The Moor, thus become one of the family, took this occasion of making a good meal, skinned the sheep, made a fire, and roasted a part, giving the entrails to the young. The lion in his turn came also; and, as if respecting the rights of hospitality, showed no tokens whatever of ferocity. Their guest the next day, having finished his provisions, returned, and came to a resolution never more to kill any of those animals, the noble generosity of which he had so fully proved. He stroked and caressed the whelps at taking leave of them, and the dam and sire accompanied him till he was safely out of the forest.
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ANECDOTE LII.
A GRATEFUL LIONESS
A DREADFUL famine raged at Buenos Ayres, yet the governor, afraid of giving the Indians a habit of spilling Spanish blood, forbade the inhabitants on pain of death to go into the fields in search of relief, placing soldiers at all the outlets to the country, with orders to fire upon those who should attempt to transgress his orders. A woman, however, called Maldonata, was artful enough to elude the vigilance of the guards, and escape. After wandering about the country for a long time, she sought for shelter in a cavern, but she had scarcely entered it when she espied a lioness, the sight of which terrified her. She was, however, soon quieted by the caresses of the animal, who, in return for a service rendered her, showed every sign of affection and friendliness. She never returned from searching after her own daily subsistence without laying a portion of it at the feet of Maldonata, until her whelps being strong enough to walk abroad, she took them out with her and never returned.
Some time after Maldonata fell into the hands of the Spaniards, and being brought back to Buenos Ayres on the charge of having left the city contrary to orders, the governor, a man of cruelty, condemned the unfortunate woman to a death which none but the most cruel tyrant could have thought of. He ordered some soldiers to take her into the country and leave her tied to a tree, either to perish by hunger, or to be torn to pieces by wild beasts, as he expected. Two days after, he sent the same soldiers to see what was become of her; when, to their great surprise, they found her alive and unhurt, though surrounded by lions and tigers, which a lioness at her feet kept at some distance. As soon as the lioness perceived the soldiers, she retired a little, and enabled them to unbind Maldonata, who related to them the history of this lioness, whom she knew to be the same she had formerly assisted in the cavern. On the soldiers taking Maldonata away, the lioness fawned upon her as unwilling to part. The soldiers reported what they had seen to the commander, who could not but pardon a woman who had been so singularly protected, without appearing more inhuman than lions themselves.
<!-- image -->ANECDOTE LIII.
A MONEY FINDER
One day a tradesman, walking with a friend, offered to wager that if he were to hide a five-shilling piece in the dust, his dog would discover and bring it to him. The wager was accepted, and the piece of money marked and secreted. When the two had proceeded some distance, the tradesman called to his dog that he had lost something, and ordered him to seek it. The dog immediately turned back, and his master and his companion pursued their walk. Meanwhile a traveller, driving in a small chaise, perceived the piece of money which his horse had kicked from its hiding-place, alighted, took it up, and drove to his inn. The dog had just reached the spot in search of the lost piece, when the stranger picked it up. He followed the chaise, went into the inn. Having scented out the coin in the pocket of the traveller, he leaped up at him incessantly. Supposing him to be some dog that had lost his master, the traveller regarded his movements as marks of fondness; and as the animal was handsome, determined to keep him. He gave him a good supper, and on retiring took him with him to his chamber. No sooner had he pulled off his breeches than they were seized by the dog; the owner, conceiving that he wanted to play with them, took them away. The animal began to bark at the door, which the traveller opened, thinking the dog wanted to go out. The dog snatched up the breeches and away he flew, the traveller posting after him with his nightcap on. The dog ran full speed to his master's house, followed by the stranger, who accused the dog of robbing him. "Sir," said the master, "my dog is a very faithful creature; and if he ran away with your breeches, it is because you have in them money which does not belong to you." The traveller became still more angry. "Compose yourself, sir," rejoined the other, smiling; "without doubt there is in your purse a five-shilling piece which you picked up in the road, and which I hid knowing my dog would bring it back. This is the cause of the robbery which he has committed upon you." The stranger acknowledged the truth of the tradesman's statement, delivered up the coin, and departed.
<!-- image -->ANECDOTE LIV.
MUSICAL SEALS
SEALS have a very delicate sense of hearing, and are much delighted with music. A gentleman, in his account of a voyage to Spitzbergen, mentions that the captain of the ship's son, who was fond of playing on the violin, never failed to have a numerous auditory when in the seas frequented by these animals; and he has seen them follow the ship for miles when any person was playing on deck.
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ANECDOTE LIX.
