 Section 0 of the Animal Storybook. This is a LibriVox recording. Our LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org, recording by Elsie Selwyn. The Animal Storybook, edited by Andrew Lang. To Master Frederick Longham. This year our book for Christmas varies, deals not with history nor fairies. I can't help thinking children you prefer a book which is not true. We leave these intellectual feasts to talk of fishes, birds, and beasts. These, though his aim is hardly steady, these are, I think, a theme for Freddie. Trout, though he is not up to fly, he soon will catch as well as I. So Freddie, take this artless rhyme and be a sportsman in your time. Preface. Children, who have read our fairy books, may have noticed that there are not so very many fairies in the stories after all. The most common characters are birds, beasts, and fishes who talk and act like Christians. The reason of this is that the first people who told the stories were not very clever, or if they were clever they had never been taught to read or write, or to distinguish between vegetable, animal, and mineral. They took it that all things were much of a muchness. They were not proud and held that beast and bird could talk like themselves, only of course in a different language. After offering, then, so many fairy books, though the stories are not all told yet, we now present you, in return for a coin or two, with a book about the friends of children and of fairies, the beasts. The stories are all true, more or less, but it is possible that Manchur Dumas or Manchur Theophil Garthier rather improved upon their tales. I own that I have my doubts about the bears and serpents in the tales by the bear and wogan. This gentleman's ancestors were famous Irish people. One of them held calm while his soldiers back when they were pursuing Charles II after a warchester fight. He had led a troop of horse from Dover to the Highlands, where he died of a wound after fighting for the king. The next wogan was a friend of Pope and Swift. He escaped from prison after a Preston fight in 1715 and later rescued Prince Charlie's mother from confinement in Austria and took her to marry King James. He next became governor of Don Quixote's province, La Mancha, in Spain, and was still alive in Marion 1752. Bear and wogan, descended from these heroes, saw no longer any king to fight for, so he went to America and fought bears. No doubt he was as brave as his ancestors, but whether all his stories of serpents are absolutely correct, I am not so certain. People have also been heard to express doubts about Mr. Waterton in the Cayman. The terrible tale of Mr. Gully and his deeds of war I know to be accurate, and the story of Oscar, the sentimental tyke, is believed infirmly by the lady who wrote it. As for the stories about Greek and Roman beasts, plenty who tells them is a most respectable author. On the whole, then, this is more or less of a true storybook. There ought to be a moral. If so, it probably is that we should be kind to all sorts of animals. And above all, knock trout on the head when they are caught, and don't let the poor things jump about till they die. A chapter of a very learned sort was written about the cleverness of beasts, proving that there must have been great inventive geniuses among beasts long ago, and that now they have rather got into a habit, which I think a very good one, of being content with the discoveries of their ancestors. This led naturally to some observations on instinct and reason, but there may be children who are glad that there was no room for this chapter. The longer stories from Monsieur Dumas were translated from The French by Miss Cheep. A rat tale is by Miss Evelyn Grieve, who knew the rats. Mr. Gully is by Miss Elsbeth Campbell, to whom Mr. Gully belonged. The dog of Montagos, more faithful than favoured in Androclees, are by Miss Eleanor Sellar. Snakes, bears, ants, wolves, monkeys, and some lions are by Miss Lang. Two Highland dogs is by Miss Goodrich Friar. Fido and Oscar and Patch are all by Miss A. M. Allian. Digijam is by His Master. The Star Lane of Segrigian and Grateful Dogs are by Mr. Bartels. Tom the Bear, the Frog, Jacko the Monkey, and Gazelle are found Dumas by Miss Blackley. All the rest are by Miss's Lang. End of Section Zero, Recording by Elsie Selwyn. Section One of The Animal Storybook, edited by Andrew Lang. This is a LibreBox recording. All LibreBox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibreBox.org. Recording by Matt Bishop. The Animal Storybook, edited by Andrew Lang. Tom, an adventure in the life of a bear in Paris, from Alexandre Dumas. Some sixty years ago and more, a well-known artist named Camps lived in Paris. He was the intimate friend of some of the first authors, artists, and scientific men of the day, and was devotedly fond of animals of all sorts. He loved to paint them, and he kept quite a small menagerie in his studio where a bear, a monkey, a tortoise, and a frog lived, more or less, in peace and harmony together. The bear's name was Tom. The monkey's name was Jacko the First. Side note, to distinguish him from Jacko the Second, a monkey belonging to Tony Jehanot, the painter. The frog was Mademoiselle Camargo, and the tortoise Gazelle. Here follows the story of Tom, the bear. It was the night of Shrove Tuesday in the year 1832. Tom had as of yet only spent six months in Paris, but he was really one of the most attractive bears you could wish to meet. He ran to open the door when the bell rang. He mounted guard for hours together, halberd in hand, standing on his high legs, and he danced a minuet with infinite grace, holding a broomstick behind his head. He had spent the whole day in exercise of these varied accomplishments, to the great delight of the frequenters of his master's studio, and had just retired to the press which did duty as his hutch to seek a little repose when there was a knock at the front door. Jacko instantly showed such shines of joy that the camps made a shrewd guess that the visitor could be no other than Fan, the self-elected tutor in chief to the two animals. Nor was he mistaken. The door opened. Fan appeared, dressed as a clown, and Jacko flung himself in rapture into his arms. Very good, very good, said Fan, placing the monkey on the table and handing him a cane. You're a real charming creature. Carry arms, present arms, make ready, fire, capital. I'll have a complete uniform made for you, and you shall mount guard instead of me. But I haven't come for you tonight. It's your friend Tom I want. Where may he be? Why, in his hutch, I suppose, said the camps. Tom, here, Tom, cried Fan. Tom gave a low growl just to show that he knew very well who they were talking of, but that he was in no hurry to show himself. Well, exclaimed Fan, is this how my orders are obeyed? Tom, my friend, don't force me to resort to extreme measures. Tom stretched one great paw beyond the cupboard without allowing any more of his person to be seen, and began to yawn plaintively like a child just wakened from its first sleep. Where is the broomstick, inquired Fan in threatening tones, and rattling the collection of Indian bows, arrows, and spears which stood behind the door? Ready, cried the camps, pointing to Tom, who, on hearing these well-known sounds, had roused himself with more adieu, and advanced towards his tutor with a perfectly innocent and unconscious air. That's right, said Fan. Now be a good fellow, particularly as one has come all this way on purpose to fetch you. Tom waved his head up and down. So, so now, shake hands with your friends. First rate, do you mean to take him with you? asked the camps. Rather, replied Fan, and give him a good time into the bargain. And where are you going? To the carnival mast ball, nothing less. Now then, Tom, my friend, come along. We've got a cab outside waiting by the hour. As though fully appreciating the force of this argument, Tom trundled down the stairs four steps at a time, followed by his friend. The driver opened the cab door, and Tom, under Fan's guidance, stepped in as if he had done nothing else all his life. My eye! That's a queer sort of fancy dress, said Cabbie. Anyone might take him for a real bear. Where too, gentlemen? Odeon Theatre, said Fan. Ron observed Tom. All right, said the cab man. Keep your temper. It's a good step from here. But we shall get there all in good time. Half an hour later, the cab drew up at the door of the theatre. Fan got down first, paid the driver, handed out Tom, took two tickets, and passed in without exciting any special attention. At the second turn, they made round the crush room. People began to follow Fan. The perfection with which the newcomer imitated the walk and movements of the animal whose skin he wore attracted the notice of some lovers of natural history. They pressed closer and closer, and anxious to find out whether he was equally clever in imitating the bear's voice. They began to pull his hairs and prick his ears. Ron, said Tom. A murmur of admiration ran through the crowd. Nothing could be more lifelike. Fan led Tom to the buffet and offered him some little cakes, to which he was very partial, and which he proceeded to swallow was so admirable a pretense of veracity that the bystanders burst out laughings. Then the mentor poured out a tumbler of full of water, which Tom took gingerly between his paws, as he was accustomed to do whenever the camps did him the honour of permitting him to appear at the table and gulp down the contents at one draught. Enthusiasm knew no bounds. Indeed, such was the delight and interest shown that when at length Fan wished to leave the buffet, he found they were hemmed in so dense a crowd that he felt nervous lest Tom should think of clearing the road with claws and teeth. So he promptly led his bear to a corner, placed him with his back against the wall, and told him to stay there till further orders. As has been already mentioned, this drill was quite familiar to Tom, and he was well suited to his natural indolence, and when a Harlequin offered his hat to complete the picture, he settled himself comfortably, gravely laying one great paw on his wooden gun. Do you happen to know, said Fan to the obliging Harlequin, who you have lent your hat to? No, replied Harlequin. You mean to say you don't guess? Not in the least. Come, take a good look at him. From the grace of all his movements, from the manner in which he carries his head, slightly on one side, like Alexander the Great, from the admirable imitations of the bear's voice, you don't mean to say you don't recognize him? Upon my word I don't. Audrey. Side note, a well-known actor of the time. Whispered Fan mysteriously, Audrey in his costume from the bear and the pacha. Oh, but he acts a white bear, you know? Just so. That's why he has chosen a brown bear's skin as a disguise. Ho, ho! You're a good one, cried Harlequin. Gron, observed Tom. Well, now you mention it. I do recognize his voice. Only I wonder