 Section 43 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 Lauren Emma. The animal storybook edited by Andrew Lang. Egazelle. Passages in the Life of the Tortoise by Alexandra Dumas. Translated by Ms. Blackley. Alexandra Dumas in his book as I told you, I read the story of Tom the Bear as well as those of other animals was one day walking past the shop of a large fishmonger in Paris. As he glanced through the window he saw an Englishman in the shop holding a tortoise which he was telling about in his hands. Dumas found an instant conviction that the Englishman proposed to make the tortoise into turtle soup and he was so touched by the air of patient resignation of the supposed victim that he entered the shop and with a sign to the shopwoman asked whether she had kept the tortoise for him which he had bespoken. The shopwoman who had known Dumas for many years understood with half a word and gently slipping the tortoise out of the Englishman's grasp handed it to Dumas saying pardon my lord the tortoise was sold to this gentleman this morning. The Englishman seemed surprised but left the shop without remonstrating and Dumas had nothing left for it but to pay for his tortoise and take it home. As he carried his purchase up to the rooms on the third floor he wondered what could have possessed him to buy it and what on earth he was going to do with it now he had got it. It was certainly remarkable tortoise the moment he put it down on the floor of his bedroom it started off for the fireplace at such a pace as to earn for itself the name of Gazelle. Once near the fire Gazelle settled herself into the warmest corner she could find and went to sleep. Dumas who had wished to go out again and was afraid of his new possession coming to any harm called his servant and said Joseph whilst I am out you must look after this creature Joseph approached with some curiosity ah he remarked why it's a tortoise that creature could bear a carriage on its back yes yes no doubt it might but I beg you won't try any experiments with it I wouldn't hurt it assured Joseph enjoyed showing off his information the lion's diligence might drive over it without hurting it well replied his master I believe the great sea turtle might bear such a weight but I doubt whether this small variety oh that's of no consequence interrupted Joseph is as strong as a horse and small though it is a cartloads of stones might pass very good very good never mind that now despite the creature lettuce and some snails snails why is its chest delicate no why on earth would you ask such a thing well my last master used to take infusion of snails for his chest not that it prevented do my lettering without waiting for the end before he was halfway downstairs he found he had forgotten his handkerchief and I'm returning surprised Joseph standing on Gazelle's back gracefully poised on one leg with the other outstretched behind him in such a way that not an ounce of his 11 stone weight was lost on the poor creature idiot what are you about there sir didn't I say so we're joined Joseph proudly there they give me a handkerchief and mind you don't touch that creature again end of section 43 section 44 of the animal storybook this is a livervox recording all livervox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit livervox.org recording by Chad from Bally Claire the animal storybook edited by Andrew Lange chapter 44 cockatoo stories naturalists notebook Reeves and Turner 1868 about 30 years ago a gentleman who was fond of birds and beasts took into his head to try of parrots could not be persuaded to make themselves at home among the trees in his garden for a little while everything seemed going beautifully and the experimenter was full of hope the parrots built their nests in the woods and in course of time some young ones appeared and gradually grew up to their full size then unluckily they became tired of the grounds which they knew by heart and set off to see the world the young parrots were strong upon the wing their beautiful bright bodies would be seen flashing in the sun as much as 15 miles away and then of course some boy or gamekeeper with a gun in his hand was certain to see them and covet them for the kitchen mantel shelf or a private collection the cockatoos however did not always care to choose trees for their building places one little pair whose grandparents had whisked about in the heat of a midsummer day in Australia find the climate of England cold and foggy and looked about for a warm cover for their new nest they had many comfort stations on the subject and perhaps one of these may have been overheard by a jackdaw who put into their minds a brilliant idea for the very next morning the cockatoos were seen carrying their materials to one of the chimneys and trying to fasten them together halfway up but cockatoos are not as clever as jackdaws about this kind of thing and before the nest had grown to be more than a shapeless mass down it came and such a quantity of sit with it that the poor cockatoos were quite buried and lay for a day and night nearly smothered in soot till they happened to be found by a housemaid who had entered the room but in spite of this mishap they were not disheartened and as soon as their eyes and noses had recovered from their soot bath they began again to search for a more suitable spot to the great delight of their master they fixed upon a box which he had nailed for this very purpose under one of the gables and this time they managed to build a nest that was as good as any nest in the garden still they had no luck for though the female laid two eggs and sat upon them perseveringly never allowing them to get cold for a single instant it was all of no use for the eggs turned out to be both bad some cousins of theirs a beautiful white cook or two and his lovely rose-coloured wife were more prosperous in their arrangements they scooped out a most comfortable nest with their claws and bills in the rotten branch of an acacia tree and there they brought up two young families all of them white as snow with flame-coloured crests the eldest son unhappily for himself got wary with his brothers and sisters and the little wood on the outskirts of the garden where he was born and one winter day took a flight towards the town his parents never quite knew what occurred but the young cook or two came back severely wounded to the great fury of all his family who behaved very unkindly to him it is a curious fact that no animals and very few birds can bear the sight of illness and these cook or twos were no better than the rest they did not absolutely ill treat him but they refused to let him enter their nest and insisted that he should live by himself in a distant bush at last his master took pity on him and brought him into the garden but this so enraged the cook or twos who were already in possession that they secretly murdered him however it is only just to the race of cook or twos to observe that they are not always as bad as this for during the very same season as an unlucky young bird whose wing and leg were broken by an accident was adopted by an elderly cook or two who did not care for what her neighbors said and treated him as her own son the following year when nesting time came round the white cook or twos went back to their occasion branch but were very much disgusted to find a pair of gray parrots there before them and the little pair of bald round heads peeping over the edge these little parrots grew up with such bad timbers that no one would have anything to do with them and as for their own relations they looked upon them with the contempt that a cat often shows to a man to be sure these relations were considered to be rather odd themselves for they did not care to be troubled with the family of their own so had taken under their protection two little kittens who had been born in one of the boxes originally set apart for the parrots the two birds could not endure to see the old cat looking after their little ones and whenever she went out for a walk or to get her food one of the parrots always took her place in the box it would have been nice to know how long this went on and if the kittens adopt any part likewise luckily there was one peculiarity of the parrots which it was beyond their party imitate and that was the horrible voice which renders the society of a parrot and still more of a cookie to undurable to most people and of section 44 recording by Chad from Bally Claire section 45 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 Sunil Goswami the animal storybook edited by Andrew Lang the author who was reared by a cat by naturalists notebook there is still living in the kingdom of Galloway a wonderful cat who is so completely above all the instincts and prejudices of her race that she can remain on friendly terms with young rabbits and while away a spare hour by having a game with a mouse a real game where the fun is not all on one side but which is enjoyed by the mouse as much as by the cat hardly less strange from the opposite point of view is the friendship that existed between two cats and an otter which had been taken from its mother when only a few hours old to be brought up by hand by a gentleman this was not a very easy thing to manage it was too young to suck milk out of a spoon which was the first thing thought of but a quill passed through a cork and stuck into a baby's bottle proved a success and through this the little otter had its milk five times every day until he was more than five weeks old then he was introduced to a cat who had lately lost a kitten and though not naturally very good tempered the bus took to him directly evidently thinking it was her own kitten grown a little bigger in general this cat which was partly Persian and as I have said very cross did not trouble herself much about her young ones which had to take care of themselves as well as they could but she could not make enough of the little otter and when he was as big as herself she would walk with him every day to the pond in the yard where he had his bath watching his splashing and diving with great anxiety and never happy till he got out safe but like human children the baby otter would have been very dull without someone to play with and as there were no little otters handy he made friends with a young cat called Tom all through the long winter when the pond was frozen and diving and swimming were no longer possible he and Tom used to spend happy mornings playing hide and seek among the furniture in the dining room till Tom began to feel that the otter was getting rather rough and that his teeth were very sharp and that it would be a good thing to get out of his reach on the top of a high cupboard or chimney piece but at last the snow melted and the ice became water again and the first day the sun shone the otter and the old cat went out for a walk in the yard after the little fellow had had his dive which felt delicious after all the weeks that he had done without it he wandered carelessly into a shed where he had never been before and to his astonishment he suddenly heard a flutter of wings and became conscious of a sharp pain in his neck this was produced by the beak of a falcon who always lived in the shed and seeing the strange creature enter his door at once made up his mind that it was its duty to kill it the cat and the gentleman who happened to come in at the same moment rushed forward and beat off the bird and then blinded by excitement like a great many other people and not knowing friends from foes the cat rushed at her master in one moment she had severely bitten the calf of his leg given his thigh a fearful scratch and picked up the otter and carried him outside then not daring to trust him out of her side she marched him sternly up the hill keeping him all the while between her legs so that no danger should come near him as the otter grew bigger the cats became rather afraid of his claws and teeth which grew bigger too and inflicted bites and scratches without his knowing it but if cats tired of him he never tired of the cats and was always dull and unhappy when they were out of his way sometimes when his spirits were unusually good and his teeth unusually sharp the poor play fellows were obliged to seek refuge in the bedrooms of the house or even upon the roof but the little otter had not lived so long with cats for nothing and could climb