animal.
The fishmonger asked the man to buy the fish, but he
declined todo so. Then he said—
“Will it bite?”
“Put your finger in his mouth and see,” said the man.
“Nay,” was the reply, “but let him try to bite my
dog’s tail.”
The fishmonger thought that this was a good joke, so
he put the dog’s tail into the crab’s claw.
At once the dog ran off in a great fright, carrying the
crab with him.
“Call him back! Call him back!” cried the fish-
monger. “He is running away with my crab.”
“Nay, nay,” said the man. “Call him back yourself.”
Then he walked off, and found both the dog and the
crab waiting for him at his lodgings.

——_-{3 4

The Magpie’s Chatter

HE magpie is a black-and-white bird of the crow

species. It is noted for its cunning, and for a habit

of hiding any article it can find. It is easily tamed, and

may be taught to speak a few words. From the constant

chatter of this bird comes the saying, “to chatter like a
magpie.”

A magpie once led to the discovery of a sum of lost
money. A woman who lived in Wales died. Her friends
always thought that she possessed a large amount of

6
82 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

money, but when they came to search for it, they only
found a few pence.

A poor girl who had lived with the woman was sus-
pected of having taken the money, and she was closely
questioned about it. She declared that she had not
touched a farthing of her mistress’s money.

A magpie that was in the room when the woman’s
friends were questioning the girl, called out repeatedly—

“ll hide more yet! I’ll hide more yet!”

The bird at the same time put its bill on a certain spot
on the floor. This caused the searchers to think that the
bird knew where the money was. They therefore sent for
a joiner, and he took up a plank. What was their surprise
when they found nine hundred pounds which had been
hidden by the niagpie!

———-3 1.
A Clever Eel

PARTY of fishermen once saw a movement in the
shallow water on one side of a dock in the Hudson
River. Leaning over, they saw a large water -snake
moving landwards with an eel nearly half the size of the
snake.

The reptile had the eel by the throat, and the slimy
thing was making for dry ground, where it could more
easily kill its prey, which was making a frantic effort to
get free. Twice the eel squirmed itself loose from the
snake and made for the water, but each time it was
again caught and brought to land.

After a third chase for the eel, the snake seemed to
lose all patience, and winding itself about the wriggling
eel, pressed nearly all the life out of it and then dropped
it on the beach. The eel seemed to be dead, and lay
there quite still.

The snake wound itself in and out of a little opening














THE MAGPIE AT HOME,
83
84 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

out of the dock, returning every now and then to smell its
prey, for which it was evidently getting up an appetite.
The latter had just disappeared under a rock for the
fourth time, when the eel, which had been only shamming,
began moving towards the water, which it soon reached,
and immediately disappeared.

When the snake returned to the spot and found no
fish for dinner, its movements were like those of an angry,
disappointed child. It lashed its tail furiously, coiled
itself half-a-dozen times as though preparing to attack an
enemy, moved rapidly round and round the spot where
the eel had lain, and then made for the open water,
whence it was soon lost to view.

—H B4—_

Wholesale Tooth-Brushing

VESSEL was once anchored, for a time, close to the
bank of a river in South America, where the forest
came down to the edge of the stream.

In the early morning the sailors washed themselves on
deck, and this process was often watched by one or more
monkeys from the forest. One of the sailors always
carefully brushed his teeth after he had done washing,
and one day he looked up and saw a monkey imitating
his example.

This took place on two or three mornings, to the no
small amusement of the men on board, who had noticed
the antics of their visitor.

Several days passed away, and then, instead of one
monkey, they saw quite an army of monkeys approaching.
When the sailor began to brush his teeth, they all did
likewise; at the same time they jabbered away as only
monkeys can do. The brushes they used were sticks,
straws, or anything that came handy.


NEW ANIMAL STORIES 85

A Prisoner’s Mouse

PRISONER caught a mouse in his cell in Holloway
Prison. He did not kill it, but gave it some of
the porridge which had been supplied for his supper.

When he had made friends with the mouse, he taught
it to perform many little tricks, and when he went out
to take exercise in the prison-yard he carried his little
friend with him in his pocket.

The story reached the governor, who, however, was
too kind-hearted to order the man to give up the mouse.
This privilege was much valued by the prisoner, who,
for a time, was very unwell, and unable to leave his
cell.

The man and the mouse passed many happy hours
together, and every day the little animal became more
tame. It always appeared at breakfast-time, and re-
ceived a share of the man’s food, eating it out of his
hand.

Out of the small pieces of coloured matting the
prisoner made his little friend a very pretty collar, and
in many ways he showed his affection for his companion.

During the daytime the mouse was busy cleaning
itself with its paws, for mice are very clean animals. At
length it would scarcely leave the man, and it came to
know his voice so well that it would run to him in the
darkness when he called for it.

