Chapter VII: Part I: CIVIC Virtues (3)

Oh, how dare we ask a just God to bestow
The mercy we grant not to creatures below!

ABOUT THOREAU

Henry D. Thoreau, a famous man who lived for some time in a little cabin in the woods near Concord, Massachusetts, was noted for his kindness to all God’s harmless creatures.

It is said that even the fishes came into his hand when he dipped it into the stream.

The little mice would come and playfully eat from his fingers, and the very moles paid him friendly visits.

Sparrows alighted on his shoulders when he called them; phœbe birds built their nests in his shed; and the wild partridge with her brood, came and fed quietly beneath his window, as he sat and looked at them.

After he had been two or three months in the woods the wild birds ceased to be afraid of him, and would come and perch on his shoulder, and sometimes on his spade when he was digging.

--_George T. Angell._

FAIR PLAY FOR OUR WILD ANIMALS

Did you ever see a buffalo in the park?

Do you know that there are only a few of them in this country
because years ago people hunted them for sport, and killed them by
thousands?

Do you know that there is danger that the wild duck, reindeer, and
mountain sheep will disappear in the same way?

Do you think it is a fair game to hunt animals with a gun? Can they
take their part?

Don’t you think that boys and girls who live a hundred years from
now will be glad if we all try to protect our wild animals?

Will you bring some of your favorite pictures of animals to school?

THE TRUE STORY OF PEDRO

“Three balls for five cents, Mister. Have a shot at the monk.”

Young Mr. Williams wondered what the man meant as he held out three hard balls painted in bright colors. Mr. Williams had gone to Woodlyn Park with his little niece and nephew for an afternoon of pleasure.

“Oh, look, uncle!” cried the little boy; “don’t you see the monkey? There! see his face through the hole in that sheet? The men throw the balls at him.”

Mr. Williams did, indeed, see Pedro’s poor little scared face. Just as he caught sight of it, bang! a man threw a ball that hit the monkey on the head.

“Oh, I am afraid they will kill the poor little monkey,” cried the little girl. “Can’t we make them stop, uncle?”

“There isn’t much use in talking to these men,” said Mr. Williams. “The best thing to do is to notify the ‘cruelty lady.’ We will do that as soon as we get home; shall we?”

“Oh, yes, indeed,” cried the children. “Let us go right away.”

The “cruelty lady” started immediately for the park. When she saw how the little monkey was being abused, she had the two men who owned him arrested. Although they were very angry, she was not afraid of them.

The poor monkey was taken away from his cruel masters and carried to the home of a good woman, who cared for the sick little animal.

For days Pedro lay exhausted in the nice soft bed she made for him.

She bathed the many, many bruises on his poor little body, and fed him good wholesome food.

In about ten days, Pedro began to feel better, and showed how much he appreciated the kindness of his new mistress by following her everywhere he could.

He got into mischief, too, by trying to do everything he saw people do. One day, when his mistress had stepped out into the garden, he turned the key on the inside of the door, and locked her out.

It was a good thing that one of the second-story windows was open, so that a young man could climb up and get inside and unlock the door.

The last time I heard of Pedro, he was living happily with other monkeys in the Zoological Garden.

* * * * *

Let us speak for those
That cannot speak for themselves.

* * * * *

Even the smallest kind act is never lost. It isn’t always the size of the good deed that counts.

WHAT CHILDREN CAN DO

They can speak pleasantly to boys or men who are whipping their horses and ask them to stop.

They can ask men and boys to blanket their horses in cold weather, to put them in the shade in warm weather, and to loosen the tight check rein.

They can keep fresh water where their own horses, dogs, cats, and hens can get it, not once, but at any time during the day or night.

They can feed their dog or cat morning and night, remembering that all animals and fowls have as good appetites and suffer as much when hungry and thirsty as boys and girls do.

They can see that all their animals are made comfortable at night and never turned out in the cold.

They can feed homeless dogs and cats and try to find shelter for them. They can be careful never to lose a pet animal, or to leave one behind if they move away, unless they have arranged for some one to take care of it.

Every kind act that children do, not only makes the world better, but helps to make them better and happier men and women.

--_Animal Rescue League of Boston._

A HORSE’S PETITION TO HIS DRIVER

Up the hill whip me not,
Down the hill hurry me not,
In the stable forget me not,
Of hay and grain rob me not,
Of clean water stint me not,
With sponge and brush neglect me not,
Of soft, dry bed deprive me not,
When sick or cold chill me not,
With bit or rein jerk me not,
And, when angry, strike me not.
--_Selected._

WE WORK HARD FOR YOU]

THE HORSE’S POINT OF VIEW

If a horse could talk, he would have many things to say, especially when winter comes.

He would tell his driver how a frosty bit stings and sears his lips and tongue when it is thrust into his mouth without first being warmed.

He would tell how it feels to have nothing but ice-cold water to drink, when he is already shivering from the cold.

He would tell of the bitter winds that frost his sides when he halts, steaming from exertion, and is tied for hours in an exposed place without a blanket.

He would talk of slippery streets, and the fear of falling on cruel city paving-stones. He would tell of the bruised knees and wrenched joints, the tightened straps and the pain of the driver’s lash, and the horrible fright of it all.