it had not struck me before. Do ask him to disguise it better. Yes, yes, said Fran, moving towards the ballroom. But it will never do to worry him. However, I'll try to persuade him to dance a minuet presently. Oh, could you really? He promised to do so. Just give a hint to your friends and try to prevent their teasing him. All right. Gron weighed his way through the crowd whilst the disguised Harlequin moved from one mask to another, telling his news with warnings to be discreet, which were well received. Just then, too, the sounds of lively gallop were heard, and a general rush to the ballroom took place, Harlequin only pausing to murmur in Tom's ear. I know you, my fine mask. Ron, replied Tom. Ah, it's all very well to growl, but you'll dance a minuet, won't you, old fellow? Tom waved his head up and down as his way was when anyone asked him a question, and Harlequin, sad aside with a silent consent, ran off to find Columbine and to dance the gallop. Meanwhile, Tom remained alone with the waiters, motionless at his posts, but with longing eyes turned towards the counter on which the most tempting piles of cake were heaped on numerous dishes. The waiters, remarking that his rapt attention and pleas to tempt a customer, stretched out a dish. Tom extended his paw and gingerly took a cake. Then a second, then a third. The waiters seemed never tired of offering or Tom of accepting these delicacies, and so, when the gallop ended and the dancers returned to the crush room, he had made short work of some dozens of little cakes. Harlequin had recruited a Columbine and a Sheppardess, and he introduced these ladies as partners of the promised minuet. With all the air of an old friend, he whispered a few words to Tom, who, in the best humors after so many cakes, replied with the most gracious growl. The Harlequin, turning towards the gallery, announced that his lordship had much pleasure in complying with the universal request, and amidst loud applause the Sheppardess took one of Tom's paws and the Columbine the other. Tom, for his part, like an accomplished cavalier, walked between his two partners, glancing at them by turns with looks of some surprise, and soon found himself with them in the middle of the pit of the theater which was used as a ballroom. All took their places, some in the boxes, others in the galleries, the greater number forming a circle around the dancers. The band struck up. The minuet was Tom's greatest triumph and fans' masterpiece, and with the very first steps success was assured and went on increasing with each movement to let the last figure the applause became delirious. Tom was swept off in triumph to the stage with where the Sheppardess, removing her wreath of roses, crowned him with it, whilst the whole theater resounded with the applause of the spectators. Tom lent over the front of the box with a grace all his own. At the same time the strains of a fresh dance were heard, and everyone hurried to secure partners except a few courtiers of the new star who hovered round in hope of extracting an order for the play from him. But Tom only replied to their broadest hints with his perpetual groan. By degrees this became rather monotonous, and gradually Tom's court dwindled away, people murmuring that, though his dancing prowess were certainly unrivaled, his conversation was trifle and insipid, and an hour later Tom was alone, so fleeting his public favor. And now the hour of departure drew near. The pit was thinning and the boxes empty, and pale rays of morning light were glinting into the hall when the box opener, who was going her rounds, heard sounds of snoring proceeding from one of the stage boxes. She opened the door, and there was Tom, who, tired out after his eventful night, had fallen fast asleep on the floor. The box opener stepped in and politely hinted that it was six o'clock in time to go home. Ron, said Tom, I hear you, said the box opener. You're asleep, my good man, but you'll sleep better still in your own bed. Come, come, your wife must be getting quite anxious. Upon my word I don't believe he hears a word I say. How heavily he sleeps, and she shook him by the shoulder. Ron! All right, all right, this isn't a time to make believe. Besides, we all know you. There now, they're putting out the lights. Shall I send a cab for you? Ron! Come, come, the Odeon Theatre isn't an inn. Come, be off! Oh, that's what you're after, is it? Fye, Monsour Audrey. Fye, I shall call the guard. The inspector hasn't gone to bed yet. Ah, indeed, you won't obey the rules? You are trying to beat me, are you? You would beat a woman, and a former artiste to M. Audrey, would you? For shame, but we shall see. Here, help, police inspector, help. What's the matter? cried the fireman on duty. Help! screamed the box opener. Help! What's the matter? asked the sergeant commanding the patrol. Oh, it's old mother, what's her name? shrieking for help in one of the stage boxes. Come in, shouted the sergeant. This way, Mr. Sergeant, this way, cried the box opener. All right, my dear, here I am. But where are you? Don't be afraid, there are no steps. Straight on this way, he's in the corner. Oh, the rascal, he's as strong as a Turk. Ron, said Tom. There, do you hear him? Is that to be called a Christian language? Come, come, my friend, said the sergeant, who had at last managed to distinguish Tom in the faint twilight. We all know what it is to be young. No one likes a joke better than I do, but rules are rules, and our foregoing home has struck. So write about face, march, and quick step, too. Ron. Very pretty. A first-rate imitation. But suppose we try something else now for a change? Come, old fellow, step out with good will. Ah, you won't. You're going to cut up rough, are you? Hear, my man, lay hold and turn him out. He won't walk, sergeant. Well, what are the buttons of your muskets for? Come, a tap or two will do no harm. Ron. Ron. Go on, give it to him well. I say, sergeant, said one of the men, it strikes me he's a real bear. I caught hold of him by the collar just now, and the skin seems to grow on the flesh. Oh, if he's a real bear, treat him with every consideration. His owner might claim damages. Go and fetch the fireman's lantern. Ron. Here's the lantern, said a man. Now then, throw some light on the prisoner. The soldiers obeyed. It is certainly a real snout, declared the sergeant. Goodness gracious me, shrieked the box opener as she took to her heels. A real live bear? Well, yes, a real live bear. Let's see if he has any name or address on him and take him home. I expect he is strayed, and being of a social disposition came into the mast ball. Ron. There you see he agrees. Hollow explained one of the soldiers. What's the matter? He has a little bag hung round his neck. Open the bag. A card. Read the card. The soldier took it and read. My name is Tom. I live at number 109 Rufoburg, St. Denis. I have five francs in my purse, two for a cab, and three for whoever takes me home. True enough, there are five francs, cried the sergeant. Now then, two volunteers for escort duty. Here, cried the guard in chorus. Don't all speak at once. Let the two seniors have the benefit of the job. Off with you, my lads. Two of the municipal guards advanced towards Tom. Slipped a rope round his neck and, for pre-cost and sake, gave it a twist or two round this note. Tom offered no resistance. The buttons of the muskets had made him as supple as a glove. When they were fifty yards from the theater, said one of the soldiers, it is a fine morning. Suppose we don't take a cab. The walk will do him good. Besides, remarked the other, we should each have two and a half francs instead of only one and a half. Agreed. Later they stood at the door of 109. After some knocking, a very sleepy fortress looked out. Look here, mother wide awake, said one of the guard. Here's one of your lodgers. Do you recognize him? Why, I should rather think so. It's Monserot camp's bear. The same day, Audrey the actor received a bill for little cakes, a mounting to seven francs and a half. End of section one of the Animal Storybook. Section two, the Animal Storybook, edited by Andrew Lang. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information nor to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Matt Bishop. Psy the Panther from Loudon's Magazine of Natural History. About seventy or eighty years ago, two little panthers were deserted by their mother in one of the forests of Ashanti. They were too young to get food for themselves and would probably have died had they not been found by a passing traveler and by him taken to the palace as a present to the king. Here they lived and played happily for several weeks when one day the elder and larger whose name was Psy gave his brother in fun such a dreadful squeeze without meaning it he suffocated him. This frightened the king who did not care to keep such a powerful pet about him and he gave him a way to Mr. Hutchinson an English gentleman who was a sort of governor for the English traders settled in that part of Africa. Mr. Hutchinson and Psy took a great fancy to each other and spent a great deal of time together and when a few months later Mr. Hutchinson returned to Cape Coast with Psy with him. The two friends always had dinner at the same time Psy sitting at his master's side and eating quietly whatever was given him. In general he was quite content with his portion but once or twice when he was hungrier than usual he managed to steal a foul out of the dish for the sake of his manners the foul was always taken from him although he was invariably given some other food to satisfy his hunger. At first the inhabitants of the castle and the children were much afraid of him but he soon became very tame and his teeth and claws were filed so that he could not hurt anyone even in play. When he got a little accustomed to the place he was allowed to go where he liked within the castle grounds and a boy was told off to look after him. Sometimes the boy would go to sleep when he ought to have been watching his charge and then Psy knew perfectly well that this was not at all right. Would steal quietly away and amuse himself till he thought his keeper would be awake again. One day when he returned from his wanderings he found the boy, as usual comfortably curled up in a cool corner of the doorstep sound asleep Psy looked at him for a moment and then thinking that it was full time for him to be taught his duty he gave him one pat on his head which sent the boy over like a nine pin and gave him good fright though it did not harm him any. Psy was very popular with everybody but he had his own favorites whom he could not bear to let out of his sight when his master went out he would station himself at the drawing room window where he could watch all that was going on and catch the first sight of his returning friend being by this time nearly grown up Psy's great body took up all the space to the great disgust of the children who