nearly as well as they when he had had enough of teasing he told them so for of course he knew the cat language and they would come down and he would stretch himself out lazily in front of the fire with his arms around Tom's neck it would be nice to know what happened to him when he really grew up whether the joys of living in a stream made him forget his old friends at the farm or whether he would leave the chase of the finest trout at the sound of a mew or a whistle but we are not told anything about it so everybody can settle it as they like end of section 45 recording by Sunil Goswami section 46 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 the animal storybook edited by Andrew Lang stories about lions by Mrs. Lang lion in its wild state is a very different animal from the lion of menageries and wild beast shows the latter has probably been born in captivity reared by hand and kept a prisoner in a narrow cage all its life deprived not only of liberty and exercise but of its proper food the result is a weak thin miserable creature with an unhappy furtive expression and a meager mane more like a poodle then the king of beasts in a savage state the lion of South Africa differs in many points from that of Algeria of whom we are going to speak in Algeria there are three kinds of lions the black the tawny and the gray the black lion more rarely met with than the two others is rather smaller but stronger and built he is so called from the color of his mane which falls to his shoulder in a heavy black mass the rest of his coat is the color of a bay horse instead of wandering like the other two kinds he makes himself a comfortable dwelling and remains there probably all his life which may last 30 or 40 years unless he falls victim to the hunter he rarely goes down to the plains in search of prey but lies in ambush in the evening and attacks the cattle on their way down from the mountain killing four or five to drink their blood in the long summer twilight he waits on the edge of a forest path for some belated traveler who seldom escapes to tell the tale the tawny and gray lion differ from each other only in the color of their mane all three have the same habits and characteristics except those peculiar to the black lion just described they all turn night in today and go out at dusk to forge for prey returning to their lair at dawn to sleep and digest in peace and quiet should a lion for any reason shift his camp during the day it is most unlikely that he will attack unprovoked any creature whether human or otherwise whom he may chance to meet for during the day is full inside and the lion kills not for the sake of killing but to satisfy his hunger the lion is a devoted husband when a couple go out on their nightly prowl it is always the lioness who leads the way when she stops he stops too and when they arrive at the fold where they hope to procure their supper she lies down while he leaps into the midst of the enclosure and brings back to her the pick of the flock he watches her eat with great anxiety lest anything should disturb her and never begins his own meal till she has finished hers as a father he is less devoted the old lion being of a serious disposition the cubs wary him with their games and while the family is young the father lives by himself but at a short distance so as to be at hand in case of danger when the cubs are about three months old and have finished teething a process which often proves fatal to little lionesses their mother begins to accustom them to eat meat by bringing them mutton to eat which she carefully skins and choose up small before giving to them between three and four months old they begin to follow their mother at night to the edge of the forest where their father brings them their supper at six months the whole family change their abode choosing for the purpose a very dark night between eight months and a year old they begin to attack the flocks of sheep and goats that feed by day in the neighborhood of their lair and sometimes venture to attack oxen but being still young and awkward they often wound ten for one killed and the father lion is obliged to interfere at the age of two years they can slay with one blow and ox horse or camel and can leap the hedges two yards high that surround the folds for protection this period in the history of the lion is the most disastrous to the shepherds and their flocks for then the lion goes about killing for the sake of learning to kill at three years they leave their parents and set up families of their own but it is only at the age of eight that they attain their full size and strength and in the case of the male is full main the question is sometimes asked why does the lion roar the answer is for the same reason that the bird sings when a lion and lioness go out together at night the lioness begins the duet by roaring when she leaves her den then the lion roars and answer and they roar in turn every quarter of an hour till they have found their supper while they are eating they are silent and begin roaring as soon as satisfied and roar till morning in summer they roar less and sometimes not at all the Arabs who have good reason to know and dread this fearsome sound have the same word for it as for the thunder the herds being constantly exposed to the ravages of the lion the natives are obliged to take measures to protect them but the gun in their unskilled hands proving often as fatal to themselves as to their enemy they are forced to resort to other means some tribes dig a pit about ten yards deep or five wide and narrower at the mouth and the base the tents of the little camps around it and round them again is a hedge two or three yards high made of branches of trees interlaced a second smaller hedge divides the tents from the pit in order to prevent the flocks from falling into it the lion prowling in search of food sense his prey leaps both hedges at one bound and falls roaring with anger into the pit dig for him the whole camp is aroused and so great is the rejoicing that no one sleeps all night guns are let off and fires lit to inform the whole district and in the morning all the neighbors arrive not only men but women children and even dogs when it is light enough to see the hedge surrounding the pit is removed in order to look at the lion and judge by its age and sex what treatment it is to perceive according to what harm it may have done if it is a young lion or a lioness the first spectators retire from the site disgusted to make room for others whose raptures are equally soon calm but if it is a full grown lion with abundant main then it is a very different scene frenzy gestures and appropriate cries spread the joyful news from one to another and the spectators crowd in such numbers that they nearly edge each other into the pit when everyone has thrown his stone and hurled his implication men armed with guns come to put an end to noble animals torture but often ten shots have been fired before raising his majestic head to look contemptuously on his tormentors he falls dead not till long after this last sign of life to the bravest venture to let themselves down into the pit by means of ropes to pass a net under the body of the lion and to hoist it up to the surface by means of a stake planted there for the purpose when the lion is cut up the mothers of the tribe receive each a small piece of his heart which they give to their sons to eat to make them strong and courageous with the same object they make themselves amulets of hairs dragged out from his mane other tribes make use of the ambush which may be either constructed underground or on a tree if underground a hole is dug about one yard deep and three or four wide near a path frequented by the lion it is covered with branches weighted down by heavy stones and loose earth is thrown overall four or five little openings are left to shoot through and a larger one to serve as a doorway which may be closed from within by a block of stone in order to ensure a good aim the Arabs kill a boar and lay it on the path opposite the ambush the lion inevitably stops to sniff this bait and then they all fire at once nevertheless he is rarely killed on the spot but frantically seeking his unseen enemies who are beneath his feet he makes with frenzied bounds for the nearest forest there sometimes to recover from his wounds sometimes to die in solitude the ambush in a tree is conducted on the same lines as the other except that the hunters are above instead of below their query from whom they are screened by the branches there are however in the province of Constantine some tribes of Arabs who hunt the lion in a more sportsmanlike manner when a lion has made his presence known either by frequent depredations or by roaring a hunting party is formed some men are sent in advance to reconnoiter the woods and when they return with such information as they have been able to gather as to the age sex and whereabouts of the animal a council of war is held and a plan of campaign formed each hunter is armed with a gun a pistol and a yata gun and then five or six of the younger men are chosen to ascend the mountain there to take their stand on different commanding points in order to watch every movement of the lion and to communicate them to their companions below by a prearranged code of signals when they are posted the general advance begins the lion whose hearing is extremely acute is soon aware of the approach of enemies who in their turn are warned by the young men on lookout finally when the lion turns to meet the hunters the watchers shout with all their might a la cum look out at this signal the Arabs draw themselves up in battle array if possible with their backs to a rock and remain motionless till the lion has approached to within 20 or 30 paces then the word of command is given and each man taking the best aim he can fires and then throws down his rifle to seize his pistol or cat again the lion is generally brought to the ground by this hail of bullets but unless the heart or the brain have been pierced he will not be mortally wounded the hunters therefore throw themselves upon him before he can rise firing stabbing right and left blindly without aim in the rage kill sometimes in his mortal agony the lion will seize one of the hunters and drawing him under his own body will torture him almost as a cat does a mouse before killing it should this happen the nearest relation present of the unhappy man will risk his own life in the attempt to rescue him and at the same time to put an end to the lion this is a perilous moment when the lion sees the muzzle of the avengers rifle pointed at his ear he will certainly crush in the head of his victim even if he has not the strength left to spring on his assailant before the latter gives him the coup de grâce the Arabs in the neighborhood of Constantine used about 50 years ago to send there for a famous French lion hunter Jules Girard by name to rid them of some unusually formidable foe they never could understand his way of going to work alone and by night which certainly presented a great contrast to their methods on one occasion a family of five father mother and three young lions were the aggressors the Arab sheik leading Montsour Girard to the river showed him by their footprints on the banks where this fearful family were in the habit of coming to drink at night but begged him not to sacrifice himself to such fearful odds and either to return to the camp or to take some of the tribe with him Girard declining both suggestions the sheik was obliged to leave as night was at hand and the lions might appear at any moment first he came near the hunter and spoke these words low listen i have a council to give thee beyond thy guard against the lord of the mighty head he will lead the way if thy hour has come he will kill thee and the others will eat thee coming still near the sheik whisper he has stolen my best mare and ten oxen who who has stolen them asked Montsour Girard he and the sheik pointed for further answer to the mountain but name him name the thief the answer was so low as to be barely audible the lord of the mighty head and with this ominous council the sheik departed leaving Girard to his vigil as the night advanced the moon appeared and lit up the narrow ravine judging by its position in the heavens it might be eleven o'clock when the tramp of many feet was heard