This is only one of many stories that could be told of
how such little creatures have relieved the dreadful dull-
ness of prison life. In the old French prison, the Bastille,
which was pulled down about a hundred years ago, several
prisoners lying chained in the horrible dungeons made
the time pass less wearily by getting the rats to come for
crumbs, and gradually taming them and making them do
little tricks,
86 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

A Reasoning Cat

N the great Crimea War, after the French had taken
the Malakoff, a certain strong fortress, a cat was
found by an English officer bayoneted through the foot
and pinned to the ground. He took her to the doctor's
tent, where the wound was carefully dressed, and each
morning she was carried to the doctor to have her wound
examined. This was repeated four or five mornings,
when the officer was seized with illness and could not take
puss as.usual. Some time afterwards, the doctor called
on the officer to say that the cat had very wisely paid
a visit to his tent and sat quietly down for her wound
to be attended to. This she continued to do while the
officer was ill. After he had recovered, and the cat’s
wound had healed, the cat accompanied the officer on
his field duties. In writing home, the officer in describ-
ing the incident said, “It was simply ridiculous to see
that cat following me about with its tail stuck up in the
air.”

a

A Fight with Wolves

HERE were sounds of merriment in the cottage of
honest old Casper Schmidt the woodcutter, as his
son had that day married the lovely Isabel. All the
village was invited to the wedding held at Casper’s
house, and the bride and bridegroom were to ride home
by moonlight. It was late when old Carl came to say
that the horses were harnessed and the sleigh ready.
“Come, dearest,” whispered Casper; “the horses are
ready, and it is time we should be making our way home-
wards.” So, after many adieus, they started.
They rode for about two miles, and they had all the
















































THE CAT WENT TO THE DOCTOR’S TENT.

87
88 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

while been too deeply engaged with their loving con-
versation to see that they had already entered the
forest.

Casper had, before setting out, provided himself with
a couple of pistols and a hunting-knife, as the way was
said to be infested with robbers.

They rode for about an hour, when there seemed to
come from the forest a deep, sullen roar, like the falling
of water, but to the practised ear of Casper it sounded
something more.

Still keeping up the conversation with his wife, Casper
looked carefully to the priming of his pistols.

“Isabel, do you hear anything?” he asked.

“No, Casper, nothing but the sobbing of the wind.”

He was silent. He did not like to tell his beloved
wife his fears, but he felt certain the sound they heard
was that of wolves.

Lashing the horses until they seemed to fly over the
frozen ground, he tried with all speed to outstrip the
fast approaching pack.

“On, on, good horses! for your lives, on!”

Away they dashed, with a rapidity that threatened to
overturn the sleigh.

“Casper, Casper, why this fearful haste?” asked
Isabel in trembling accents.

He bent down and whispered, “ The wolves !”

She uttered a cry of terror, and fainted away.

Casper grasped his knife in one hand and his pistol
with the other, and resolved to protect her with his
life.

The wolves had by this time come to within twenty
yards of the sleigh. Casper fired in among the pack,
and two wolves fell, They were quickly devoured by
their companions.

The wolves now completely surrounded the sleigh,
and Casper, grasping his knife, killed two more.

Isabel, when she recovered from the shock, bravely














































































































































































































































































































































































A SLEIGH ATTACKED BY WOLVES.
89
go NEW ANIMAL STORIES

snatched up the pistols her husband had dropped, and
quickly loading them, fired on the surrounding pack,
Casper still hewing them down on all sides.

Some of the pack had now reached the horses, and
one fastened its teeth into one poor creature’s throat.
Still the sleigh dashed on.

The house could now be seen in the distance, and
in another ten minutes they would have reached it, and
so have been safe, when one poor horse fell from the
effects of the bite of the wolf. The other still kept
bravely on, ‘although it was quite certain that he must
soon drop, from the weight of the dead horse, and the
many wolves which surrounded them.

Casper was stabbing away at the beasts, when a
hasty exclamation made him turn his head. A great
brute had caught Isabel by the arm and was dragging
her out of the sleigh. He quickly went to the assistance
of his beloved wife, and not a moment too soon, as the
brute had hold of her, and was pulling her out with
all his force. The knife of Casper soon found a place
in his heart.

They were now about fifty yards from home, and in
a few moments would be safe. They dashed up to the
house, and quickly shut the door. They were safe, but
a dismal howl outside showed that the faithful animal
which had drawn them so well had become a prey to
the wolves.

— {3 3—_.

A Decorated Dog

A GREAT battle was raging. The French had to hold

their own against the armies of Russia and Austria.
For a long time it seemed as if our neighbour across the
Channel would be beaten.
NEW ANIMAL STORIES QI

In those days the French were famous for the great
victories they were constantly winning on the battlefield,
and after a hard struggle they added one more to the
list,

While the conflict was still undecided, the standard-
bearer of the French regiment was struck down, never



THE DOG ON THE BATTLEFIELD.

to rise again, and the flag he carried fell from his lifeless
hands.

An Austrian rushed forward and seized the flag.
But at that moment a dog which belonged to the fallen
officer’s company sprang on the Austrian, bore him to the
ground, and carried off the blood-stained flag in triumph.
For this brave deed, performed with all the fierce daring
of a real soldier, the dog received the Order of the Legion
of Honour.
92 NEW ANIMAL STORIES





The Buffaloes and the Tiger

BLACK boy in Singapore was one day driving a herd
of tame buffaloes home, when a tiger suddenly made
its appearance at the edge of the jungle.