could see nothing they tried to make him move first by coaxing and then by threats but as Psy did not pay the smallest attention to either one or the other they at last all took hold of his tail and pulled so hard that he was forced to move strange to say the black people were a great deal more afraid of Psy than any of the white ones and one of his pranks nearly caused the death of an old woman who was at the object of it it was her business to sweep out and keep clean the great hall of the castle and one morning she was crouching down on all fours with a short broom in her hand thinking of nothing but how to get the dust out of the floor when Psy who had hidden himself under a sofa and was biding his time suddenly sprang on to her back when he stood triumphantly the old woman believed her last hour had come and the other servants all ran away shrieking lest it should be their turn next Psy would not budge from his position till the governor who had been alarmed by the terrible noise came to see what was the matter and soon made master Psy behave himself at this time it was settled that Psy was to travel to England under the care of one of his Cape Coast friends and to be presented to the Duchess of York who was very fond of animals in those days of course journeys took much longer than they do now and there were other dangers than any which might arise from storms and tempest while the strong cage of wood and iron was being built which was to form Psy's house on the way to England his lady keeper thought it would be a good opportunity to make friends with him and used to spend part of every day talking to him and playing with him for this as everyone knows is the only way to gain affection of bird or beast it was very easy to love Psy he was so gentle and caressing especially with children and he was very handsome besides his silky yellow coat with black spots which as the French say does not spoil anything many creatures and many men might have made a great fuss of being shut into a cage instead of being allowed to walk about in their own house and grounds but everyone has always been kind to Psy so he took for granted it was all right and made himself as comfortable as he could and was quite prepared to submit to anything disagreeable that he thought reasonable but it fairly nearly happened that poor Psy had no voyage at all for while he was being hauled from the canoe which had brought him from the shore into the ship the men were so afraid that they had let his cage fall into the sea and if the sailors from the vessel had not been very quick in lowering the boat it would have been too late to save him as it was for many days he would not look up or eat or speak and his friend was quite unhappy about him although the same symptoms have sometimes been shown by human beings who have only been on the sea instead of in it at last he was roused from his sad condition by hearing the lady's voice he raised his head and cocked his ears first a little then more and when she came up to the cage he rolled over and over with the light and howled and cried and tried to reach her when he got a little calmer she told him to put his paws through the bars and shake hands and from that moment Psy was himself again now it was a very strange taste on a part of a panther who lived and died in the heart of African forests but Psy loved nothing so much as lavender water which white people use a great deal in hot countries if anyone took out a handkerchief which had been sprinkled with lavender water Psy would instantly snatch it away and in his delight would handle it so roughly that it was soon torn to atoms his friend in charge knew of this odd fancy and on the voyage she amused herself regularly twice a week with making a little cup of paper which she filled with the scent and passed through the bars taking care never to give to him till he had drawn back his claws into their sheaths directly he got hold of the cup Psy would roll over and over it and would pay no attention to anyone as long as the smell lasted it almost seemed as if he liked it better than his food for some reason or other nearly two months in the river Gaboon and Psy might have been allowed to leave his cage if he had not been an animal of such very strong prejudices black people he could not endure and of course they came daily in swarms with food for the ship pigs too he hated and they ran constantly past his cage while as for an orangutan monkey about three foot high which a black trader once tried to sell Psy showed such mad symptoms at the very sight of it that the poor beast rushed in terror to the other end of the vessel knocking down everything that came in its way if the monkey took some time to recover from his fright it was very long before Psy could forget the shock he had received day and night he watched and listened and sometimes when he fancied his enemy was near he would give a low growl to his tail yet as far as we know he had never from his baby killed anything but when at last the winds were favorable and the ship set sail for the open sea other adventures were in store for the passengers pirates infested the coast of Africa in those days and they came on board and carried off everything of value including the stores of provisions the only things they did not think were through moving were the parrots of which three hundred have been brought by the sailors and as these birds could not stand the cold and died off fast as the ship steered north Psy was allowed one a day which just managed to keep him alive still there is very little nourishment to be got out of a parrot especially when you eat it with the feathers on and Psy soon became very ill and did not care even for parrots his keeper felt his nose and found it dry and feverish so she begged that she might take him out of this cage and doctor him herself a little while before Psy would have been enchanted to be free but now he was too ill to enjoy anything and he just stretched himself out on a deck with his head on his mistress' feet luckily she had some fever medicine with her good for panthers as well as men and women and she made up three large pills which she hoped might cure Psy of course it was not to be expected that he would take them of his own free will so she got the boy who looked after him to hold open his mouth while she pushed down the pills then he was put back into his cage the boy insisting on going with him and both slept comfortably together in a few days with the help of better food than he had been having well and on his arrival in England won the admiration of the Duchess of York his new mistress by his beauty and gentle ways and his country house was not quite ready for him he was left for a few weeks with a man who understood animals and seemed content and happy and was allowed to walk about as he liked here the Duchess of York used constantly to visit him and play with him even going to see him the very day before he and she were to move into the country he was in excellent spirits and appeared perfectly well but he must somehow have taken a chill for when on the following day the Duchess's coachman came to fetch him he found poor Psy had died after a few hours illness from inflammation of the lungs after all he is not so much to be pitied he had a very happy life with plenty of fun and plenty of kindness and he had a very rapid and painless death end of section 2 section 3 of the animal storybook this is a LibriVox recording or LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Elaine Conway England the animal storybook by Andrew Lang chapter 3 the buzzard and the priest by William Bingley Bingley's animal biography about 140 years ago a French priest received present of a large brown and grey bird which had been taken in a snare intended for some other creature and was very wild and savage the man who brought it was quite ignorant what kind of bird it was but the priest knew it to be the common buzzard and made up his mind to try to tame it he began by keeping it shut up and allowing it to take no food except out of his hand and after about 6 weeks of this treatment it grew much quieter and had learnt to know its master the priest then thought it would be safe to give the buzzard a little more freedom and after carefully trying its wings it could not fly away he turned it out into the garden of course it was highly delighted to find itself in the sun once more and hopped about with joy and the time passed quickly till it began to get hungry when it was glad to hear its master calling it come into dinner indeed the bird always seemed so fond of the priest that in a few days he thought he might leave it quite free so he unfastened its wings and left him loose merely hanging a label with his own name round its neck and putting a little bell round its leg but what was the poor man's disgust to see the buzzard instantly spread out its great wings and make for the neighbouring forest deft all his calls he naturally expected that in spite of his trouble and proportions the bird had flown away forever and sat sadly down to prepare his next day's sermon now sermons are things that take up a great deal of attention and he had almost forgotten his lost favourite when he was startled by a tremendous noise in the hall outside his study and not an opening the door to see what was the matter he saw his buzzard rushing about quality by five others who were so jealous of its copper plate and bow that they had tried to peck at them off and the poor thing had flown as fast as it could to its master's house where it knew it was safe after this it took care not to wander too far from home and came back every night to sleep on the priest's windowsill soon it grew bolder still and would sit on the corner of the table when he was at dinner and now and then would rub his head against his shoulder uttering a low cry of affection and pleasure sometimes it would even do more and follow him for several miles to be riding but the buzzard was not the only pet the priest had to look after there were ducks and chickens and dogs and four large cats ducks and chickens it did not mind at least those that belonged to the house and it would even take its bath at the same time with the ducklings and never trod upon them when it got in its way or got across and pecked them but the little ones who had left their mother's wings to take a peep at the world the buzzard would instantly fly to their help and never once was beaten in the battle Puriously enough however it seemed to think it might do as it liked with the fowls and ducks that belonged to other people and so many were the complaints of cocks and hens slain and killed that the priest was obliged to let it be known that he would pay for all such damage in order to save his favourites life as to dogs and cats it always got the better of them in any experiment which it amused the priest to make one day he threw a piece of raw meat into the garden where the cats