approaching and several luminous points of reddish light were seen glittering through the thicket the lions were advancing in single file and the lights were their gleaming eyes instead of five there were only three and the leader though of formidable dimensions did not come up to the description of the lord of the mighty head all three stopped to gaze and wonder at the man who dared to put himself in their path Girard took aim at the shoulder of the leader and fired a fearful roar announced that the shot had told and the wounded lion began painfully dragging himself towards his assailant while the other two slunk away into the wood he had got to within three paces when a second shot sent him rolling down into the bed of the stream again he returned to the charge for the third ball right in the eye laid him dead it was a fine large young lion of three years with formidable teeth and claws as agreed upon with the sheik mon sur Girard immediately lit a bonfire in token of his victory in answer to which shots were fired to communicate the good news to all the surrounding district at break of day two hundred Arabs arrived to insult their fallen enemy the sheik being the first to appear with his congratulations but also with the information that at the same hour that the young lion had been shot the lord of the mighty head had come down and taken away an ox these devastations went on unchecked for more than a year one man alone locked our by name being robbed of forty five sheep a mare and twenty nine oxen finally he lost heart and sent to beg mon sur Girard to come back and deliver him if possible of his tormentor for some nights the lion made no sign but on the thirteenth evening Lactar arrived at the lion hunters camp saying the black bull is missing from the herd tomorrow morning I shall find his remains and thou wilt slay the lion for me accordingly next morning at dawn Lactar returned to announce that he had found the dead bull Girard rose and taking his gun followed the Arab through the densest of the forest they went till at the foot of a narrow rocky ravine close to some large olive trees they found the partially devoured carcass mon sur Girard cut some branches the better to conceal himself and took up his position under one of the olive trees there to await the approach of night and with it the return of the lion to the spoil towards eight o'clock when the feeble light of the new moon barely penetrated in the little glade a branch was heard to crack at some distance the lion hunter rose and shouldering his weapon prepared to do battle from about 30 paces distance came a low growl and then a guttural sound a sign of hunger with the lion then silence and presently an enormous lion stalked from the thicket straight towards the bull and began licking it at this moment mon sur Girard fired and struck the lion within about an inch of his left eye roaring with pain he reared himself up on end when a second bullet right in the chest laid him on his back frantically waving his huge paws in the air quickly reloading mon sur Girard came close to the helpless monster and while he was raising his great head from the ground fired two more shots which laid the lion stone dead and thus brought to an end the career of the lord of the mighty head end of section 46 recording by narrator jay section 47 of the animal storybook this is a livervox recording all livervox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit livervox.org recording by charred horner ballet claire the animal storybook edited by andrew lang section 47 builders and weavers no one can examine birds and their ways for long together without being struck by the wonderful neatness and cleverness of their proceedings they make use of a great many different kinds of materials for their nests and managed somehow to turn out a nest which not only will hold eggs but is strong and of a pretty shape rotten twigs are curiously enough what they love best for the outside and upon the twigs various substances are laid according to the species and taste of the builder the jay for instance collects roots and twists them into a firm mass which he lays upon the twigs the american starling uses tough wet brushes and coarse grass and after they are matted together somehow ties the nest on to roots or a bush while the missile thrush lines the casing of twigs with trimose or even hay to these they often add tufts of will and lichon and the hole is fastened together by a kind of clay the favorite spot chosen by the missile thrush is the fork of a tree in an orchard where lichons are large and plentiful enough to serve as a covering for the nests still if the account given by valent and padderson is true the sociable the sociable crossbeaks surpass all the other birds in skill and invention they have been known to cover the trunks of trees with a huge kind of flitted umbrella made of dry fine grass and the boughs of the trees poking through in various places no doubt in the beginning the nest was not so large but it is the custom of these birds to live together in clans and each year fresh rooms have to be added when examined the bird city was found to have many gates and regular streets of nests each about two inches distant from the other the structure was made of bushments grass alone but so tightly woven together that no rain could get through the nests were all tucked in under the roof which by projecting formed eaves thus keeping the birds warm and dry sometimes the umbrella has been known to contain as many as 300 separate nests so it is no wonder that the tree at last breaks down with the weight and the city has to be fine to again elsewhere now in the nests of all these birds there has been a good deal of what we call building and carpetry when we are talking of our own houses and our own trades but there are a whole quantity of birds spread over the world who are almost exclusively waivers and can form nests which hang down from the branches of a tree without any support to this class belongs the indian sparrow which prefers to build in the tops of the very highest trees especially on the indian fig and particularly on those growing by the riverside he weaves together tough grass in the form of a bottle and hangs it from a branch so that it rocks to and fro like a hammock the indian sparrow which is easily tamed does not like always to live with his family so he divides his nest into two or three parts and is careful to place its entrance underneath so that it may not attract the notice of the birds of prey in these nests glue worms have frequently been found carefully fastened into a piece of fresh clay but whether the bird deliberately tries in this way to light up his dark nest or whether he has some other use for the glue worm has never been found out but it seems quite certain that he does not eat it as Sir William Jones once supposed the indian sparrow is a very clever little bird and can be taught to do all sorts of tricks he will catch a ring that is dropped into one of the deep indian wells before it reaches the water he can pick the gold ornament neatly off the forehead of a young hindu woman or carry a note to a given place like a carrier pigeon at least so it is said but then very few people have even a buying acquaintance with the indian sparrow. End of section 47 recording by Chad Horner Valle Claire. Section 48 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 Sophia Kaushik the animal storybook edited by Andrew Lang. More faithful than favored by Miss Eleanor Seller. There never was a more faithful watchdog than the great big-limbed heavy-headed Mastiff that guarded Sir Harry Lee's Manor House ditchly in Oxfordshire. The sound of his deep growl was the terror of all the gypsies and vagrants in the county and there was a superstition among the country people that he was never known to sleep. Even if he was seen stretched out on the stone steps leading up to the front entrance of the house with his massive head resting on his right forepaws at the sound of a footfall however distant his head would be raised his ears fiercely cocked and an ominous stiffening of the tail would warn a stranger that his movements were being closely watched and that on the least suspicion of anything strange or abnormal in his behavior he would be called to account by Leo. Strangely enough the Mastiff had never been a favorite of his masters. The fact the dogs of his breed are useless for purposes of sport owing to their unwieldy size and effective sense of smell had prevented Sir Harry from taking much notice of him. He looked upon the Mastiff merely as a watchdog. The dog would look after him, longing to be allowed to join him in his walk or to follow him when he rode out through the lanes and fields round his house but poor Leo's affection received little encouragement. So long as he guarded the house faithfully by day and night that was all that was expected of him and as in doing this he was only doing his duty and fulfilling the purpose for which he was there little notice was taken of him by any of the inmates of the house. His meals were supplied to him with unveiling regularity for his services as ensuring the safety of the house were fully recognized but as Sir Harry had not shown him any signs of favor the servants did not think fit to bestow unnecessary attention on him. So he lived his solitary neglected life in summer and winter by night and day zealous in his master's interest but earning little reward in the way of notice or affection. One night however something occurred that suddenly altered the Mastiff's position in the household and from being a faithful slave he all at once became the beloved friend and constant companion of Sir Harry Lee. It was in winter and Sir Harry was going up to his bedroom as usual about 11 o'clock. Great was his astonishment on opening the library door to find the Mastiff stretched in front of it. At sight of his master Leo rose and wagging his tail and rubbing his great head against Sir Harry's hand he looked up at him as if anxious to attract his attention. With an impatient word Sir Harry turned away and one up the oak paneled staircase Leo following closely behind him. When he reached his bedroom door the dog tried to follow him into the room and if Sir Harry had been a more observant man he must have noticed a curious look of appeal in the dog's eyes as he slammed the door in his face ordering him in commanding tones to go away. An order which Leo did not obey. Curling himself up on the mat outside the door he lay with his small deep sunk eyes in eager watchfulness fixed on the door while his heavy tail from time to time beat an impatient tattoo upon the stone floor of the passage. Antonio the Italian valet whom Sir Harry had brought home with him from his travels and whom he trusted absolutely was waiting for his master and was engaged in spreading out his things on the toilet table. That dog is getting troublesome Antonio said Sir Harry. I must speak to the keeper tomorrow and tell him to chain him up at night outside the hall. I cannot have him disturbing me prowling around the corridors and passages all night see that you drive him away when you go downstairs. Yes senior replied Antonio and began to help his master to undress. Then having put fresh logs of wood on the fire he wished Sir Harry good night and left the room. Finding Leo outside the door the valet whistled and called gently to him to follow him and as the dog took no notice he put out his hand to take hold of him by the collar but a low growl and sudden flash of the mastiff's teeth warned the Italian of the danger of resorting to force. With a muttered curse he turned away determined to try bribery where threats had failed. He thought that if he could secure a piece of raw meat from the kitchen he would have no difficulty in inducing the dog to follow him to the lower regions of the house where he could shut him up and prevent him from further importuning his master. Scarcely had Antonio's figure disappeared down the passage when the mastiff began to whine in an uneasy manner and to scratch against his master's door. Disturbed by the noise and astonished that his faithful valet had disregarded his injunctions Sir Harry got up and opened the door on which the mastiff pushed past him into the room with so resolute a movement that his master could not prevent his entrance. The instant he got