Springing on the lad, the tiger was about to carry him
off, when his cries of terror drew the attention of two of
the buffaloes. They at once ran to his assistance, and,
with heads down, charged the tiger.

The savage beast dropped the boy to defend himself.
One buffalo fought him, and the other stood over the
little keeper, who was so badly injured that he could not
move without great pain.

As the boy did not appear with his charge at the
usual time, his father became alarmed, and went in search
of him.

When he came to the place where the attack had been
made, he found the wounded lad lying there and the two
buffaloes guarding him. The tiger had gone off some
time before, and the rest of the herd had wandered away
in search of food.
NEW ANIMAL STORIES 93

Queer Places for Nests

WALLOWS often build their nests in strange places.
Once a pair of these birds built a nest in a lamp-
bracket, which was fixed close to a kitchen door. Yet the
lamp was taken out of the bracket every day to be
trimmed.

Another pair built a nest on the frame of a picture
which hung over the fireplace in an old hall in Bath.
They went in and out of the room through a broken
window.

Another pair built a nest inside a schoolroom. One
of the windows was left open for several days, and the
swallows took a fancy to the place for a dwelling. There
they remained all the season, and safely reared their
young ones. What a lesson of kindness it was to those
scholars to be so trusted by the birds !

One of the strangest places ever chosen for a nest was
the iron network of the famous Eiffel Tower in Paris.
Here a pair of swallows made their home at a height of
nearly one thousand feet from the ground.

SS

Peace and War

ERHAPS some of you have visited the old Vzcfory, the
famous warship of Lord Nelson. The great English
admiral was on this ship during the fierce battle of
Trafalgar, and was struck down by a shot in the very
moment of victory.

As you may guess, the gallant ship was terribly
knocked about by the firing of the enemy’s cannon; her
sails were torn, her rigging was cut away in places, and
much of the woodwork was left all in splinters, and a great
cannon-shot had gone clean through one of the masts.
94 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

A remnant of one of these masts was set up by King
William IV. in a little stone arbour in the beautiful
grounds round Bushey House. A pair of robins built
their nest in the snug hole made by the cannon-shot.
And here they brought up their family, and fed them till
they could fly. This very mast was in the picture Bachy
at the Naval Exhibition in London some years ago.

—1-34-——_

A Man-eating Tiger

DISTRICT in Madras was for a time infested with

tigers, which showed a strong liking for human flesh.

One person after another was carried off, until the fierce
creatures became the terror of the country round about.

One tiger was especially singled out as being the most
terrible of the man-eaters, and the Government offered a
reward of twenty pounds for its capture. As it was
known to have killed between twenty and thirty persons,
and had more than once been discovered in the act of
devouring a human body, the natives were eager to have
their enemy destroyed.

Afraid of openly attacking the savage beast, a large
piece of meat, containing a quantity of arsenic, was placed
near the spot where he had been seen. The flesh dis-
appeared, and the tiger was seen to be in great pain.
Two days afterwards, the people turned out in large
numbers and shot arrows at the suffering animal until he
fell dead.

Seeing that six hundred persons took part in the hunt,
the reward was divided among them, though many of the
people were more satisfied to know that the tiger was
dead than they would have been to receive the whole
reward,


A ROBIN’S NEST JN TUE MAST OF THE ‘‘ VICTORY,”
9
96 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

The Speed of the Mole

HEN a mole is out hunting it has to return home by
the same road,because, as a rule, it makes only one
track from its fortress.

Some years ago, a gentleman wanted to know how fast
the little animal could run, and this was the plan he
adopted to get his information.

He first of all found out the direction in which the
mole had made its highway, and also learned that it was
hunting at the distant end of the tunnel. He next
placed, at certain distances all along the line, pieces of
straw, pushing one end of each into the mole’s road and
fastening tiny paper flags to the other end. Then he
blew a horn close to the end of the tunnel.

The loud noise alarmed the mole, which ran off as fast
as it could to its home, showing its progress by knocking
down the flags as it passed the various straws. It was
calculated that the speed of the frightened creature was
equal to that of a horse at full trot.


NEW ANIMAL STORIES 97

Dogs disposing of Whips

HE following story was told by a lady :—

“Some twenty years ago, we had a poodle, white,
with one black ear. After the manner of his race, he was
never quite happy unless he carried something in his
mouth.

“He was very intelligent and teachable. He had,
however, one great fault: he was a thief. Anything he
could get hold of, he seemed to think, was his own.

“On one occasion, he entered the room of one of the
maid-servants and stole some cake, carefully shutting the
door after him with his feet, the latter part being a trick
I had taught him.

“The woman was as scared as if the dog had been an
evil spirit. The necessity of discipline on the one hand
and of occupation on the other, induced me one day to
enter a saddler’s shop, situated in a street about half a
mile from our house, and buy a whip.

“Shortly after my return home, the dog again stole
something, so I gave him a beating with the whip he had
carried home. Going for a walk the next day, the dog, as
usual, accompanied me, and was entrusted with the whip
to carry.