were collected to be scrambled for a young and active pussy instantly seized it and ran away with her prize worth all the other cats after her but quick as she was the buzzard who had been watching her movements from the bow of a tree was quick as still down it pounced on her back squeezed her sides with its claws and bit her ear so sharply that she was forced to let go in one moment another cat had picked the morsel up in its teeth but it did not hold it long the process that had answered for one cat would answer a second as the buzzard very well knew Dan he swooped again and even when the whole four cats who saw in him a common enemy tacked the word at once they proved no match for him and in the end they were clever enough to find that out it is not easy to know what buzzards in general think about things but this one hated scholars as much as any bull whenever he saw a red cap on any of the pheasant's heads he would hide himself among the thick bars overhanging the road where the man had to pass and would nip it off so softly that the pheasant never felt his loss he would even manage to take off the wigs which everyone wore then and that was clever as still and off he would carry both wigs and caps to a tall tree in a park nearby and hang them all over it like a new kind of fruit as may be imagined a bird so bold made many enemies and was often shot at by the keepers but for a long time it appeared to bear a charmed life and nothing did it any harm however one unlucky day a keeper who was going his rounds in the forest and who did not know what a strange and clever bird this buzzard was saw him on the back of a fox which he had attacked for wonder something better to do and fired two shots at them one shot killed the fox the other broke the wing of the buzzard but he managed to fly out of the keeper and hit himself meanwhile the tinkling of the bell made the keeper guess that it must be the priest's pet of which he had so often hurt and being anxious to do what he could to repair the damage he had done he at once told the priest what had happened the priest went out directly to the forest and gave his usual whistle but neither on that evening nor on several others was there any reply at last on the seventh night he had a low answer and on searching narrowly all through the wood the priest found the poor buzzard which had hopped nearly two miles towards its old home dragging its broken wing after it the bird was very thin it was enchanted to see his old master who carried him home and nursed him for six weeks when he got quite well and was able to fly about as boldly as ever End of Section 3 Section 4 of the Animal Storybook This is a LibriVox recording All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org The Animal Storybook Edited by Andrew Lang Cowper and His Heirs by William Bingley No one was funder of animals or kinder to them than Cowper the Poet who lived towards the end of the last century but of all creatures he loved Heirs best perhaps because he, like them was timid and easily frightened He has left a very interesting account of three Heirs that were given to him when he was living in the country in the year 1774 and as far as possible the poet shall tell his own story of the friendship between himself and his pets Puss, Tiny and Bess Cowper was not at all a strong man and suffered terribly from fits of low spirits and at these times he could not read and dislike the company of people who teased him by giving him advice or asking him questions It was during one of these seasons of solitude and melancholy that he noticed a poor little hare belonging to the children of one of his neighbors who, without meaning really to be unkind had worried the little thing almost to death soon they got tired even of playing with it and the poor hare was in danger of being starved to death when their father, whose heart was more tender than theirs, proposed that it should be given to their neighbor Mr. Cowper Now Cowper, besides feeling pity for the poor little creature, felt that he should like to teach and train it and as just then he was too unhappy to care for his usual occupations he gladly accepted the present The very short time Puss was given two companions, tiny and best and could have dozens more if Cowper had wanted them, for the villagers offered to catch him enough to have filled the whole countryside if he would only give the order. However Cowper decided that three would be ample for his purposes and as he wished them to learn nice clean habits he began with his own hands to build them a house The house contained a large hall and three bedrooms each with a separate bed and it was astonishing how soon every hare knew its own bedroom how careful he was, for in spite of their names they were all males never to go into those of his friends Very soon all three made themselves much at home in their comfortable quarters and Puss the first comer would jump on his master's lap and standing up on his hind legs would bite the hare on his temples. He enjoyed being carried about like a baby and would even go to sleep and Cowper's arms which is a very strange thing for a hare to do. Once Puss got ill and then the poet took care to keep him apart from the other two, for animals have a horror of their sick companions and are generally very unkind to them so he nursed Puss himself and gave him all sorts of herbs and grasses as medicine and at last Puss began to get better and took notice of what was going on around him. When he was strong enough to take his first little walk his pleasure knew no bounds and in token of his gratitude he licked his master's hand first back then front and then between every finger. As soon as he felt himself quite strong again he went every now and then eating a leaf or two by way of luncheon. If the poet was ever later than usual in leaving the house Puss would down on his knees and look up into his eyes with a pleading expression or if these means failed he would seize his master's coat between his teeth and pull as hard as he could towards the window. Puss was perhaps the pleasant test of all the hairs, but Bess, who died young, was the cleverest and most amusing. He had his little tempers, not feeling very well he was glad to be petted and made much of, but no sooner had he recovered than he resented any little attentions and would growl and run away or even bite if you tended to touch him. It was impossible really to tame tiny, but there was something so serious and solemn in all he did that it made you laugh even to watch him. Bess, the third, was very different from the other two. He did not need taming for he was tamed from the beginning as it never entered into his head that anyone could be unkind to him. In many things he had the same tastes as his friends. All three loved lettuces, dandelions and oats, and every night little dishes were placed in their bedrooms in case they might feel hungry. One day their master was clearing out a bird cage while his three hairs were sitting by and he placed on the floor a pot containing some white sand such as birds use instead of a carpet. The moment they saw the sand they made a rush for it and ate it up greedily. Kalpa took the hint and always saw after that that sand was placed where the hairs could get at it. After supper they all spent the evenings in the parlour and would tumble over together and jump over each other's backs and see which could spring the furthest just like a set of kittens but the cleverest of them all was Bess and he was also the strongest. Poor Bess he was the first to die soon after he was grown up and Tiny and Puss had to get on as best they could without him which was not half as much as fun. There was no one now to invent queer games or to keep the cat in order when it tried to take liberties and no one too to prevent Tiny from bullying Puss as he was rather fond of doing. Tiny lived to be nine quite a respectable age for a hair and died at last from the effects of a fall. Puss went on for another three years and showed no signs of decay except that he was a little less playful which was only to be expected. His last act was to make friends with a dog called Marquis to whom he was introduced by his master and though the Spaniard could not take the place of Puss's early companions he was better than nobody and the two got on quite happily together till the sad day March 9, 1796 when Puss stretched himself at his master's feet and died peacefully and without pain aged eleven years and eleven months. End of section four section five of the Animal Storybook this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Rebecca Zimmerman the Animal Storybook edited by Andrew Lang chapter five A Rat Tale by Miss Evelyn Grieve Huggy was an old rat when he died very old indeed was born in the middle of a corn rick and there he might have lived his little life had not the farmer who owned the rick caused it to be pulled down that was Huggy's first experience of flitting and it was done in such a hurry that he hardly had time to be sorry it was pitch dark when his mother shook him up roughly and told him that he had to come along or else he would be killed by the farmer and poor Huggy blinking his sleepy eyes struggled out of his snug little bed into the cold black night several old rats met him at the entrance and sternly bade him stay where he was and make no noise for the leader was about to speak Huggy was wide awake by this time the rat's spirit of adventure was roused within him by the scent of coming danger and eagerly he listened to the shrill clear voice of the leader friends old and young this is not a time for many words but I want you all to know the cause of this sudden disturbance last night I was scavenging around the farmer's kitchen seeking what I might devour when in came the stable boy tapping an empty corn sieve which he had in his hand he said a few words to the farmer who rose hastily and together they left the kitchen eye following at a convenient distance they went straight to the stable and talked for some time with their backs to the corn bin which was standing open in the window after a while I managed to scramble up to it only to confirm what I dreaded most the corn bin was empty tomorrow they will pull down this rick thresh the corn and replenish the empty bin so my friends unless we mean to die by dog stick or fork we had better be off as soon as it is daylight there was a shuffle of feet all around and a general rush of anxious mothers into the rick to fetch out their young Huggy was waiting at the entrance so as soon as he caught sight of his mother he raced off with her to join the fast assembling crowd at the back of the rick the leader ranged them in lines of ten abreast and after walking up and down to see that all were in their places he gave his shrill squeak and the column started they marched steadily for about two miles slowly of course because of the young ones nothing proved to be an obstacle to