A PIG AS A POINTER
A SOW, which was a thin, long-legged animal (one of the ugliest of the New Forest breed), when very young conceived so great a partiality to some pointer puppies that a gamekeeper upon a neighbouring estate was breaking, that it played, and often came to feed with them. From this circumstance it occurred to the gamekeeper that, having broken many a dog as obstinate as a pig, he would try if he could not also succeed in breaking a pig. The little animal would often go out with the puppies to some distance from home; and he enticed it farther by a sort of pudding made of barley-meal, which he carried in one of his pockets. The other he filled with stones, which he threw at the pig whenever she misbehaved, as he was not able to catch and correct her in the same manner he did his dogs. He found the animal tractable, and soon taught her what he wished by this mode of reward and punishment. They were frequently seen out together, when the sow quartered her ground as regularly as any pointer, stood when she came on game (having an excellent nose), and backed other dogs as well as he ever saw a pointer. When she came on the cold scent of game, she slackened her trot, and gradually dropped her ears and tail, till she was certain, and then fell down on her knees. So staunch was she, that she would frequently remain five minutes and upwards on her point. As soon as the game rose, she always returned to her master, grunting very loudly for her reward of pudding if it was not immediately given to her.
<!-- image -->ANECDOTE LX.
INFANT FASCINATION
A LITTLE girl about three years of age was observed for a number of days to go to a considerable distance from the house with a piece of bread which she obtained from her mother. The circumstance attracted the attention of the mother, who desired her husband to follow the child, and observe what she did with it. On coming to the child, he found her engaged in feeding several snakes, called yellow heads, a species of rattlesnake. He immediately took her away and proceeded to the house for his gun, and returning, killed two of them at one shot, and another a few days after. The child called these reptiles in the manner of calling chickens; and when her father observed, if she continued the practice they would bite her, the child replied, "No, father, they won't bite me; they only eat the bread I give them."
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ANECDOTE LXI.
DOMESTICATED SEAL
A GENTLEMAN once succeeded in taming a seal. It appeared to possess all the sagacity of the dog, lived in its master's house, and ate from his hand. He usually took it with him in his fishing excursions, upon which occasions it afforded no small entertainment. When thrown into the water, it would follow for miles the track of the boat; and although thrust back by the oars, it never relinquished its purpose. Indeed, it struggled so hard to regain its seat, that one would imagine its fondness for its master had entirely overcome the natural predilection for its native element.
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ANECDOTE LV.
A SLY COUPLE
A GENTLEMAN in the county of Stirling kept a greyhound and a pointer, and being fond of coursing, the pointer was accustomed to find the hares, and the greyhound to catch them. When the season was over, it was found that the dogs were in the habit of going out by themselves, and killing hares for their own amusement. To prevent this, a large iron ring was fastened to the pointer's neck by a leather collar, and hung down so as to prevent the dog from running, or jumping over dykes, &c. The animals, however, continued to stroll out to the fields together; and one day the gentleman, suspecting that all was not right, resolved to watch them, and to his surprise, found that the moment when they thought that they were unobserved, the greyhound took up the iron ring in his mouth, and carrying it, they set off to the hills, and began to search for hares as usual. They were followed, and it was observed, that whenever the pointer scented the hare, the ring was dropped, and the greyhound stood ready to pounce upon poor puss the moment the other drove her from her form, but that he uniformly returned to assist his companion after he had caught his prey.
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ANECDOTE LVI.
ELEPHANT'S REVENGE
PERSONS who have the management of elephants have often observed that they know very well when any one is ridiculing them, and that they very often revenge themselves when they have an opportunity. A painter wished to draw an elephant in the menagerie at Paris in an extraordinary attitude, which was with his trunk lifted up, and his mouth open. An attendant on the painter, to make the elephant preserve the position, threw fruits in his mouth, and often pretended to throw them without doing so. The animal became irritated, and as if knowing that the painter was to blame rather than his servant, turned to him, and dashed a quantity of water from his trunk over the paper on which the painter was sketching his distorted portrait.
<!-- image -->ANECDOTE LVII.
TAME SEAGULL
MANY years ago a gentleman had accidentally caught a seagull, whose wings he cut, and put it into his garden. The bird remained in that situation for several years, and being kindly treated, became so familiar as to come at call to be fed at the kitchen door. It was known by the name of Willie. This bird became at last so tame that no pains were taken to preserve it, and its wings having grown to full length it flew away, joined the other gulls on the beach, and came back, from time to time, to pay a visit to the house. When its companions left the country at the usual season, Willie accompanied them, much to the regret of the family. To their great joy, however, it returned next season; and with its usual familiarity came to its old haunt, where it was welcomed and fed very liberally. In this way it went and returned for forty years, without intermission, and kept up its acquaintance in the most cordial manner; for while in the country it visited them almost daily, answered to its name like any domestic animal, and ate almost out of the hand. One year, however, very near the period of its final disappearance, Willie did not pay his respects to the family for eight or ten days after the general flock of gulls were upon the coast, and great was the lamentation for his loss, as it was feared he was dead; but to the surprise and joy of the family, a servant one morning came running into the breakfast-room in ecstasy, announcing that Willie had returned. The whole company rose from the table to welcome Willie. Food was soon supplied in abundance, and Willie with his usual frankness ate of it heartily, and was as tame as any barn-yard fowl about the house. In a year or two afterwards this grateful bird discontinued his visits for ever.