“Directly he got outside the door, he started off at his
best pace straight down the street, paying no attention
whatever to my repeated calls. He entered the saddler’s
shop and laid the whip on the floor. When I arrived, the
saddler showed me the whip lying exactly where the dog
had laid it.”

Another dog, whose master had been obliged to give
him a thorough good whipping for some offence, did not
forget what he had suffered. He trusted his master, but
he hated the sight of the whip. Soon after this, the
gentleman was about to go out, and intended to take the

7
98 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

dog with him. He was called back into the house a
moment, and put down his hat and gloves and whip on the
hall-table. The dog espied them, stole into the hall,
picked up the whip, and bolted off. Having hidden the
hateful thing in a safe place, he came racing back, and met
his master, quite prepared to enjoy the walk.

—+g34—

The Fire Beetle

A TRAVELLER says :—

“In my trunk, the other day, I found a small
bottle. In that bottle was a brown beetle about an inch
long. It was shaped like the half of a pea-nut, and had a
little yellow dot on each side of its head, behind its eyes.

“You have seen the fire-fly, that plays about meadows
and moist places on summer nights. The female fire-fly
is a kind of slug, which we call the glow-worm. Its light
is stronger than that of the male, which is the insect we
see flying in the air,

“This beetle that I found in the bottle was a very large
fire-fly, from the West Indies. It is called the fire-beetle.
It has a long Latin name, signifying that it shines by night.

“Some fire-flies have their lamps on the lower part of
the body, others under the wings; but the one I was now
looking at had his placed like the lamps of a coach. They
throw their light ahead so that their owner can see where
he is going.

“We wonder how they can give out this light, and why

. they are furnished with little lanterns, while other insects
must go about in the dark. This is something that their

‘ wise Maker has hidden from us.
“We know that the light of one attracts another, and
that is how the fire-fly in the air can find his mate, the
glow-worm in the grass. They may be kept as pets, and


























eT







Mi































































































































THE DOG TOOK THE WHIP, AND BOLTED OFF,
99
100 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

after a time they seem to know their owners. Their food
is the juice of the sugar-cane, which they will sip a little,
and then take a bath.

“When I saw this insect, I thought of the night when it
was caught. I was living with the Indians, five miles from
any other white man. It was very lonely by day, and
more so by night. Then I used to watch the fire-beetles
as they flew past. ;

“There were many of them, and they looked like little
stars. /An Indian boy caught this one and brought it to
me. He caught more than twenty, and let them loose in
my little hut. They lighted it up like lamps. With two
of them in a bottle, I could read a paper by their light.

“In the land where the fire-beetle is found, poor people
sometimes light their rooms with them, instead of with
candles. They live only a few months in summer, and
then die.

“In Cuba, the ladies often use them instead of gems.
They tie them up in little muslin bags and pin them on
their dresses, where they flash like diamonds, and of course
they cost nothing.

“T once met an Indian, at night, who had made a torch
of fire-flies by sticking a number of them on the end of a
cane with gum. This was a very cruel way of making a
torch, but it lighted his path for him when he held it near
the ground.”

. —— 3-1

An Active Squirrel

A FARMER in America stored a quantity of nuts in his
granary. His family used some of the nuts from
time to time, but they seemed to go much faster than the
farmer thought that they should do.
At length he discovered that a small red squirrel had
entered through a hole under the roof of the building, and
NEW ANIMAL STORIES IOI

was carrying off the nuts the farmer had gathered. Wish-
ing to find out how rapidly the squirrel worked, he removed

all the nuts but twenty. Six hours afterwards, he went
back, to find them all gone.

YING:
a
ANY KO
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The distance from the granary to the tree in which
the squirrel had its nest was exactly 280 yards. There-
fore every nut cost the little animal, there and back, a
journey of 560 yards, or about one-third of a mile.
102 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

A Noble Horse and Rade:

N one of the violent storms that often occur at the Cape

of Good Hope,-a vessel was driven on the rocks and

beaten to pieces. The greater part of the crew perished
miserably, as no boat could venture to their assistance.

Meanwhile, a planter came from his farm to see the
wreck, and knowing the spirit of his horse and that he was
a splendid swimmer, he determined to make a desperate
effort for their deliverance, and pushed into the thundering
breakers. At first both disappeared, but were soon seen
on the surface.

Nearing the wreck, he caused two of the poor seamen
to cling to his boots, and so brought them safely to the
shore. Seven times did he repeat this perilous feat, and
saved fourteen lives; but, alas! the eighth time, the horse
being worn-out, and meeting with a huge wave, the gallant
fellow lost his balance, and was carried under in a moment.
He was seen no more, but the noble horse reached the
land in safety.

i

Topsy, the Musical Cat

ANY stories have been told of the wonderful tricks
which cats have been taught to perform. Hereisa
true story which deserves a place in this book.

This cat’s name was Topsy, and her fur was snowy
white. While still quite a kitten, she was skipping about
one day, when she happened to alight on the keyboard of
the piano.