into the room the dog's uneasiness seemed to disappear. Ceasing to whine he made for the corner of the room where the bed stood in a deep alcove and crouching down he slunk beneath it with an evident determination to pass the night there. Much astonished Sir Harry was too sleepy to contest the point with the dog and allowed him to remain under the bed without making any further attempt to dislodge him from the strange and unfamiliar resting place he had chosen. When the valet returned shortly after with a piece of meat with which he hoped to tempt the mastiff downstairs he found the mat deserted. He assumed that the dog had abandoned his caprice of being outside his master's door and had betaken himself to his usual haunts in the basement rooms and passages of the house. Whether from the unaccustomed presence of the dog in his room or from some other cause Sir Harry Lee was a long time in going to sleep that night. He heard the different clocks in the house strike midnight and then one o'clock and as he lay awake watching the flickering light of the fire playing on the old furniture and on the dark panels of the wainscot he felt an increasing sense of irritation against the dog whose low regular breathing showed that he at any rate was sleeping soundly. Towards two in the morning Sir Harry must have fallen into a deep sleep for he was quite unconscious of the sound of stealthy steps creeping along the stone corridor and pausing a moment on the mat outside his room. Then the handle of the door was softly turned and the door itself moving on its well oiled hinges was gently pushed inward. In another moment there was a tremendous scuffle beneath the bed and with a great bound the mastiff flung himself on the intruder and pinned him to the floor. Startled by the unexpected sounds and thoroughly aroused Sir Harry jumped up and hastily lit a candle. Before him on the floor lay Antonio with the mastiff standing over him uttering his fierce growls and showing his teeth in a dangerous manner. Stealthily the Italian stole out his hand along the floor to conceal something sharp and gleaming that had fallen from him on the dog's unexpected onslaught but a savage snarl from Leo warned him to keep perfectly still. Calling off the mastiff who instantly obeyed the sound of his master's voice though with bristling hair and stiffened tail he still kept his eyes fixed on the Italian. Sir Harry demanded from the valet the cause of his unexpected intrusion into his bedroom at that hour and in that way. There was so much embarrassment and hesitation in Antonio's reply that Sir Harry's suspicions were aroused. In the meantime the unusual sounds at that hour of the night had awakened the household. Servants came hurrying along the passage to their master's room. Confronted by so many witnesses the Italian became terrified and objected and stammered out such contradictory statements that it was impossible to get at the truth of his story. And Sir Harry saw that the only course open to him was to have the man examined and tried by the magistrate. At the examination the wretched valet confessed that he had entered his master's room with the intention of murdering and robbing him and had only been prevented by the unexpected attack of the mastiff. Among the family pictures in the possession of the family of the earls of Litchfield the descendants of Sir Harry Lee there is a full length portrait of the knight with his hand on the head of the mastiff and beneath this legend more faithful than favored. End of section 48 recording by Sophia Koshik. Section 49 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 Sophia Koshik. The Animal Storybook. Edited by Andrew Lang. Dolphins Turtles and Cod. Stories from Audubon by Robert Williams Buchanan. In the excellent life of Mr. Audubon the American naturalist some curious stories are to be found respecting the kinds of fish that he met with in his voyages through the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico. Audubon's remarks about the habits of dolphins are especially interesting and will be read with pleasure by everybody who cares for the sea and all that in them is. Dolphins abound in the Gulf of Mexico and the neighboring seas and are constantly to be seen chasing flying fish which are their food. Flying fish can swim more rapidly than the dolphins which of course are far larger creatures but if they find themselves much outnumbered and in danger of being surrounded they spread the fins that serve them for wings and fly through the air for a short distance. At first this movement throws out the dolphins who are unable to follow the example of their prey but they soon contrive to keep up with the flying fish by giving great bounds into the air and as the flying fish's powers are soon exhausted it is not long before the hunt comes to an end and the dolphin sees the fish as they tumble into the sea. Sailors are fond of catching dolphins and generally bait their hooks with a piece of shark's flesh. When the fish is taken its friends stay around it till the last moment only swimming away as the dolphin is hauled on board. For its size which is generally about three feet long and has rarely been known to exceed four feet the dolphin has a remarkably good appetite and sometimes he eats so much that he is unable to escape from his enemy the bottle-nosed porpoise. A dolphin that was caught in the Gulf of Mexico was opened by the sailors and inside him were counted 22 flying fish each one six or seven inches long and all arranged quite neatly with their tails foremost. Before they have their dinner they are full of fun and their beautiful blue and gold bodies may often be seen leaping and bounding and diving about the ship a sight which the sailors always declare portenza gale. Indeed the stories to which dolphins give rise are many and strange. The negroes believe that if a silver coin fried or boiled in the same waters the fish will turn into copper if the dolphin is in a state unfit for food but as no one can swear that he has ever seen the transmutation of the metal it may be suspected that the tail was invented by the cook for the sake of getting an extra dollar. About 80 miles from the peninsula of florida are a set of low sandy banks known as the tortuga or turtle islands from the swarms of turtles which lay their eggs in the sand and are eagerly sought for by traders. Turtles are of many sorts but the green turtle is considered the best and is boiled down into soup which is both rich and strengthening. They are cautious creatures and never approach the shore in the daylight or without watching carefully for some time to see if the coast is indeed clear. They may be seen on quiet moonlight nights in the months of May and June lying 30 or 40 yards from the beach listening intently and every now and then making a loud hissing noise intended to frighten any enemies that may be lurking near. If their quick ears detect any sound however faint they instantly dive and swim to some other place but if nothing is stirring they land on the shore and crawl slowly about with the aid of their flappers until they find a spot that seems suitable for the hatching of their eggs which often numbered 200 late at one time. The operations are begun by the turtle scooping out a hole in the burning sand by means of her hind flappers using them each by turns and throwing up the sand into a kind of rampart behind her. This is done so quickly that in less than 10 minutes she will often have dug a hole varying from 18 inches to two feet. When the eggs are carefully placed in separate layers the loose sand is laid over them and the hole not only completely hidden but made to look exactly like the rest of the beach so that no one could ever tell that the surface had been disturbed at all. Then the turtle goes away and leaves the hot sand to do the rest. In course of time the young turtles hardly bigger than a five shilling piece leave their shells and make their way to the water unless before they are hatched their nest has been discovered by men or by the cougars and other wild animals who feed greedily on them. If they belong to the tribe of the green turtles they will at once begin to seek for sea plants and especially a kind of grass which they bite off near the roots so as to get the tenderest parts. If they are young hawkbills they will nibble the seaweed and soon go on to crabs and shellfish and even little fishes. The logger heads grow a sharp beak which enables them to crack the great conch shells and dig out the fish that lives inside while the trunk turtle which is often of an immense size but with a very soft body loves sea urchins and shellfish. All of them can swim so fast that they often seem to be flying and it needs much quickness of eye and hand to spear them in the water. Even to catch them on shore is a matter of great difficulty and in general more than one man is required for the service. The turtle is raised up from behind by a man on his knee pushing with all his might against her shoulder but this has to be done with great caution or else the hunter may get badly bitten. When the turtle is fully raised up she is thrown over on her back and like a sheep in a similar position can seldom recover herself without help. The turtles when caught are put into an enclosure of logs with a sandy or muddy bottom through which the tide flows and here they are kept and fed by their captors until they are ready for the market. Unlike most creatures their price is out of all proportion to their weight and a loggerhead turtle weighing 700 pounds has been known to cost no more than a green turtle of 30. Early in May and well into June the seas extending northwards from Maine to Labrador are alive with ships just starting for the cod fishing. Their vessels are mostly small but well stocked and a large part of the space below is filled with casks some full of salt and others empty. These empty ones are reserved for the oil that is procured from the cod. Every morning as soon as it is light some of the crew of each ship enters a small boat which can be sailed or rowed as is found necessary. When they reach the cod banks every man boards up part of his boat for the fish when cod and then takes a stand at the end with two lines baited at the opening of the season with salted mussels and later with gannets or caplings. These lines are dropped into the sea on either side of the boat and when the gun whale is almost touching the water and it is dangerous to put in any more fish they give up work for the morning and return to the harbor. In general fishing is a silent occupation but cod fishers are a rather talkative race and have bets with each other as to the amount of the takes of the respective crews. When they get back to their vessels often anchored eight or ten miles away they find that the men who have been left behind have set up long tables on deck, carried the salt barrels on shore, placed all ready the casks for the livers and cleared the hold of everything but a huge wedge of salt for the salting. Then after dinner some of the men row back to the cod banks while the others set about cleaning salting and packing the fish so as to be quite finished when the men return from their second journey. It is almost always midnight before the work is done and the men can turn in for their three hours sleep. If, as often happens, the halls have been very large the supply soon threatens to become exhausted so on Sunday the captain sails off for a fresh bank. Then the men who are laziest or most unskillful in the matter of fishing take out the cargo that has already been salted and lay it out on scaffolds which have been set up on the rocks. When the sun has dried the fish for some time they are turned over and this process is repeated several times in the day. In the evening they are piled up into large stacks and protected from the rain and wind. In July the men's work is in one way less hard than before for this is the seizing when the caplings arrive to spawn upon the shores and where caplings are cod are sure to follow. Now great nets are used with one end fastened to the land and these nets will sometimes produce 20 or 30,000 fish at a hull. With so many men engaged in the cod fishing and considering the number of diseases to which cod are subject it is perhaps quite as well that each fish should lay such a vast supply of eggs. Though out