them sometimes a high wall crossed their path but they merely ran up one side and down the other as if it were a level road sometimes it was a broad river which confronted them but they swam without hesitation rats will not stop at such trifles at length they came to a field where a man with a pair of horses was plowing his coat in which his dinner was wrapped lay on the wall some distance from him seeing such a number of rats he left his horses and ran for his life and head behind a knoll to the proceedings without himself being seen to his great disgust he saw the creatures first crowd round his coat then run over it and finally eat out of his pocket the bread and cheese his wife had provided for his dinner that was a stroke of luck for the rats they had not counted on so early a breakfast so it was with light some hearts that they performed the rest of their journey Huggie was very glad when it was over he had never been so far in his life he was only three weeks old their new home proved to be a cellar which communicated on one side with sundry pipes running straight to the kitchen and on the other with a large ventilator opening to the outside air a paradise for rats and as to the inhabitants of the house we shall see it was early in the afternoon when they arrived so they had plenty of time to settle down before night Huggie having selected his corner left his mother to make it comfortable for him and scampered off for a poke around as he called it first he went to the kitchen peeped up through a hole in the floor and seeing no one about cautiously crept out and sniffed into all the cupboards as he was emerging from the last he beheld a sight which made his little heart turn sick there in a corner which Huggie had not noticed before a huge dog half asleep and so great was Huggie's fright that he squeaked very faint indeed yet loud enough to set master dog upon his feet next minute they were both tearing across the kitchen Huggie was a wee bit in front but so little he could feel the dog's hot breath behind him there was the hole bump, scrabble, scrabble Huggie was safe, safe, yes but oh so frightened and what made him smart so dreadfully why his tail was gone bitten off by the dog oh Huggie my poor little rat if it had not been for that foolish little squeak of fright you might have been as other rats are but now Huggie almost squeaked again it was so very sad and painful slowly he crept back to the cellar where he had to endure the jeers of his young companions and the good advice of his elders it was some weeks before Huggie fully recovered himself and more weeks still before he could screw up his courage to appear among his companions as the tailless rat but at long and at last he did crawl out and because he looked so shy and frightened the other rats were merciful and let him alone the old rat too, the leader took a great fancy to him and used to allow Huggie to accompany him on his various exploits he had heard a great privilege among the older rats and Huggie was very proud of it one night he and the leader were out together when their walk happened to take them as it generally did round by the pantry as a matter of course they went in and had a good meal off a loaf which the careless table maid had left standing on the shelf besides the loaf was a box of matches and Huggie could not be happy till he found out what was inside first he gnawed the box a little then he dragged it up and down then he gnawed it a little more and finding it was not very good to eat he began to play with it suddenly without any warning there was a splutter and a flare Huggie and the leader were outside in a twinkling leaving the pantry in a blaze luckily no great damage was done for the flames were seen and put out in time so little by little Huggie was let on he invaded his mother plead with him to be careful he was a big brat now and could look after himself he said the following week the leader organized a party to invade the hen house of course Huggie was among the number chosen it required no little skill to creep noiselessly up the broken ladder visiting the various nests ranged along each side of the walls for laying hens are very nervous ladies and if startled make enough noise to waken it town but the leader had selected his party well and not a sound was made till the proper time came once at the ladder each rat took it in turn to slip in behind the hen and gently roll one egg at a time from under her the poor birds rarely resisted experience had taught them long sense the futility of such conduct it was the young and ignorant fowls who gave all the trouble they fluttered about in a fright and disturbed the whole house but the rats knew pretty well which to go to when they had collected about a dozen eggs the next move was to take them safely down the ladder into the cellar this was very soon done Huggie lay down on his back nestled an egg cosily between himself and his two front paws a feather was put through his mouth by which means a rat on either side dragged him along Huggie found it rather rough on his back going down the ladder but with a good supper and view he could bear most things the eggs having been brought thus around the rats dragged them in the same way slowly and carefully down to the cellar so time went on night after night parties of rats went out and each morning they returned with tales of adventure and cunning all more or less daring but the leader was getting old Huggie had noticed for some time how grey and feeble he was becoming nor was he much surprised when one day the leader told him that he Huggie would have to take his place as leader of the rats two days after this the old rat died leaving Huggie to succeed him and a fine lot of scrapes did that rat and his followers get into the larder was their favourite haunt where joints of meat were hung on hooks quite out of reach of them old rats as a cook said but Huggie thought differently and in a trice ten large rats had run up the wall and down the hook leaving the meat as fast as they could but there was one hook in the centre of the ceiling which Huggie could not reach from this hook a nice fat duck was suspended by a string if only I could get on that hook I should gnaw the string and the duck would fall and Huggie got no further an idea had come to him which he communicated quickly with the others the plan seemed to be appreciated for they all ran to an old chair which was standing just under this difficult centre hook the strongest rat went first climbed up the back of the chair and balanced himself on the top number two followed and carefully balanced on number one number one then squeaked which meant he could bear no more it was a pity he could not stand one more for as they were the topmost rat could just reach the prize and though he nibbled all round as far as he could it was not what might be called a square meal the cook was indeed amazed when next morning she found only three-fourths of her precious duck remaining ah! she said I'll be even with you yet you cunning bass and that night she sliced up a part of duck with some cheese and put it in a plate on the larder floor at his usual hour when all was dark and quiet Huggie and his followers arrived and seeing their much coveted prize under their very noses were cautious but Huggie was up to the trick tonight and tomorrow night you may eat it he said but beware of the third so they partook of the duck and enjoyed it that night and the next but the third the dish was left untouched the cook was up at times that morning so that she might bury the corpses before breakfast her dog the same dog who had robbed Huggie of his tail according to his custom followed her into the larder unseeing the plate just as she had left it the night before the cook in her astonishment forgot the dog who finding no one gainsay him licked the dish with infinite relish poor dog in spite of all efforts to save him he died ten minutes afterward and the cook learnt her lesson also for she never tried poisoning rats again here end the chief events of Huggie's life at least all those that are worth recording some years after the death of the dog I was sitting in the gloaming close to a steep path which led from the cellar down to the river when what should I see but three large rats coming slowly toward me the middle one was the largest and evidently blind for he had in his mouth a long straw by which the other two led him carefully down the path as the trio passed I recognized the center one to be Huggie the tailless the next morning my little Irish terrier jik brought him to me in his mouth dead and I buried him under a gloar de jaune in the sunny corner of the garden fantastic as some of the incidents may sound they are nevertheless true having been collected mainly from an old rat catcher living in the town of Hawick end of section 5 recording by Rebecca Zimmerman section 6 of the Animal Story Book this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Rebecca Zimmerman the Animal Story Book edited by Andrew Lang chapter 6 Snake Stories by Mrs. Lang in 1850 a French gentleman left his native land and set sail for North America to seek his fortune and adventures he was descended from two noble adventurers the Vogan who led a Calvary troop from Dover to the Highlands to fight for Charles II and the Vogan who rescued Queen Clementinia wife of James III from prison in Innsbruck in 1850 adventurers wild beasts and red Indians were more plentiful than now and Vogan had some narrow escapes from snakes and bears soon after coming to North America he had his first adventure with a rattlesnake he was then camping at the Goldfields of California seeking for gold in order to have money enough to start on his voyages of discovery his house was a log hut built by himself and his bed a sack filled with dry oak leaves one day finding that his mattress needed renewing he went out with the sack and his gun having filled the sack with leaves he went off with his gun in search of game for his larder he went home at nightfall after having cooked and eaten his supper he threw himself on his new mattress and was soon asleep he awoke about three and would soon have fallen asleep again but he felt something moving in the sack his first thought was that it was a rat but he soon felt by the way it moved that it was no quadruped but a reptile no rat but a snake he must have put it in the sack with the leaves as might easily happen in winter when these creatures are torped from the cold and sleep all curled up with one leap the Baron was out of its reach but wishing to examine it more closely he took his gun to protect him in case of danger and came near the bed again but the ungrateful beast forgetting that they had been bedfellows threw itself on the gun and began to bite the muzzle fearing that I might turn and bite him next the Baron pulled the trigger and literally cut it in two it measured two feet long and when the Baron cut off its tail he