It must have been very puzzling to poor playful puss to
find a lot of sharp tinkling noises coming up from the
black-and-white things under her toes. Down she jumped
in a great fright. But the next day, or soon after, she






PUSS PATTED THE KEYS WITH HER PAWS.
108
104, NEW ANIMAL STORIES

slipped and banged the keys again, and out came the
same noises—no, not quite the same, but gruffer and
deeper, like thunder, for she had got on to the bass
notes,

Puss, no doubt, had a long “think” over this strange
adventure as she lay purring in front of the kitchen fire,
and she made up her mind that there was really nothing
to be frightened about—no more than when’ Carlo, the
big dog in the yard, barked at her when he was chained
up.

And, at last, puss got to make the noise on purpose, just

to amuse herself. She would sit up on the music-stool
and pat the keys sharply with her paws, and think this
musical fun was very good fun indeed.

—— 3-1

Carlo’s Cuteness

A FAMILY who lived in a town used to go to the sea-
side every summer. They were generally away for
several weeks, and, much to his disgust, their little dog
Carlo was left behind.

This did not suit Carlo, who began to whine and bark,
and show other signs of uneasiness, when he saw them
getting ready to go,

On one of these occasions Carlo was missing directly
after the packing began. The children ran about the
house and garden, calling him by name, and hunting
everywhere for him.

Even at meal-times he did not appear, and it was
feared that he had strayed away or been stolen. The
children, with whom he was a great favourite, were in
serious trouble,

The last article to be packed was a large leather bag,


NEW ANIMAL STORIES 105

which had been lying open in one corner of the room
until it was wanted.

When this was taken up, the missing dog was found
snugly curled up inside. Though he must have been very
hungry, and have heard his name called many times, he
had kept quite still. A family council was held, and all
agreed that Carlo had earned a right to go with them on
their holiday trip.

Every year after that, he tried to get into the bag when
the packing began, but he was never afterwards left
behind.

SS

A Fight with a Cheetah

NE day a cheetah suddenly appeared in an Indian
village. Her presence was made known to the
natives when she attacked a boy, who was passing near
her hiding-place. The boy’s cries raised an alarm, and a
number of persons ran to his assistance. Then the animal
left him, and wounded another person who tried to rescue
the boy.

The cheetah was then driven into a house, and the door
was closed and securely fastened. To prevent it from
escaping in the darkness, a large net was laid round the
house, and the people waited for daylight.

When morning came, the people carefully opened the
door from the outside, then the cheetah leaped out, and
broke through the net. In their attempts to secure her,
several of them were severely wounded, and she took
refuge in another house.

Unwilling to again face the infuriated animal, the people
took off a part of the roof, and, through the opening, they
succeeded in shooting their enemy.

During the fight ten persons were wounded, and some
of them so severely that two afterwards died.
106 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

The Monkey Gace Him

iN GENTLEMAN had a favourite monkey, a large
orang-outang, which was very much attached -both
to him and to his baby boy. One day a fire broke out in
the house, and everybody was running here and there to
put it out, while the little boy in his nursery was forgotten.
When they thought of him, the staircase was all in flames.

What could be done? As they were looking up and
wondering, a large hairy hand and arm opened the win-
dow. Presently the monkey appeared with the baby in
his arms. Carefully he climbed over the porch, and
brought the child safely to his nurse. Nobody else could
have done it, for a man cannot climb where a monkey can
safely go. i

An Intelligent Jay

GENTLEMAN caught a jay, and turned it loose in
his greenhouse. Then he fed it on Indian corn, of
which the bird was very fond.

The jay had, however, some difficulty in breaking the
hard grain. Often the corn would start from its beak and
fly across the building. This was not only very annoying,
but sometimes the grain fell in places where the bird could
not get it. ;

The jay looked about for a short time, and seemed to
be trying to find a plan to meet this difficulty. Then it
took the grain in its beak, and carried it to a corner of the
greenhouse where there was a shelf. Here the bird went
to work, for the grain could not fly out of his reach, as it
was shut in on all sides.

After that, the jay was never seen to eat the corn in
any place but in the corner which so well served its
purpose.












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A STRANGE RESCUER,
107
108 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

The Goose of the Guards

NCE, when a portion of the Coldstream Guards was on
service in Canada, a goose, that lived in a farmyard
near, was chased by a fox. The bird sought refuge in the
sentry-box, and the soldier came out and shot the fox.
Ever after that, the goose spent much of its time with
the sentry. It was quite at home in the box, and often
walked to and fro with the man on his beat. The soldiers
of the regiment were quite proud of the bird, which they
called Jack.
There was at that time a disturbance in Canada, and
a plot was made to surprise the sentry at his post. When



the rebels thought to approach the spot unobserved, the
quick ear of the goose detected their approach.

Jack at once flew in their faces and gave the alarm.
His friend the sentry called out the guard, and the enemy
was beaten off. In this way the goose paid back the
debt of gratitude that he owed the sentry.

When the regiment came back to England, they brought
ee them, and he lived in the barracks until his

eath,




NEW ANIMAL STORIES 109

A Hole in the Ice

NE day a Newfoundland dog fell through a hole in the
ice, and as the lake was only partly frozen over, he
could not get out again.