of the eight million laid by one fish which have been counted it is calculated that from various causes only about a hundred thousand come to maturity. End of section 49 recording by Sophia Kaushik. Section 50 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. More about elephants. From The Wild Elephant by Sir James Emerson Tennant. Long, long ago, when the moon was still young and some of the stars that we know best were only gradually coming into sight, the earth was covered all over with a tangle of huge trees and gigantic ferns which formed the homes of all sorts of enormous beasts. There were no men, only great animals and immense lizards whose skeletons may still be found embedded in rocks or frozen deep down among the Siberian marshes. Four, after the period of fearful heat, when everything grew rampant, even in the very north, there came a time of equally intense cold when every living creature perished in many parts of the world. When the ice which crushed down life on the earth began to melt and the sun once more had powered a pierced the thick cold mists that had shrouded the world, animals might have been seen slowly creeping about the young trees and fresh green pastures, but their forms were no longer the same as they once were. The enormous frames of all sorts of huge monsters and the great lizard called the ichthyosaurus had been replaced by smaller and more graceful creatures who could move lightly and easily through this new world. But changed though it seemed to be, one beast still remained to tell the story of those strange old times, and that was the elephant. Now anybody who has ever stood behind a big clumsy cart horse going up a hill cannot fail to have been struck with its likeness to an elephant, and it is quite true that elephants and horses are nearly related. Of course in the east, where countries are so big and marches are so long, it is necessary to have an animal to ride of more strength and endurance than a horse, and so elephants, who are, when well treated, as gentle as they are strong, were very early trained as beasts of burden, or even as men of war. In their wild condition, they have a great many curious habits. They roam about the forests of India or Africa in herds, and each herd is a real family who have had a common grandfather. The elephants are very particular as to the number of their herd. It is never less than 10 or more than 21, but being very sociable, they easily get on terms of civility with other herds, and several of these groups may be seen moving together towards some special pond or feeding ground. But friendly as they often are, each clan keeps itself as proudly distinct from the rest as if they were all Highlanders. Any unlucky elephant who has lost his own herd, and tries to attach himself to a new one, is scouted and beaten away by every member of the tribe, till, like a man who is punished and scorned for misfortunes he cannot help, the poor animal grows desperate and takes to evil courses, and is hunted down under the name of a rogue. Elephants have a great idea of law and order, and carefully choose a leader who is either strong enough or clever enough to protect the herd against its enemies. Even a female has sometimes been chosen, if her wisdom has been superior to that of the rest. But male or female, the leader once fixed upon, the herd never fails to give him absolute obedience, and will suffer themselves to be killed in their efforts to save his life. As everyone knows, during the driest season in India, water becomes very scarce, and even the artificial tanks that have been built for reservoirs are very soon empty. About the middle of this century, an English officer, Major Skinner by name, had drawn up to rest on the embankment of a small Indian tank, which, low though it was, contained the only water to be found for a great distance, on three sides of the tank there was a clearing. But on the fourth lay a very thick wood, where the herd lay encamped all day, waiting for darkness to fall, so that they might all go to drink. Major Skinner knew the habits of elephants well, and what to expect of them, so he sent all his natives to sleep, and climbed himself into a large tree that sheltered the tank at one corner. However, it appeared that the elephants were unusually cautious that night, for he sat in his tree for two hours before a sound was heard, though they had been lively enough as long as the sun was shining. Suddenly a huge elephant forced his way through the thickest part of the forest, and advanced slowly to the tank, his ears at full cock, and his eyes glancing stealthily around. He gazed longingly at the water for some minutes, but did not attempt to drink. Perhaps he felt it would be a mean advantage to take of his comrades, and then he quietly retraced his steps backwards till he had put about a hundred yards between himself and the water. When five elephants came out of a jungle and joined him, these he led forward, listening carefully as before, and placed them at certain spots where they could command a view both of the open country and the forests. This done, and the safety of the others provided for, he went to fetch the main body of the herd, which happened to be four or five times as large as usual. Silently, as if preparing for an assault, the whole of this immense body marched up to where the scouts were standing, when a halt was signaled, so that the leader might for the last time make sure that no hidden danger in the shape of man, lion, or tiger awaited them. Then permission was given, and with a joyful toss of their trunks in the air, in they dashed, drinking, wallowing, and rolling over with delight, till one would have thought it had been years since they had tasted a drop of water, or known the pleasures of a bath. From his perch in the tree, Major Skinner had been watching with interest the movement of the herd, and when he saw that they had really had their fill, he gently broke a little twig and threw it on the ground. It seemed hardly possible that such a tiny sound could reach the ears of those great tumbling, sucking bodies, but in one instant they were all out of the tank and tearing towards the forest, almost carrying the little ones between them. Of course, it is not always that elephants can find tanks without traveling many hundreds of miles after them, and on these occasions their wonderful sagacity comes to their aid. They will pause on the banks of some dried up river, now nothing but a sandy tract, and feel instinctively that underneath that sand is the water for which they thirst. But then how to get at it? The elephants know, as well as any engineer, that if they tried to dig a hole straight down, the weight of their bodies would pull down the whole side of the pit with them. So that is of no use. In order to get round this difficulty, long experience has taught them that they must make one side to their well a gentle slope, and when this is done they can wait with perfect comfort for the water whose appearance on the surface is only a question of time. Much might be written about the likes and dislikes of elephants, which seem as ruled to be as motiveless as the likes and dislikes of human beings. Till they are tamed and treated kindly by some particular person, elephants show a decided objection to human beings, and in Ceylon have a greater repugnance to a white skin than to a brown one. In fact, they are shy of anything new or strange, but will put up with any animal to which they are accustomed. Elks, pigs, deer, and buffaloes are their feeding companions, and the elephants take no more notice of their presence than if they were so many canaries. Indeed, as far as can be gathered, the elephant is much more afraid of the little domestic animals with which it is quite unacquainted than of the huge vegetable-eating beasts with which both it and its forefathers were on intimate terms. Goats and sheep it eyes with annoyance. They are new creatures, and were never seen in jungles or forests. But, bad as they might be, dogs, the shadows of men, were worse still. They were so quick, so lively, and had such hideous high voices, which they were always using, not keeping them for special occasions like any self-respecting quadruped. Really, they might almost as well be parrots with their incessant chatter. But of all kinds of dogs, surely the one called Scotch Terrier was the most alarming and detestable. One day, an animal of this species actually seized the trunk of an elephant in its teeth, and the elephant was so surprised and frightened that it fell on its knees at once. At this, the dog was a little frightened, too, and let go, but recovered itself again as the elephant. But recovered itself again as the elephant rose slowly to its feet and prepared to charge afresh. The elephant, not knowing what to make of it, backed in alarm, hitting out at the dog with its front paws, but taking care to keep his wounded trunk well beyond its reach. At last, between fright and annoyance, he lost his head completely, and would have fairly run away if the keeper had not come in and put a stop to the dog's fun. If Aesop had known elephants, or Scotch Terriers, he might have made a fable out of this. But they had not visited Greece in his day. End of Section 50. Bungie by Mr. Jesse. Bungie from Jesse's British Dogs. During the reigns of Queen Elizabeth and James, there lived a brave and accomplished knight called Sir John Harrington, who had been knighted on the field of battle by the famous Earl of Essex, and had translated into English a long poem by an Italian called Eriosto. But busy though he was in so many ways, Sir John still had time to spare for his raw dog, Bungie, and in the year 1608 he writes a long letter to Prince Henry, elder brother of Charles I. Full of the strange doings of his favourite, Bungie seems to have been used by Sir John as a sort of carrier pigeon, and he tells how he would go from Bath to Greenwich, Palace, to deliver up to the court there such matters as were entrusted to his care. The nobles of the court made much of him, and sometimes gave him errands of their own, and it was never told to their Lady Queen that this messenger did ever blab, ought concerning his high trust, as others have done in more special matters. More wonderful even than this was his behaviour concerning two sacks of wheat, which Bungie had been commissioned by Sir John's servant comb, to carry back from Bath to his own house at Kelston, a few miles distant. The sacks were tied round the dog's body by cords, but on the way the cords got loose, and Bungie, clever though he was, could not tie them up again. However he was not beaten, and hiding one flasket, in some bushes, that grew nearby, he bore the other in his teeth to Kelston, and then returning fetched the hidden one out of the rushes, and arrived with it in good time for dinner. Sir John is plainly rather afraid that Prince Henry might not quite believe this instance of sagacity, for he adds, Here it, your Highness, may perchance marvel and doubt, but we have living testimony of those who wrought in the fields, and aspired his work, and now live to tell they did much long to play the dog, and give stowage to the wine themselves, but they did refrain, and watched the passing of this whole business. As may be well guessed, the fame of Bungie's talents soon spread, and then, as now, there were many dog-stealers in the country. On one occasion, as Sir John was riding from Bath to London, Bungie was tempted to leave his side by the sight of a pond swarming with wild duck or mallard. Unluckily other people besides Bungie thought it good sport to hunt wild vowel, and did not mind seizing valuable dogs, so hope Bungie was caught and bound, till it could be settled who would give the highest price for him. At last his captors decided that they would take him to London, which was not very far off, and trust to chance for finding a buyer. As it happened, the Spanish ambassador was on the lookout for a dog of that very kind, and he was so pleased with Bungie that he readily agreed to give him the large sum asked by the men who brought him. Now Bungie was a dog who always made the best of things, and as Sir John tells the Prince, such was the court he did pay to the dawn, that he was no less in good liking there than at home. In fact, everybody grew so fond of him that when after six weeks Sir John