found the quantity of scales which made the rattling sound from which the serpent gets its name as soon as the Baron had found enough gold he bought a mule whom he called caddy and whom he became very fond of and set off into the backwoods in search of sport and adventure poor caddy eventually met a terrible end but that is a bear story he soon added another companion a young Indian girl Kaluna by name she was the daughter of a chief of the Utah tribe and had been taken prisoner with several other women by a tribe of hostile Indians whom the Baron fell in with she would have been tortured and then burnt with the other prisoners had the Baron not saved her life by buying her for a silk handkerchief a knife and fork and some colored pictures she wandered with him and shared all his adventures till she was found again by her tribe and taken back to them one hot day they had been marching together about 30 miles through a country infested with panthers and pumas the Baron was heading the procession when suddenly a cry from Kaluna that she only used in moments of danger made him turn around then he saw that what he had taken to be a huge rotten branch of a tree the Baron thought of taking with him for their campfire that evening was in reality an enormous serpent it lay across the path asleep its head resting on the trunk of a tree the Baron raised his gun to his shoulder and came nearer the monster to get a good aim he fired but missed the horrid creature reared itself nearly on end and looked at him with that fixed stare by which the serpent fascinates and paralyzes its victim the Baron felt all the fascination but conquering it he fired a second time and this time wounded the creature without killing it outright though mortally wounded the snake's dying struggles were so violent that the young trees all round were leveled as if they had been cut with a scythe as soon as they were sure that life was extinct Kaluna and the Baron came nearer to examine the snake's dead body part of its tail was missing he measured nevertheless 5 yards long and 18 inches round thinking that it seemed of an usual girth the Baron cut it open with an axe and found inside the body a young prairie wolf probably about a week old the peculiarity of this snake was that it gave out a strong odor of musk like the sea serpent in Mr. Kipling's book the most horrible serpent that the Baron encountered and slew was the horned snake he learned afterwards from the Indians that it is the most deadly of all the snakes of North America for not only is its bite venomous but its tail has a sting which contains the same poison it crawls like other snakes but when it attacks it forms itself into a circle and then suddenly unbending itself flings itself like a lion on its victim had foreword and tail raised thus attacking with both ends at once if by chance it misses its aim and its tail strikes a young tree and penetrates the bark the tree immediately begins to droop and before long withers and dies on the occasion when the Baron encountered it Kaluna and he had been fleeing all night fearing an attack of hostile Indians about daylight they ventured to stop and take rest and food Kaluna lit the fire the Baron took his gun and went in search of game and about half an hour he returned with a wild turkey when they had cooked and eaten it he lay down and fell asleep but it only slept for two hours when he awoke feeling his hand touched it was Kaluna who woke him with a terror-stricken face looking in the direction she pointed he saw about fifty yards away an enormous horned snake it was lying in wait for a poor little squirrel that cowered in the hollow of an oak as soon as the squirrel dared to show even the tip of its nose the serpent flung itself at it but in vain as its great head could not get into the hole fortunately the Baron says my gun was by my side I rose and went to the rescue of the defenseless little creature when the serpent saw me he knew he had another sort of enemy to deal with he was crossing furiously hurled himself in my direction though without quitting his branch I stopped and took aim the serpent eventually understood my attitude perfectly for unwinding himself he began to crawl with all his speed toward me between us there was fortunately an obstacle a fallen chestnut tree to reach me he must either climb over it or go round and he was too furious to put up with any delay ten paces from the tree I waited for him to appear on the ground my gun at my shoulder and the other elbow resting on my knee to steady my aim at last I saw his heart head appear above the fallen tree at the same moment I fired and the ball pierced his head through and through though without instantly killing him quick as lightning he wound himself round a branch lashing out with his tail in all directions it was his dying struggle slowly his fury subsided and uncoiling himself he fell dead alongside the tree I measured him and found he was eight feet long and seven or eight inches round he was dark brown and his head had two horns or rather horned knobs wishing to carry away some souvenir to remember him by when I should be at home again in France I tried to cut off his horns but found it impossible out of curiosity I then took an axe and cut him open when I found inside a little bird dazed but living presently it revived and began to flutter about and soon flew away among the bushes and was lost to sight I did not know then that this is a common occurrence and that when the Indians find a serpent asleep as is generally the case after the creature has gorged itself they hit it on the head with a stick which makes it throw up what it has swallowed whole and its victims are often still living Kahlua on one occasion had a narrow escape she had put her hand in a hollow and a branch of a cherry tree where there was a blue jays nest to take eggs as she thought hardly had she put in her hand when she screamed with pain a rattlesnake that had taken possession of the nest had stung her the barren much alarmed expected to see Kahlua die before his eyes he did not know of the remedy the Indians use for snake bites Kahlua herself was quite undisturbed and hunted out among the bushes till she found the plant she knew of then crushing some of the leaves between two stones she applied them to the bite and in a couple hours was completely cured besides these snakes the barren learned from the Indians that there is another even more dangerous though not from its sting which is not poisonous but because it winds itself round its victim and strangles him to death fortunately the barren never met one or he would probably not have lived to tell his snake stories from what it is now and was covered with huge forest made up of enormous trees and in these forests there roamed immense beast whose skeletons may sometimes be seen in our museums of all these beasts there is only one remaining and that is the elephant now the elephant is so big and shapeless that he makes one think he has been turned out by a child who did not know how to finish his work properly he seems to need some feet badly and to want pinching about his body he would also be the better for a more imposing tale but such as he is the elephant is more useful and interesting than many creatures of ten times his beauty large and clumsy though he may be he alone of all animals has between his eyes a serpent for a hand and he turns his trunk to better account than most men do their two hands ever since we first read about elephants in history they were just the same as they are now they have not learned from associating with men fresh habits which they hand down from father to son each elephant quick though he is to learn has to be taught everything over again yet there is no beast who has lived in such broken contact with man for so many thousands of years we do not know when he first began to be distinguished for his qualities from the other wild animals but as far back as we can trace the sculptures which adorn the Indian temples the elephant has a place several hundred years before Christ the Greek traveler Herodotus was passing through Babylon and found a pair of elephants employed in the daily life of the city and from time to time we catch glimpses of them in eastern warfare though it was not till the third century BC that they were introduced into Europe by Alexander the Great the Mediterranean nations were quick to see the immense profit to which the elephant could be put both in respect to the great and very teachableness in India at the present day he performs all kinds of varied duties and many other stories told about his cleverness for he is the only animal that can be taught to push as well as pole most of us have seen elephants trained to perform in a circus and there is something rather sad in watching their great clumsy bodies gambling about unnatural as well as ungraceful but there is no question as to the amount that elephants can be taught particularly by kindness or how skillfully they will revenge themselves for any ill treatment in the early part of this century an elephant was sent by a lady in India as a present to the Duke of Devonshire who had a large villa at Chriswick this lucky cap who had a roomy house of its own built expressly for it in the park a field to walk in and a keeper to look after it and to do little light gardening besides this man treated the elephant a female with great kindness and they soon became the best of friends the moment he called out she stopped and at his bidding she would take a broom in her trunk and the dead leaves off the grass after which she would carefully carry after him a large pail of water for him to refill his watering pot for in those days the garden hose was not invented when the tidying up was all done the elephant was given a carrot and some of the water but very often the keeper would amuse himself with handing her a soda water bottle tightly corked and telling her to empty it this she did by placing the bottle in an inclined position on the ground and holding it at the proper angle with her foot while she twisted the cork out with her trunk this accomplished she would empty the water into her trunk without spilling a drop and then hand the bottle back to her keeper in India small children are often given into the charge of an elephant careful to see what care the animals take of them one elephant took such a fancy to a small baby that he used to stand over its cradle and drive away the flies that teased it while it slept when it grew restless the elephant would rock the cradle or gently lift it to the floor and let it crawl about between its legs till the child at last declined to take any food to watch her eat it amazing tales have been told of what elephants can be trained to do none is stranger than a story related to a missionary named Conter about some wild elephants in salon some native soldiers who had been set to guard a large storehouse containing rice were suddenly