He managed to keep himself afloat, and, with his paws
on the edge of the ice, he tried to get out of the water.
Every time he sprang forward, the ice broke, and he fell
back again.

Some boys who were on the bank ran and told a man
who owned a boat, and he at once went to the dog’s
assistance. The boat was forced along through the thin
ice, and with some difficulty the dog was taken on board.

The noble animal was quite exhausted, and had to be
carried to a stable, where he was wrapped up in blankets
and taken care of till he recovered.

The dog showed his gratitude by putting out his
paw and stroking the man’s hand. He seemed to say,
“When you are in danger, I will save you.”

pe pe

T he Faithful Elephant

HILE a battle was raging in India, the man in charge
of an elephant was badly wounded and thrown to
the ground.

No one had time to help the injured man, and he was
in great danger of being trampled to death. He tried in
vain to rise to his feet, and each time he fell back with a
moan. The elephant tried to help him with his trunk,
and then finding that his keeper was not able to get up,
he gently raised the wounded man and twined his trunk
round the keeper’s body.

Some of the men stepped forward to take the keeper
from the elephant, as the animal was needed to drag one
tio NEW ANIMAL STORIES

of the guns, but the faithful creature would not allow
them to touch him.

Turning away, he made off with his charge, and did not
stop until he had placed the man in his tent. Then he
willingly returned to take part in the battle.

—+ 34

Saved by ae at

NE day a house was on fire, and the inmates ran hither

and thither to get water to put out the flames.

They were all so very busy that they forgot little Fred,
who was asleep in an upstairs room. As the room was at
some distance from the place where the fire began, the
boy was not awakened by the noise.

While he slept, a favourite cat found its way to his
room and sprang on to the bed.

“Mew, mew, mew,” cried puss. And as the boy did
not open his eyes, the cat struck Fred on the face and
made him hear. When he opened his eyes and smelt
the fire, which was by this time coming towards them, he
sprang out of bed, and ran down the stairs to a place of
safety. In this way the cat saved Fred from being
burned to death.

—1341-_

A Strange Fight

iN TRAVELLER in South Africa tells of a strange
fight that he once saw. He was out one morning
walking, with his eyes bent on the ground, when he
noticed a caterpillar crawling along at a rapid pace.
Following after him were hundreds of small ants.

Being quicker in their movements, the ants caught up
with the caterpillar, and first one and then another mounted
his back and bit him. Then stopping for a moment, the







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A TIMELY WARNING,
112 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

caterpillar turned his head, bit the ant, and killed some of
his tormentors. After slaughtering a dozen or more of
his enemies, the caterpillar showed signs of being tired.

Then the ants made a combined attack. Betaking
himself to a stalk of grass, the caterpillar climbed up, tail
first, followed by the ants. As one approached, he seized
it in his jaws and threw it off the stalk.

The ants, seeing that the caterpillar had too strong a
position for them to overcome, tried to dislodge him.
They began sawing through the grass stalk. In a few
minutes the stalk fell, and hundreds of ants pounced upon
the caterpillar. He was killed at once, and the victors
marched off in triumph, leaving the foe’s body on the
field.

A Strange Mouser

GENTLEMAN near Exeter once had a hen which

answered the purpose of a cat in destroying mice.

She was constantly seen watching close to a corn-rick,

and the moment a mouse appeared, she seized it in her
beak and carried it to a meadow near.

Then she would play with the mouse just as cats do,
letting it go again and again, and pouncing upon it
when it tried to make its escape. At length she killed it.

She often caught four or five mice a day in this
manner, and she always spent the greater part of the
time in looking for them.

+33

The Rat’s Deliverer

Q)RSE the river Tyne was so much swollen that it
overflowed its banks and did much damage in the
valley through which it flows to the North Sea. Build-
NEW ANIMAL STORIES 113

ings were washed down, and all kinds of articles were
carried away by the flood. Stacks of hay and corn, pieces
of furniture, and even animals out of the fields, were borne
along by the current.

A swan was seen sailing along for a considerable
distance, and the people on the bank noticed that a black
spot appeared on its snow-white feathers. As the bird
came nearer, everyone was astonished to see that the
black object was a live rat, which had taken refuge on the
back of the swan.

The spectators cheered both the wise quadruped
and the friendly biped as they both reached the land
in safety, and the rat ran off to find a new home.



8
114 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

Three Hundred Monkeys to Breakfast

ie Englishman, who lived for many years in India,
gives the following account of the way in which
his wife was welcomed to her new home by a party of
three hundred monkeys :—

“I was married in India, and engaged for our home a
house fourteen miles or so from any other dwelling of
white men.. On the morning of our arrival, my wife went
to change her travelling-dress, while the servants laid
breakfast on the verandah, overlooking the river. At the
clatter of the plates, there began to come down from the
big trees that overshadowed the house, and up the trees
that grew in the hollow behind it, from the house-roof
itself, from everywhere, a multitude of solemn monkeys.

“They came up singly and in couples and in families,
and took their place without noise or fuss on the
verandah, and sat there like an audience waiting for an
entertainment to commence. When everything was
ready, the breakfast all laid, the monkeys all seated, I
went in to call my wife.