discovered where he was and laid claim to him, no one in the house could be prevailed on to give him up. Poor Sir John, who, as we know, was very much attached to Bungie, was at his wit's end. What to do? When it suddenly occurred to him to let the dog himself prove who was his real master. So having the ambassadors lead to what he wished in the matter, he called all the company together at dinner time and bade Bungie going to the hall where dinner was already served and bring a pheasant from the dish. This, as Sir John says, created such mirth, but much more when he returned at my commandment to the table and put it again in the same cover. After such a proof there was no more to be said, and Sir John was allowed to be the dog's master. But Bungie's life was not destined to be a very long one, and his death was strange and sudden, as he and his master were once more on the road from London to Bath on their return journey. He began jumping up on the horse's neck, and was more earnest and fawning and courting my notice than what I had observed from time back, and after my chiding, his disturbing my passing forward. He gave me some glances of such affection as he moved me to cajole him, but alas! He crept suddenly into a thorny break and died in a short time. It is impossible to guess what kind of illness caused the death of poor Bungie, but it is pleasant to think that Sir John never forgot him, and also loved to talk of him to his friends. Now, let Ulysses praise his dog Argus, he writes to Prince Henry, or Tobit, be led by that dog whose name doth not appear. Yet could I say such things of my Bungie as might shame them both, either for good faith, clear wit, or wonderful deeds? To say no more than I have said of his bearing letters to London and Greenwich, more than a hundred miles. As I doubt not, but your highness would love my dog, if not myself. I have been thus tedious in his story, and again say that all the dogs near your father's court, not one half more love, more diligence to please, or less pay for pleasing, than him I write of. Please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Rebecca Zimmerman, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Although it would not be safe to put oneself into the power of a lion, trusting to its generosity to make friends, there are a great many stories of the kindness of lions to other creatures, which are perfectly true. One day, more than a hundred years ago, a lion cub only three months old was caught in one of the great forests near the river Senegal, and brought to a Frenchman as a gift. The Frenchman, who was fond of animals, undertook to train it, and as the cub was very gentle and quiet, this was easily done. He soon grew very fond of his master, and enjoyed being petted, both by him and his friends, and what was more strange in a beast whose forefathers had passed all their lives in solitude. The lion hated being by himself. The more the merrier was clearly his motto, and whether the company consisted of dogs, cats, ducks, sheep, geese, or monkeys, which were his bedfellows, or men and women, did not matter to him. And you may imagine his joy when one night, as he went to bed, he found two little newborn pups in his straw. He was quite as pleased as if he had been their mother. Indeed, he would hardly let the mother go near them, and when one of them died, he showed his grief in every possible way, and became still more attached to its brother. After six months, the lion, now more than a year old, was sent off to France, still with the little pup for company. At first his keepers thought that the strangeness of everything would make him frightened and savage, but he took it quite calmly, and was soon allowed to roam about the ship as he pleased. Even when he landed at Avra, he only had a rope attached to his collar, so he was brought to Versailles, the pup trotting happily by his side. Unfortunately, however, the climate of Europe did not agree with the dog as with the lion, for he gradually wasted away, and died. To the terrible grief of his friend, indeed he was so unhappy that another dog was put into the cage to make up for the lost one, but this dog was not used to lions, and only knew that they were said to be savage beasts, so he tried to hide himself. The lion, who sorrow as often happens, only made him irritable in cross, was provoked by the dog's want of confidence in his kindness, and just gave him one pat with his paw, which killed him on this spot. But still he continued so sad that the keepers made another effort, and this time the dog behaved with more sense, and coached the lion into making friends. The two lived happily together for many years, and the lion recovered some of his spirits, but he never forgot his first companion, or was quite the same lion again. Many hundreds of miles south of Senegal, a hot and Todd, who lived in Namaqualand, was one evening driving down a herd of his master's cattle, to drink in a pool of water, which was fenced in by two steep walls of rock. It had been a particularly hot summer, and the water was scarce, so the pool was lower than usual, and it was not until the whole herd had gotten close to the brink that the hot and Todd noticed a huge lion, lying right in the water, preparing to spring. The hot and Todd, thinking as well as his fright would let him think at all, that anything would serve as supper for the lion, dashed straight through the herd and made as fast as he could for some trees at a little distance, but a low roar behind him told him that he had been wrong in his calculations, and that the lion was of opinion, that man was nicer than bull. So he fled along as quickly as his trembling legs would let him, and just reached one of the trees, a lows in which some steps had been cut by the natives, as the lion bounded into the air. However, the man swung himself out of his enemy's range, and the lion fell flat upon the ground. Now the branches of the tree were covered with hundreds of nests, of a kind of bird called the sociable grass-beak, and it was to get these nests that the natives had cut in the smooth trunk the steps which had provided the salvation of the hot and Todd. Behind the shelter of the nests the hot and Todd cowered, hoping that when he was no longer seen the lion would forget him, and go in search of other prey. But the lion seemed inclined to do nothing of the sort. For a long while he walked round and round the tree, and when he got tired of that he lay down, resolved to tire the man out. The hot and Todd, hearing no sound, peep cautiously out, to see if his foe was still there, and almost tumbled down in terror to meet the eyes of the lion glaring into his, so the two remained all through the night, and through the next day. But when sunset came the lion could bear his dreadful thirst no longer, and trotted off to the nearest spring to drink. Then the hot and Todd saw his chance and leaving his hiding-place, he ran like lightning to his home, which was only a mile distant. But the lion did not yield without a struggle, and traces were afterward found of his having returned to the tree, and then scented the man to within three hundred yards of his hut. The ship Roxalana of Merci lay anchored in the Bay of Luando, which as we all know is situated in South Guinea. The Roxalana was a merchant vessel, and a brisk traffic had been going on for some time with the exchange of the European goods with which the ship had been laden, for ivory and other native produce. All hands were very busy getting on board the various provisions and other stores needed for a long voyage, for it was in the days of sailing vessels only, and it would be some time before they could hope to return to Merci. Now the captain of the Roxalana was a mighty hunter, and seeing that all was going on well under the first officer's direction, he took his gun and a holiday, and went up country for one more day's sport. He was as successful as he was brave, and he had the great good luck to meet a tiger, a young hippopotamus, and a boa constrictor. All these terrible creatures fell before the unerring aim of the Provincial Nimrod, and after so adventurous a morning's work, the captain naturally began to feel tired and hungry, so he sat down under the shade of some trees to rest, and have some lunch. He drew a flask of rum out of one pocket, and having uncorked it, placed it on his right side. From his other pocket he produced a large guava, which he laid on his left side, and finally he drew a great wedge of ship biscuit from his game bag and put it between his knees. Then he took out his tobacco pouch and began to fill his pipe, so as to have it ready at hand when he had finished his meal. Imagine his surprise when, having filled his pipe, he found the flask had been upset, and the guava had disappeared. I'm afraid the captain made use of some very strong language, but there was nothing for it but to make the best of the biscuit, the sole relic of his feast. As he munched it he warily turned his head from side to side, watching for the thief, when all of a sudden something fell upon his head. The captain put up his hand and found the skin of his guava. Then he raised his eyes and saw a monkey dancing for joy at his own pranks in the tree just above him. As I have already shown, the captain was an excellent shot. Without stirring from his seat he took up his gun and with a shot snapped the end of the branch on which his persecutor was sitting. Down came the branch and the monkey, and the captain at once captured the ladder before it had time to recover from the surprise of its rapid fall. He was small and quite young, only half grown, but of a rather rare kind, as the captain who had an ever-ready eye to the main chance at once perceived. He said, This little fellow will be worth fifty francs if he is worth a farthing by the time we get back to Marseille. So saying he popped the monkey into his game-bag and buttoned it carefully up. Then feeling that a piece of biscuit was not quite a sufficient lunch after the fatigue of his morning sports, he retraced his steps and returned to his ship in company with his monkey, whom he named Jaco. Before leaving Loando the captain, who was fond of pets, bought a beautiful white cockatoo with a saffron crest and jet black beak. Catacua, that was his harmonious name, was indeed a lovely creature and extremely accomplished into the bargain. He spoke French, English, and Spanish equally well, and sang God Save the King and the Marseille and the Spanish National Anthem with great perfection. The aptitude for languages made him a ready pupil, and his vocabulary was largely increased by daily association with the crew of the Roxalana, so that before they had been very long at sea, Catacua swore freely in the purist provincial to the delight and admiration of his captain. The captain was very fond of his two pets, and every morning after inspecting the crew and giving each man his orders for the day, he would go up to Catacua's cage, followed by Jaco, and give the cockatoo a lesson. When this was well said, he would reward his pupil by sticking a lump of sugar between the wires of the cage, a reward which delighted Catacua, whilst it filled Jaco with jealousy. He too loved sugar, and the moment the captain's back was turned, he would draw near the cage and pull and pinch to the lump of sugar, generally changed its destination, to the despair of Catacua, who, crest erect and with brandish claw, rent the air with shrieks of rage mingled with angry oaths. Jaco, meanwhile, stood by, affecting an innocent air, and gently sucking the sugar which he had stowed away in one of his pouches. Unluckily none of Catacua's owners had taught him to cry, stop thief, and he soon realized that if Jaco were to be punished, he must see to it himself. So one day, when the monkey, after safely abstracting the sugar, pushed a paw between the bars of the cage to gather up some remaining crumbs, Catacua, who was gently swinging, head down, and apparently unconscious of what was going on, suddenly caught Jaco's thumb in his beak and bit it to the bone. Jaco uttered a piercing screech, rushed to the rigging, and climbed as far as he could, when he paused, clinging on by three paws and piteously brandishing the forth in the air. Dinner time came and the captain whistled for Jaco, but contrary to all customs, no Jaco came. The captain