ordered off to put down a rising in a village a little distance away hardly were their backs turned when a wild elephant was seen advancing to the storehouse which was situated in a lonely place and after walking carefully around it he returned once he came in a short time he was noticed advancing for the second time accompanied by a whole herd of elephants all marching in an orderly and military manner now in order to secure the machinery as much as possible the only entrance had been made in the roof and had to be reached by a ladder this was soon found out by the elephants who examined the whole building attentively and being baffled in their designs retired to consult as to what they should do next finally one of the largest among them began to attack one of the corners with his tusk some of the others followed his example when the first relay was tired out another set took its place but all their efforts seemed useless the building was too strong for them at length the third elephant came forward and attacked the place at which the others had labored with such ill success and by a prodigious effort he managed to loosen one brick after this he did not take long to dig a hole big enough to let the whole herd pass through and soon the two spectators hidden in a banyan tree saw little companies of three or four enter the grainery and take their fill of rice until they all were satisfied the last batch were still eating busily when a shrill noise from the sentinel they had set on guard caused them to rush out and had perceived the white dress of the soldiers who had subdued the unruly villagers and were returning to their post and the elephants trunks in air took refuge in the jungle and only wag their tails mockingly at the bullets sent after them by the discomforted soldiers end of section 7 Chapter 8 of the animal story book this is a lipovox recording or lipovox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit lipovox.org recording by Elaine Conway England the animal story book edited by Andrew Lang Chapter 8 by Miss Eleanor Seller for three days had not been seen by his friends and comrades-in-arms on Sunday morning had not attended mass in the church of our lady but it was noticed that in the afternoon he was absent from the great tournament which was held at St Catherine's this astonished his friend the young Sierre de Nassac who had appointed to meet him there that they might watch together the encounter between a Burgundian knight and a gentleman from Provence both renowned in tilting who were to meet together for the first time that day in Paris it was unlike Aubrey to fail to be present on such an occasion and when for three successive days he did not appear at his accustomed horns his friends grew anxious and began to question among themselves whether some accident might not have befalling him early on the morning of the fourth day de Nassac was awakened by continuous sound as of something scratching against his door starting up to listen he heard in the intervals of the scratching a low whine as of a dog in pain thoroughly aroused he got up and opened the door stretched before it apparently too weak to stand was a great gaunt greyhound spent with exhaustion and hunger his ribs stood out like the bars of a grid de ron beneath his smooth coat his tongue hung down between his jaws parched and stiff his eyes were bloodshot and he trembled in every limb unseen de Nassac the poor creature struggled his feet feebly wagged his tail and thrust his nose into the young man's hands then only did de Nassac recognise in the half-starved skeleton before him the favourite dog and constant companion of his friend Aubrey de Montdidière it was clear from the poor animals his maciated appearance that it was in the last state of exhaustion summoning his servant de Nassac ordered food and water to be brought at once and the dog devoured the huge mill sat before it from his starved appearance and from the feracity of which he devoured the food set before him it was evident that he had had nothing to eat for some days his hunger appeased then he began to move uneasily about the room uttering low howls of distress from time to time he approached the door then returning to de Nassac's side he looked up in his face and gently tugged at his mantle as if to attract attention there was something at once so appealing and peculiar in the dog's behaviour that de Nassac's curiosity was aroused in the dog's starved appearance and strange manner and the unaccountable disappearance of his master perhaps the dog might supply the clue to all his place of concealment watching the dog's behaviour closely de Nassac became aware that the dumb beast was inviting him to accompany him accordingly he yielded to the dog's apparent wish and leaving the house followed him out into the streets of Paris it seemed time to see that de Nassac was coming after him the grey hand pursued its way through the narrow, torturous streets of the ancient city over the bridge and out by the port de Saint-Montagne into the open country outside the gates of the town then continuing on its track the dog headed for the Forest of Bondy a place of evil fame in those far off days as its solitudes were known to be infested by bands of robbers stopping suddenly in a deep and densely wooded clade of the wood the dog atered a succession of low angry grass then tugging at de Nassac's mantle it led him to some freshly turned uphill beneath a wide spreading oak tree with a piteous whine the dog stretched himself on the spot and could not be induced by de Nassac to follow him back to Paris where he straight away betook himself for he had once suspected foul play a few hours later a party of men guided to the spot by the young Sir de Nassac removed the earth and dead leaves and ferns from the hole into which they had been hastily flung and discovered the murdered body of Aubry de Mont-Didier hurriedly a litter was constructed of bows of trees and followed by the dog the body was born into Paris where it was soon afterwards buried from that hour the greyhound attached himself to the seer de Nassac it slept in his room ate from his table and followed close at his heels when he went out of doors one morning as the two were threading their way through the crowded rue-sil-martin de Nassac was started by hearing a low fierce growl from the greyhound looking down he saw that the creature was shaking in every limb his smooth coat was bristling his tail was straight and stiff and he was showing his teeth in another moment he had made a dart from de Nassac's side had had sprung on a young gentleman named Maquere in the uniform of the king's bodyguard who with several comrades in arms was sauntering along on the opposite side of the street there was something so sudden in the attack that the chivalier Maquere was almost thrown on the ground with their walking canes he and his friends beat off the dog and on de Nassac coming up it was called away and still trembling and growling followed its master down the street a few days later the same thing occurred de Nassac and the chivalier Maquere chanced to encounter each other walking in the road park in a moment the dog had rushed at Maquere spring at his throat and tried to pull him to the ground de Nassac and some officers of the king's bodyguard came to Maquere's assistance and the dog was called off the rumour of this attack reached the ears of the king and mixed with the rumour were a whisperings of a long-standing quarrel between Maquere and Ulbri de Mondidier might not the dog's strange and unattainable hatred for the young officer flew to the mysterious murder of the his late master determined to sift the matter to the bottom the king summoned de Nassac and the dog to his presence at the hotel de Pong following close on his master's heels the grey hand entered the audience room where the king was seated surrounded by his courtiers as de Nassac bowed low before his sovereign a short fierce bark was heard from the dog and before he could be held back he had darted him among the started courtiers and had sprung at the throat of the chivalier Maquere who with several other nights formed a little group behind the king's chair it was impossible longer to doubt that there was some ground the surmises that had rapidly grown to suspicion and that had received sudden confirmation from the fresh evidence of the dog's hatred the king decided that it should be a trial of the judgment of God and that a combat should take place between man the accused and dog the accuser the place chosen for the combat was a waste uninhabited plot of ground frequently selected as a dueling ground by the young gallants of Paris in the presence of the king and his courtiers the strange and natural combat took place that afternoon the night was armed with a short thick stick the dog was provided with an empty barrel as a retreating ground from the attacks of his adversary at a given signal the combatants entered the lists the dog seemed quite to understand strange shill on which it was engaged barking savagely and darting round his opponent he made attempts to leap at his throat now on this side now on that his brang jumping into the air at the sight of reach of the stick there was such swiftness and determination about his movements and something so unnatural in the combat that McCarr's nerve failed him his blows beat the air without hitting the dog his breath came in quick short gasps there was a look of terror on his face and for a moment overcome by the horror of the situation his eye quailed and sought the ground at that instance the dog sprang at his throat and pinned him to the earth in his terror he called out and acknowledged his crime and implored the king's mercy but the judgment of God had decided the dog was called off before it had strangled its victim but the man was hurried away to the place of execution and atoned that evening for the murder of the faithful Greyhounds's master End of Chapter 8 Section 9 of the Animal Storybook This is a LibriVox recording All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org The Animal Storybook edited by Andrew Leng How a beaver builds his house from Bingley's Animal Biography If we could look back and see England and Wales as they were about a thousand years ago we should most likely think that the best houses and most prosperous villages were the work not of the Saxon or British natives but of the little beavers which were then to be found in some of the rivers though they have long ceased to exist there Those who want to see what beavers can do must look to America and there either in Canada or even as far south as Louisiana they will find the little creatures as busy as ever and as clever at house building as when they taught our forefathers a lesson in the time of Ethelstan or Canute A beaver is a small animal measuring about three feet and has fine glossy dark brown hair Its tail which is its trow and call bell and many