““ Breakfast is ready, and they are all waiting,’ said I.

“*Who are waiting?’ she asked in dismay. ‘I thought
we were going to be alone, and I was just coming out in
my dressing-gown.’

“*Never mind,’ I said. ‘The people about here are
not very grandly dressed, They wear pretty much the
same things all the year round”

“And so my wife came out. Imagine, then, her sur-

rise.
i “In the middle of the verandah stood our breakfast-
table, and all the rest of the space, as well as the railings
and the steps, was covered with an immense company of
monkeys, as grave as possible. Only their eyes kept blink-
ing, and their little round ears kept twitching, Laughing









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116 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

heartily, at which the monkeys looked all the eee
wife sat down.

«Will they eat anything ?’ asked she.

“«Try them,’ I said.

“ She then picked up a biscuit and threw it among the
company.

“Three hundred monkeys jumped up in the air as one,
and just for one instant there was a riot that beat any-
thing I have seen. The next instant every monkey
was sitting in its place as solemn and serious as if it had
never moved. Only their eyes winked and their ears
twitched.

“ My wife threw them another biscuit, and again the riot,
and then another and another. But at length we had
given away all that we had to give, and got up to go.
The monkeys at once rose, every monkey on the
verandah, and advancing gravely to the steps, walked
down them in a solemn procession, old and young
together, and dispersed for the day.”

——— HB4——_

Only a Dog

DOG belonging to the Naples Fire Brigade, was such

a clever animal, and such a favourite with the men,

that its death called forth the following letter from the
colonel in command :—

“Tt may seem strange that I trouble you with these
lines on a subject that everyone will consider of no
importance—I mean the death of the little dog in our
barracks ; and while thanking you for what you published
concerning the dog, I will add that you have not heard
the hundredth part of the merits of the dear little
creature,
NEW ANIMAL STORIES 117

“She was a wonder, and, except the gift of speech,
possessed an intelligence superior to that of many human
beings. She had very great affection from all the
members of the brigade and love of the service ‘confided
to her, facing many dangers, and issuing from them with
wounds and burns,

“Tf you had seen what took place about 7 A.M. yester-
day in our barracks, when the death of the dog was
known, it is certain that you would have been touched, as
indeed we all of us were moved to tears, and we are two
hundred. The body of the little dog has been stuffed,
and will be a dear remembrance for all of us, but the void
left will not be easily filled up.”

———— 3-1

The Cow and the Snake

COW, in America, was grazing in a plantation, when
A it came across a black snake about five feet in
length.

The cow tried to kill the snake by trampling upon
it with its forefeet. But in this the quadruped was un-
successful.

Then it lowered its head, and tried to impale the
snake on its horns. This also proved unsuccessful,
for the snake coiled itself about the horns of the cow,
while the poor beast made frantic efforts to dislodge
it. Almost beside itself with fear, the cow ran wildly
hither and thither for several hours, the blood and foam
streaming from its mouth and side.

Those who went to the assistance of the cow could
not get near it in its excited condition. At length it
dropped on the ground from sheer exhaustion, and died
in a few moments. Then the snake was at once killed.
118 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

Clever Jack

Boa was only twelve years old, and she and Jack,

the Scotch terrier, had always been warm friends,
Recently they met with an experience which neither
of them is likely to forget, and which has elevated Jack
to an enviable position among his kind.

One day, when they were upstairs together, Belle
had occasion to enter a clothes-closet filled with shelves.
There was just enough room between the shelves and
the entrance for her to stand erect, and while she was
doing so, Jack, in a playful mood, stood on his hind-
legs, and with his forepaws on the door, closed it tight.

The closet opened from the outside only, and in
it, shut up closely, her cries silenced to the inmates
of the house, her danger known to no one but the
dog, Belle was left to die in all the horrors of suffo-
cation. But endowed with a reason almost human, though
denied the gift of speech, the intelligent animal, after
some vain efforts at assistance, trotted down the stairs
till he found the old family servant, when he en-
deavoured, by every possible means, to attract her attention
and induce her to follow him.

At first she thought him mad, but at last concluded
to see what he would do, and started upstairs after him,
Jack turning himself round and wagging his tail at
every step. Upon reaching the closet, his whinings
increased ; and when it was opened, Belle was found in
an unconscious condition.

In five minutes more she would have been dead,
although she had, with great presence of mind, managed
to turn around and apply her mouth to the keyhole.
Jack was overcome with joy at the rescue, and refused
to be parted from Belle for some days, lying at her
feet during meals, although he had néver before been
in the habit of entering the dining-room.




NEW ANIMAL STORIES 119



2

‘One at a time, please !’

PARROT was owned by an innkeeper. When trade
was brisk, and persons used to come streaming in

at the door, hungry and thirsty, and impatient to be
served, Polly, whose cage was hung up close by, used
to take a great interest in what was going on. She
noticed the more noisy customers, and the way they
rapped on the table, bidding the landlord “Hurry up!”
and she noticed also how her master’s answer was always
the same: “One at a time, gentlemen, one at a time,
please!” Before long she had got this sentence: by
120 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

heart, and when the noise of rapping and calling began,
she would answer from her cage before her master.
Then the angry customers would look up and shake
their knives and forks at her, and laugh and call her
a clever bird.