whistled again, and this time he thought he heard an answering sound, which seemed to come from the sky. He raised his eyes and beheld Jaco, still waving his injured paw. Then began an exchange of signals, with the result that Jaco firmly refused to come down. Now the captain had trained his crew to habits of implicit obedience and had no notion of having his orders resisted by a monkey, so he took his speaking trumpet and called for double mouth. Double mouth was the cook's boy, and he had well earned his nickname by the manner in which he took advantage of his culinary position to make one meal before the usual dinner hour, without its interfering in the least with his enjoyment of a second at the proper time. At the captain's call double mouth climbed on deck from the cook's galley and timidly approached his chief. The captain, who never wasted words on his subordinates, pointed to Jaco, and double mouth at once began to give chase with an activity which proved that the captain had chosen well. As a matter of fact, Jaco and double mouth were dear friends, the bond of sympathy which united them being one of greediness, for many a nice morsel Jaco had to thank the cook's boy for. So when the monkey saw who was coming instead of trying to escape him, he ran to meet him, and in a few minutes the two friends, one in the other's arms, returned to the deck where the captain awaited them. The captain's one treatment for wounds of all kinds consisted of a compress steeped in some spirit, so he at once dipped a piece of rag and rum and bandaged the patient's thumb with it. The sting of the alcohol on the wound made Jaco dance with pain, but noticing that the moment the captain's back was turned double mouth rapidly swallowed the remains of the liquid in which the rag had been dipped, he realized that however painful as addressing it might possibly be agreeable to the palate. He stretched out his tongue, and very delicately touched the bandage with its tip. It was certainly rather nice, and he licked more boldly. By degrees the taste grew on him, and he ended by putting his thumb, bandage and all, into his mouth and sucking it bodily. The result was that, the captain having ordered the bandage to be wedded every ten minutes, by the end of a couple hours Jaco began to blink and to roll his head, and as the treatment continued he had at length to be carried off by double mouth, who laid him on his own bed. Jaco slept without stirring for some hours. When he woke the first thing which met his eyes was double mouth, busy plucking a fowl. This was a new sight, but Jaco seemed to be particularly struck by it on this occasion. He got up from the bed and came near, his eyes steadily fixed on the fowl, and carefully watched how the whole operation proceeded. When it was ended, feeling his head a little heavy still, he went on deck to take the air. The weather was so settled, and the wind so favorable that the captain thought it only a waste to keep the poultry on board alive too long, so he gave orders that a bird should be served daily for his dinner in addition to his usual rations. Soon after a great cackling was heard amongst the hencoops, and Jaco climbed down from the yard where he was perched at such a rate, that one might have thought he was hastening to the rescue. He tore into the kitchen, where he found double mouth already plucking a newly killed fowl, till not an atom of down was left on it. Jaco showed the deepest interest in the process, and on returning to the deck he, for the first time since his accident, approached Katakwa's cage, carefully keeping beyond range of his beak however. After strolling several times around, he at last seized a favorable moment and clutching hold of one of Katakwa's tail feathers, pulled hard till it came out regardless of the Kakatu's screams and flapping. This trifling experiment caused Jaco the greatest delight, and he fell to dancing on all fours, jumping up and falling back on the same spot, which all his life was the way in which he showed his supreme content about anything. Meantime the ship had long lost sight of land, and was in full sail in mid-ocean. It appeared unnecessary to the captain, therefore, to keep his Kakatu shut up in a cage, so he opened the door and released the prisoner, there being no means of escaping beyond the ship. Katakwa instantly took advantage of his freedom to climb to the top of one of the masts, where, with every appearance of rapture, he proceeded to regale the ship's company with his entire large and very vocabulary, making quite as much noise by himself as all the five and twenty sailors who formed his audience. Whilst this exhibition was taking place on deck, a different scene was being enacted below. Jaco had as usual approached Doublemouth at plucking time, but this time the lad, who had noticed the extreme attention with which the monkey watched him, thought that possibly there might be some Latin talent in him, which was a pity not to develop. Doublemouth was one of those prompt and energetic persons who waste no time between an idea and its execution. Accordingly, he quietly closed the door, put a whip into his pocket in case of need, and handed Jaco the duck he was about to pluck, adding a significant touch to the handle of the whip as a hint. But Jaco needed neither hint nor urging. Without more ado, he took the duck, placed it between his knees as he had seen his tutor do, and fell to with a will. As he found the feathers giving place to down and the down to skin, he became quite enthusiastic, so much so that when his task was done, he felt a dancing for joy exactly as he had done the day before by Katakwa's cage. Doublemouth was overjoyed for his part. He only regretted not having utilized Jaco's talent sooner, but he determined to do so regularly in the future. Next day the same operation took place, and on the third day, Doublemouth, recognizing Jaco's genius, took off his own apron and tied it around his pupil, to whom from that moment on he resigned the charge of prepping the poultry for the spit. Jaco showed himself worthy of the confidence placed in him, and by the end of a week he had quite distance to his teacher and skill and quickness. Meantime the ship was nearing the equator. It was a peculiarly sultry day, when the very sky seemed to sink beneath its own weight. Not a creature was on deck, but the man at the helm and Katakwa in the shrouds. The captain had flung himself into his hammock and was smoking his pipe, whilst Doublemouth fanned him with a peacock's tail. Even Jaco seemed overcome by the heat, and instead of plucking his fowl, as usual, he had placed it on a chair, taken off his apron and appeared lost in slumber or meditation. His reverie, however, did not last long. He opened his eyes, glanced round him, picked up a feather which he first stuck carelessly in his mouth, and then dropped, and at length began to slowly climb the ladder leading on deck, pausing and loitering at each step. He found the deck deserted, which apparently pleased him, as he gave two or three little jumps, whilst he glanced about to look for Katakwa, who, with much gesticulation, was singing God Save the King at the top of his voice. Then Jaco seemed to forget his rival's existence altogether, and began lazily to climb the rigging on the opposite side, where he indulged in various exercises, swinging by his tail head down, and generally appearing to have only come with a view to gymnastics. At length, seeing that Katakwa took no notice of him, he quietly sidled that way, and at the very moment that the performance of the English national anthem was at its height, he seized the singer firmly with his left hand just where the wings joined the body. Katakwa uttered a wild note of terror, but no one was sufficiently awake to hear it. By all the winds of heaven exclaimed the captain suddenly, here's a phenomenon snow under the equator. No, said Doublemouth. That's not snow, that's, ah, you rascal, and he rushed toward the companion. Well, what is it then? asked the captain, rising in his hammock. What is it? cried Doublemouth from the top of the ladder. It's Jaco plucking Katakwa. The captain was on deck in two bounds, and with a shout of rage roused the whole crew from their slumbers. Well, he roared to Doublemouth, what are you about standing there? Come, be quick. Doublemouth did not wait to be told twice, but was up the rigging like a squirrel. Only the faster he climbed, the faster Jaco plucked, until, when the rescuer reached the spot, it was a sadly bare bird which he tore from Jaco's vindictive hands and carried back to his master. Needless to say, the Jaco was in dire disgrace after this exploit. However, in time he was forgiven, and often amused the captain and crew with his pranks. When the Roxalana reached Marseille after a quick and prosperous voyage, he was sold for seventy five francs to Eugene Isbe, the painter, who gave him to Flareau for a Turkish hookah, who in turn exchanged him for a Greek gun with Descomes. End of section 53, recording by Rebecca Zimmerman. Section 54 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 Eddie Chigosi. The Animal Storybook. Edited by Andrew Lang. Sinora and Laurie by Dosh Blatter. A gentleman living in Gustro, in Mecklenburg, who was very fond of animals, possessed a fine parrot which had beautiful plumage and could talk better than most of his kind. Besides the parrot, he had a pudo called Sinora Patti, after the great singer, whom the gentleman had once had when he was upon a visit to Rostock. After his return home, he bestowed the name upon his dear pudo. Under the tuition of her master, the pudo began to be an artist in her way. There was no trick performed by dogs too difficult for her to learn. The parrot, whose name was Laurie, paid the greatest attention whilst the Sinora's lessons were going on, and soon he had all the vocabulary which the Sinora carried in her head, not only in his memory but on his tongue. When the dog was told by her master to go to the baker, then Laurie could croak out the words also. Sinora Patti would hasten to fetch the little basket, sit herself before her master, and looking up at him with her wise eyes, scraped gently upon the floor with her paw, which signified, please put in the money. Her master dropped in a few coins and Sinora ran quickly to the baker with the basket and brought it back filled with little cakes. Placing it before her master, she awaited her reward, a good share of the dainties. Often for a variety in the lessons, she had to go to the baker without money. Then her master simply gave the order, on tick, and the Sinora, who knew that the cakes would be sent, obeyed the command at once. The parrot made a droll use of these practising, turning to account his knowledge of speech in the slyest way. If he found himself alone with the pudo, who was perhaps comfortably stretched on her cushion, Laurie would cry, imitating his master's voice, as if he quite understood the joke. Go out! Poor party would get up in obedience to the order and slink out of the door with her ears drooping, and immediately Laurie would whistle, just in the tune used by his master, and the Sinora then returned joyfully into the room. But it was not only for past time that Laurie exercised his gift. The cunning bird used it for the benefit of his greedy beak. It began to happen often to the master to find that his private account book, carefully kept in the smallest details, did not agree well with that of his neighbour the baker. The Sinora declared the baker had become most accomplished in the art of running up a long bill, and always, of course, at her master's orders. Only he, the master, when he looked over the reckoning, growled to himself, my neighbour is a rogue. He chalks up the amount double. How very much was he astonished then, and how quickly were his suspicions turned into laughter, when he beheld, through a half-open door, the following absurd scene. It was one fine morning, and Laurie sat upon the top of his cage, calling out in his shrillest tones, Sinora, Sinora! The puddle hastened to present herself before him, wagging her tail, and Laurie continued, go to the baker. The Sinora fetched the little basket from its place, and put it before her tyrant, scratching her paw on the floor to ask for money. On tick was Laurie's prompt and brief remark. The Sinora seized the basket and