other things besides is nearly a foot long and has no hair at all and is divided into little scales something like a fish Beavers cannot bear to live by themselves and are never happy unless they have two or three hundred friends close at hand whom they can visit every day and all day and they are the best and most kindly neighbors in the world always ready to help each other either in building new villages or in repairing old ones Of course the first thing to be done if you wish to erect a house or a village is to fix on a suitable site in the spot which every beaver of sense thinks most desirable is either a large pond or if no pond is to be had a flat low plane with a stream running through out of which a pond can be made It must be a very very long while since beavers first found out the way to make a pond out of a stream was to build a dam across it so strong that the water could not break through to begin with they have to know which way the stream runs and in this they never make a mistake then they gather together stakes about five feet long and fix them in rows tight into the ground on each side of the stream and while the older and more experienced beavers are doing this for the safety of the village depends on the strength of the foundation the younger and more active ones are fetching and heaping up green branches of trees these branches are plated in and out of the rows of stake which by this time stretch right across the river and form a dam often as much as a hundred feet from end to end when the best workmen among them declare the foundation solid the rest form a large wall over the whole of stones clay and sand which gradually tapers up from ten or twelve feet at the bottom where it has to resist the pressure of the stream to two or three at the top so that the beavers can if necessary pass each other in comfort and when the dam is pronounced finished the overseer or head beaver goes carefully over every part to see that it is the proper shape and exactly smooth and even for beavers cannot bear bad work it would punish any of their tribe who were lazy or careless the dam being ready and the pond made they can now begin to think about their houses and as all beavers have a great dislike to damp floors and wet beds they have to raise their dwellings quite six or eight feet above the level of the stream so that no sudden swelling of the river during the rainy season shall make them cold and uncomfortable beavers are always quite clear in their minds as to what they want and how to get it and they like to keep things distinct when they are in the water they are perfectly happy but when they are out of it they like to be dry in order to keep their houses warm and snug they wait till the water is low during the summer and then they can drive piles into the bed of the stream with more safety and less trouble than if the river is running hard it generally takes two or three months before the village is finished and the bark and shoots of young trees which is their favorite food collect it and store it up but the little round huts not unlike beavers are only intended for winter homes as no beaver would think of sleeping indoors during the summer or a deed of staying two days in the same place so every three or four years they spend the long days making their village earth stones and sticks plastered together with some kind of mortar which they carry about on their tails to spread neatly over the inside of their houses all that a beaver does is beautifully finished as well as substantial the walls of his house are usually about two feet thick and sometimes he has as many as three stories to his house when he has a large family or a number of friends to live with him one thing is quite certain no beaver will ever set up housekeeping alone but sometimes he will be content with one companion and sometimes he will have as many as 30 but however full the hut may be there is never any confusion each beaver has his fixed place on the floor which is covered with dried leaves and moss and as they manage to keep open a door right below the surface of the stream where their food is carefully stored up there is no fear that they will ever be starved out and there they lie all the winter and get very fat once a French gentleman who was traveling through Louisiana was very anxious to see the little beaver colony at work so he hid himself with some other men close to a dam and in the night they cut a channel about a foot wide through and very hard labor they found it the men had made no noise and break in the dam but the rush of the water aroused one beaver who slept more lightly than the rest and he instantly left his hut and swam to the dam to examine what was wrong he then struck four loud blows with his tail and at the sound of his call every beaver left his bed and came rushing to see what was the matter no sooner did they reach the dam and see the large hole made in it then they took counsel and then the one in whom they put the most trust gave orders to the rest and they all went to the bank to make mortar when they had collected as much as they could carry they formed a procession two and two each pair loading each other's tails and so traveling they arrived at the dam where a relay of fresh laborers were ready to load the mortar was then placed in the hole and bound tight and the beaver's tail repeated blows from the beaver's tails so hard did they work and so much sense did they show that in a short time always as firm as ever then one of the leading spirits clapped his tail twice and in a moment all were in bed and asleep again beavers are very hard working but they know how to make themselves comfortable too and if they are content with bark and twigs at home nicer food if they can get it a gentleman once took a beaver with him to New York and it used to wander about the house like a dog feeding chiefly upon bread with fish now and then for a treat not being able to find any moss or leaves for a bed it used to seize upon all the soft bits of stuff that came in its way and carry them off to its sleeping corner one day a cat discovered its hiding place thought it would be a nice comfortable place for her kittens to sleep and when the beaver came back from his walk he found like the three bears that someone was sleeping in his bed he had never seen things of that kind before but they were small and he was big so he said nothing and lay down somewhere else only if ever their mother was away he would go and hold one of them to his breast to warm it until its mother came back End of Section 9 Section 10 of the Animal Storybook this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org The Animal Storybook edited by Andrew Lang The War Horse of Alexander from Plutarch There are not so many stories about horses as there are about dogs and cats yet almost every great general has had his favorite horse who has gone with him through many campaigns and born him safe in many battlefields at a town in Sicily called Agrigentum they set such store by their horses that pyramids were raised over their burial places and the Emperor Augustus built a splendid monument over the grave of an old favorite the most famous horse perhaps who ever lived was one belonging to Alexander the Great and was called Busephalus when the king was a boy Busephalus was brought before Philip King of Macedon Alexander's father by Thelonicus the Thessalian and offered for sale for a large sum of 13 talents beautiful though he was Philip wisely declined to buy him before knowing what matter of horse he was and ordered him to be led into a neighboring field and a groom to mount him but it wasn't vain that the best and most experienced riders approached the horse he reared up on his hind legs and would suffer none to come near him so Thelonicus the Thessalian was told to take his horse back once he came the king would have none of him now the boy Alexander stood by and his heart went out to the beautiful creature and he cried out what a good horse do we lose for lack of skill to mount him Philip the King heard these words and his soul was vexed to see the horse depart but yet he knew not what else to do then he turned to Alexander and said do you think that you young and untried can ride this horse better than those who have grown old cables to which Alexander made answer this horse I know I could ride better than they and if you fail asked Philip what price will you pay for your good conceit of yourself and Alexander laughed out loud and said gaily I will pay the price of the horse unless it was settled so Alexander drew near to the horse and took him by the bridle turning his face to the sun so that he might not be frightened of his own shadow for the Prince had noticed that it scared him greatly then Alexander stroked his head and led him forwards feeling his temper all the while and when the horse began to get uneasy the Prince suddenly left on his back and gradually curbed him with the bridle suddenly as Busephalus gave up trying to throw his rider and only pawed the ground and patient to be off Alexander shook the reins letting him go they flew like lightning round the course this was Alexander's first conquest and as he jumped down from the horse his father exclaimed go my son and seek for a kingdom that is worthy for Macedon is too small for such as thee henceforth Busephalus made it clear that he served Alexander and no one else he would submit quietly to having the gay trappings of a king's steed fastened on his head but if any groom tried to mount him back would go his ears and up would go his heels and none dared come near him for ten years after Alexander seceded his father on the throne of Macedon B.C. 336 Busephalus bore him through all his battles and was as pliny of a passing good and memorable service in the wars and even when wounded as he once was at the taking of Thebes would not suffer his master to mount another horse together these two swam rivers crossed mountains penetrated into the dominions of the great king and father still into the heart of Asia beyond the Caspian and the river Oksus where never European army had gone before and turning south he crossed the range of the Hindu Kush and entering the country of the five rivers he prepared to attack Porus king of India but age in the wanderings of ten years had worn Busephalus out one last victory near the Hydaspes or Jellum and the old horse sank down and died full of years and honors B.C. 326 bitter were the lamentations of the king for the friend of his childhood but his grief did not show itself only in weeping the most splendid funeral Alexander could devise was given to Busephalus and a gorgeous tomb erected over his body and more than that Alexander resolved that the memory of his old horse should be kept green in these burning Indian deserts thousands of miles from the the salient plains where he was born surround his tomb the king built a city and it was called Busephalia End of section 10