One day Polly got lost. She escaped from her
cage and wandered off into the fields, glad, perhaps,
to get the chance of exercising her wings.

When Polly, with her fine colours, made her appear-
ance in the leafy playground of our sober-coloured
English birds, she got well stared at. The sparrows
chattered, the chaffinches twittered, and at last an old
rook passing by in his black coat and waistcoat spied
her. He gave one or two indignant caws, and sailed
up tothe top of the big elm tree to tell his relations.
Out they all came, flying down to the field to see this
gaudy-coloured stranger.

Meanwhile, her owner had missed her, and having
traced her to the meadow, he came upon her just in the
nick of time. She was fairly being mobbed; and with
spread tail and angrily-open beak, was calling out at
the top of her voice, “One at a time, gentlemen, one at
a time, please!”

paneer eae

How the Dog saved the Hens

NE cold, frosty night the hens kept at a farmhouse were
not to be found at their usual time of going to roost.
Soon afterwards, the house-dog came into the
‘kitchen with a hen in his mouth. He laid it down
by the fire, and again went out and brought in another,
which he put by the side of the first; and this he con-
tinued till the whole of the fowls were brought in.




‘NEW ANIMAL STORIES oe

Benumbed by the cold, the poor birds were unable
to move; and the dog, seeing their condition, at once
proceeded to their rescue. But for this clever animal,
there is little doubt that the farmer would have lost
all his fowls,

— +31.

A Dog and his Bargain

Ieee was a mastiff about two years old. He was very
fond of eggs, and employed a plan of his own to
obtain a supply for himself.

One day he was seen carrying a hen in his mouth.
Crossing the yard, he placed the bird down in one corner
of his kennel and kept her there until she laid an egg.
Bob then devoured the dainty, and in return he allowed
the hen to help herself to the food placed in his dish.
The hen seemed to understand this exchange.

From that day she refused to lay anywhere but in
Bob’s kennel, and she was always ready to share his
meals. In this way Bob had as many eggs as he wanted,
for he had a hen all to himself.

A Strange Audience

GENTLEMAN, who spent a good deal of his time
alone in his bungalow in India, used often to amuse
himself by playing on his concertina.
One day, while thus amusing himself, he became
aware of a movement in the room, He also saw a
122 NEW ANIMAL STORIES

shadow on the wall near him. Taking it to be the
moving of a bough outside, which cast a shadow in his
direction, he paid no further heed to it for some time.

At length he noticed that the gentle swaying seemed
to keep time with the tune, when, on looking up, he saw,
instead of a shadow, the head of a snake peeping from a
hole in the wall.

But this animal was not the whole of his audience ;
there were five scorpions there on the wall, all of them
with their tails up, enjoying the music. When the play-
ing ceased, these six listeners all retired into their holes
in the wall. After this, whenever the gentleman played,
they all came out.

He could not find in his heart to kill the creatures
that were so fond of his music, and as they were quite
harmless, he allowed them to share his bungalow.

Spa

Two better than One

AC a gentleman’s place in the country the pheasants
were fed daily from a kind of box, the lid of which
tose with the weight of the bird standing on the rail in
front of the trough,

A water-hen seeing this, went and stood upon the rail
-as soon as a pheasant had left it; but its weight was not
enough to raise the lid so as to enable it to get at the
corn.

The bird kept jumping on the rail to give more power
to its weight. This little trick succeeded to a small
extent, and the hen managed to get a few grains. But
it seemed to know that more might be obtained if a
greater weight was used.

At length it went off, and returning with a bird of its


THE PHEASANT’S NEST,
123
124. NEW ANIMAL STORIES

own kind, the united weight of the two had the desired
effect, and the successful pair enjoyed the benefit of their
sharpness.

——f34——

A Tame Trout

GENTLEMAN had a pool in a stream which ran out
of his garden. In this pool there were some trout,
from which he got a good deal of amusement.

He used to feed them every day with worms and
crumbs, until they came to be very friendly with him.
They knew when he brought a visitor to see them, for at
those times the trout hid themselves under the large
stones at the bottom of the pool, and remained there until
the stranger had disappeared.

After : a time the trout also got on good terms with the
gardener, who used to bring them worms. They also
showed a liking for the maid, who always remembered
them when clearing the breakfast-table.

tI

The Woodcock carrying its Young

HE woodcock is a bird of the snipe family. It hasa

long bill, with which it can obtain food in out-of-the-

way corners. This bird’s bill may be said to be nose, eye,
tongue, and hand in one.

It is a very careful mother, and pays great attention to
the bringing-up of its family. It makes its nest on a nice
dry bank, where its young ones will be comfortable.

As soon as they are hatched, the mother-bird takes
NEW ANIMAL STORIES 125

them up one by one in her claws and flies with them
through the air. Then she sets them down by the side of
the marsh in the soft ground, where they can be easily fed.
In the same way they are carried back to the nest by the

careful mother.












































































































































































































































































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