rushed out of the door. Before long, she returned, laid the basket full of little cakes before the parrot, and looked with a besieging air for the reward of her toil. But the wicked Laurie received her with a sharp get-out, putting her to flight, and proceeded to enjoy his ill-gotten gains in solitude. The Animal Story Book, edited by Andrew Lange, of the Linnet Popinjay, or Parrot, and other birds that can speak. The Linnets be, in manner, the best birds of all others, however they are very docile. Do they, well whatsoever, they are taught and bitten, not only with their voice, but also with their feet and bills, as if they were hands. In the territory about Ardeate, Arleys, there is a bird called Taurus, because it loaths like a bull or coy, for otherwise a small bird it is. There is another, also named Anthos, which likewise resembleeth the naeing of horses, and if happily by the approach of horses, they be driven from their grass, whereof they feed, they will seem to nae, and upon them, chase them away, and be revenged of them again. But above all other birds of the air, the Parrots pass for counterfeeding a man's voice, in so much as they will seem to parlay, and pray it, our very speech. This foul cometh out of the indies, it is all the body overgreen. Only it hath a collar about the neck, off for million red, different from the rest of her feathers. The Parrot can skill to select emperors, and bid good morrow, yea, and to pronounce what words she heareth. She loatheth whine well, and when she hath drunk freely, it is very pleasant and playful. She hath on head as hard, as is her break. When she learns to speak, she must be beaten about the head, with a rod of iron, for otherwise she careeth for no blows. When she taketh her flight down from any place, she lighteth upon her bill, and breasteth thereupon. And by that means saveeth her feet, which, by nature, are but weak and feeble, and so careeth her own weight more lightly. There is a certain pie of nothing so great, reckoning, and account as the Parrot. Because she is not far set, but here, by, near, at hand, how be it, cheaper not, inches, that which is taught her more plainly and distinctly than the other. These take a love to the words that they speak, for they do not only learn them as a lesson, but they learn them with a delight and pleasure, in so much that a man shall find them studying thereupon, and, continuing, the said lesson. And by their careful thinking upon that which they learn, they show plainly how mindful and tentative they be there too. It is for certain known that they have died for a very anger and grief that could not learn to pronounce some hard words, as also unless they hear the same words repeated unto them. Their memory is so shittle, they will soon forget the same again. If they miss a word and have lost it, they will seek to call it again to remembrance, and if they fortune to hear the same word in the meantime, they will wonderfully joy there at. As for their beauty, it is not ordinary, although it be not very lovely. Be surely amable enough are they in this, that they can so well resemble man's speech. It is said that none of their kind are good to be made scholars, but such only as feed upon mast. And among them those that have five toes to their feet, but even these also are not fit for that purpose, after the first two years of their age, and their tongue is broader than ordinary, like as they be all that counterfeit man's voice. Each one in their kind, although it be in manner general to birds whatsoever, to be brought tongue'd. Agribina, the empress, wife of Claudius Caesar, had a black bird or a throttle at what time I compiled this book, which could counterfeit man's speech, a thing never seen or known before. The two Caesars also, the young princes to it, Germanicus and Drossus, had one stare, and Sundry Nightingale's taught to Parley, Greek and Latin. Moreover, they would stare upon their lessons, and meditate all day long, and from day to day come out with new words still, yea, and are now able to continue a long speech and discourse. Now, for to teach them the better these birds must be in a secret place apart by themselves, when they can hear no other voice, and one is to sit over them, you must repeat often that which he would have them to learn, yea, to please them also, with giving them such meat as they best love. End of section 55, recording by Chad Horner, Ballet Claire. Section 56 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 Campbell Schelp. The Animal Storybook, edited by Andrew Ling. Chapter 56. Patch and the Chickens by Miss A. M. Alleyne. On a farm up in Durham, there were six little chickens who were deserted by the mother hen as soon as they were hatched. So the farmer's wife put them in a basket and carried them into the cottage to keep them warm by the fire. There they were discovered by a smooth coated terrier named Patch, who was at that time very sad because her little puppy had just died, and she began to look after the chickens as if they were her own children. The little chicks also turned to her quite naturally for care and protection. She used to treat them very gently and would sit and watch them feed with the greatest interest. She would curl herself up and then let them climb about her and go to sleep between her paws. Sometimes she did not seem to consider the floor comfortable enough for her adopted family and would jump onto a wooden saddle which stood in the kitchen, and then with her feet she would pat the cushions into a cozy bed and very carefully would take one chicken after another in her mouth and place them on the softest part. Soon the time came for the chickens to be sent out into the world. One day when Patch was out for a walk they were taken to the farm yard. When the poor little dog returned she was quite broken hearted and ran whining about the cottage. Then, as if seized with a sudden thought, she walked out of the door and in a very short time she reappeared followed by her feathered family and again they took up their abode in the cottage. Every morning Patch used to take them out for a walk and it was a most amusing sight to see the little terrier followed by a procession of six stately hens. At last their living in the house became such an inconvenience to the farmer's wife that poor Patch's children had to be killed. For some time Patch was very unhappy and would still go into the farm yard to look for her six chickens. Section 57 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 April 6090 California United States of America. The Animal Story Book edited by Andrew Lang. The Fierce Falcon by Charles St. John. The Fierce Falcon from Wild Sports of the Highlands by C. St. John. There are not nearly so many stories about birds as about dogs and cats because birds can fly away and it is more difficult to know what becomes of them. Perhaps properly speaking stories about birds have no business in a beast book but as long as the story is interesting it does not do to be too particular. A good many years ago a gentleman named St. John was exploring the high hills near the source of the Finthorn in Inverness Shire when he found a young Falcon which was being reared as a pet by a shepherd boy who gave her trout to eat. There was not much beauty about the Falcon when Mr. St. John first saw her. For her plumage was dark brown with long-shaped spots on the breast but in spite of that he took a fancy to her and persuaded her master to sell her to him when however she had passed her second birthday and might be considered grown up she put on all her finest feathers and was very much admired by everyone her throat became a lovely soft cream color and the brown on her back changed into a lovely dark gray while on her bosom each little feather was crossed by a bar but lovely though she was Mr. St. John felt her to be a great care for she was very strong as well as very brave and would never think twice about attacking dogs or even people if they offended her as for the fowls she soon made short work of them that her master was obliged to chain her up in the kitchen garden which had hither toe formed at the property of a tame owl luckily for the owl the Falcon at once made friends with him and he was even allowed to finish up any of the Falcon's dinner which she did not want herself matters went quite smoothly for some worry for some weeks and Mr. St. John was beginning to flatter himself that his pet was quieting down and becoming quite a home bird when one day duck tempted by the site of the garden whose gate had been carelessly left open advanced a few steps along the path seeing nothing and nobody for being daylight the owl was asleep and the Falcon too cunning to move the duck became bolder and walked merrily on pecking at anything that took her fancy and making funny little noises of satisfaction unconscious of a pair of bright eyes that were watching her from behind a bush indeed so absorbed was the duck in her afternoon tea that she never even saw the Falcon steal softly out and soar a little way up into the air and suddenly swooped down with great force and before the victim had time to be frightened she was dead and her body was carried away in the falcons' claws to serve for her supper now the duck was the mother of a large family all newly hatched and it would have fared very badly with them in their babyhood had it not been for the kindness of a guinea fowl who adopted them as her own directly she heard that they were left orphans and helpless the guinea fowl indeed was quite glad of the chance because she had a warm heart and had mourned sadly for her husband who had been lightly condemned to death on account of a series of horrible murders he had committed among the young chickens so the good creature thought the duck's sad accident quite providential and it once said about feeling her place like many other mothers instead of making the little ducklings fall into her ways she fell into theirs and never left their sides except on urgent business and they had even then only to call her if they saw great clumsy animals such as dogs or children coming their way and down she would rush any frightful hurry half scrambling half flying over bushes and palings and making furious pecs at the children's legs if they ventured too close to her little ones still not all her love nor all her courage would have prevented the guinea fowl falling a victim to the falcon if once the bird had got loose and as it was the falcon continued to do a crude deal of damage to the creatures about the farm yard a cock who had hither toe crowed very loudly and declared himself king of the birds was foolish enough to give battle to our falcon an hour after a few feathers were all that remained of him and as to the pigeons if they ever happened to get within the length of her chain their doom was certain at last the gaps in the poultry yard became so serious that mr. st. john made up his mind that the falcon must be fastened up in a still more out of the way place and while he was altering her chain away she flew of course he thought she was gone forever and he watched her circling about the house with a very sad heart for he was still fond of her though she was such a very bad bird and gave him so much trouble but as it was getting dark he had to go in and stealing a last look at her as he entered the house he saw her settling down for the night in the top of a tall tree for five days no more was seen or heard of the wanderer and it was not until the fifth morning that mr. st. john observed her high in the air fighting fiercely with some hooded crows he stood out on the grass where there was nothing to hide him and whistled loudly in an instant the falcon heard him busily engage though she was and wheeled down to her old master perching on his arm and rubbing her beak against him she did not seem to have been softened or improved by her taste of liberty for she showed herself quite as ready as of old to attack everything within reach of her chain first killing them and then pulling off their hair or plucking out their feathers before she began her meal the only animal which she could not swallow was a mole and one day she swooped down on a sky terrier and it would certainly have not escaped a lie had not its master come to the rescue but it is time we thought of something nicer than this dreadful bird end of section 57