Yes, the horse would say a good many things if he had the power of speech. And having horse-sense, he would urge his driver to “play fair,” not merely for the sake of kindness, but for the sake of keeping a faithful servant in good condition.

--_The American Humane Education Society._

MEMORY GEM

They are slaves who fear to speak
For the helpless and the weak;
They are slaves who dare not be
In the right with two or three.
--_Lowell._

_Sketched from the seal of the Massachusetts S. P. C. A._]

A MAN WHO KNEW HOW

There was a big team, a mighty load, and a long hill, and we watched to see what the driver would do.

He was brawny and strong, and he had a kind face. He did not use the whip. He talked to his horses in a friendly way. He said: “Come on, Jim,” and “Hi, there, Bill,” and when he reached a steep place he jumped off the load and walked. Once he put on the brake and gave the panting animals a much-needed rest. At the top of the hill he patted the noses of his faithful friends, allowed them to breathe a bit, and then the big load moved along as easily as you please.

--_Selected._

HOW TO TREAT A HORSE

The only charm I use, boys, is the Golden Rule. Treat a horse as you would like to be treated yourself. There is never any need for any one to beat or abuse a horse, for there is no creature living more faithful and loving, if you are only kind and patient with him. Teach him to love and have confidence in you, and give him time to find out what you want, then he will serve you not only willingly but gladly and proudly. The best charm any man can use with a horse is kindness. Be kind, gentle, and considerate, and you will soon win his confidence and can do anything you like with him.

--_Uncle Dan._

THE HORSE’S PRAYER

To you, My Master, I offer my prayer: Feed, water, and care for me, and, when the day’s work is done, provide me with shelter, a clean, dry bed, and a stall wide enough for me to lie down in comfort.

Always be kind to me. Talk to me. Your voice often means as much to me as do the reins. Pet me sometimes, that I may serve you the more gladly and learn to love you.

Do not jerk the reins, and do not whip me when going up hill. Never strike, beat, or kick me when I do not understand what you want, but give me a chance to understand you.

Watch me, and if I fail to do your bidding, see if something is not wrong with my harness or my feet.

Do not check me so that I cannot have the free use of my head. If you insist that I wear blinders, so that I cannot see behind me as it was intended that I should, I pray you be careful that the blinders stand well out from my eyes.

Do not overload me, or hitch me where water will drip on me. Keep me well shod.

Examine my teeth when I do not eat; I may have an ulcerated tooth, and that, you know, is very painful.

Do not tie my head in an unnatural position, or take away my best defense against flies and mosquitoes by cutting off my tail.

I cannot tell you when I am thirsty, so give me clean cool water often. I cannot tell you in words when I am sick, so watch me, that by signs you may know my condition.

Give me all possible shelter from the hot sun, and put a blanket on me, not when I am working, but when I am standing in the cold. Never put a frosty bit in my mouth; first warm it by holding it a moment in your hands.

I try to carry you and your burdens without a murmur, and wait patiently for you during long hours of the day and night. Without the power to choose my shoes or path, I sometimes fall on the hard pavements, and I must be ready at any moment to lose my life in your service.

And finally, O My Master, when my useful strength is gone, do not turn me out to starve or freeze, or sell me to some cruel owner, to be slowly tortured and starved to death; but take my life in the kindest way, and your God will reward you here and hereafter. Amen.

--_Issued by the Ohio Humane Society._

QUESTIONS

I

What animal has been one of mankind’s most faithful servants and
one of his very best friends?

Can you explain the difference between the work horse, the saddle
horse, the race horse, the fire horse?

Should we have as fine a city if there had never been any horses?

Can you think of some ways of repaying horses for the work they do
for us?

When you grow old, how do you want to be treated, especially if you
have worked hard all your life?

How do you think old horses should be treated?

Did you ever have a hard fall on the ice?

How did you walk afterward?

Could you have walked carefully if you had been going down hill
holding back a heavy load?

How can we help horses in slippery weather?

How can we help them up when they fall?

Why is it harder to _start_ to move a load than it is to keep it
moving after it is started?

Do you know that many horses are made blind by being over-driven?

Tell a story showing how intelligent horses are.

Have you ever seen the non-slip chains which drivers can put on
horses’ feet to keep them from slipping?

Have you ever read “Black Beauty,” or “Beautiful Joe,” or “Our
Goldmine at Hollyhurst,” or “The Strike at Shane’s”?

II

What are the names of some of the great societies founded to
protect animals?

How can children help in such work?

Do children who are kind to animals turn out better than those who
are cruel to them? Why?

If you had your choice as to what animal you would be, would you
choose to be a horse?

Does it make any difference to you whether any one else is cold and
hungry and tired and suffering? Whether an animal is suffering?

Will you tell your teacher the next time you help some animal?

Tell some of the things you think a horse would say if he could
talk. A dog. A cat. A monkey. A bird.

Where does a horse get his strength? Should he not be well fed?

* * * * *

Children should never feel that their hands are too small and weak to help toward making the world a happier place for all to live in, for the world needs their work quite as much as it does that of the older people.

--_M. C. Yarrow._

BIRDS AS THE FRIENDS OF PLANTS

I

“Just listen, Mary Frances!” said Billy, pulling a paper out of his pocket.

“‘One robin has been known to feed his family five yards of worms a day.

“‘A chickadee will dispose of 5,500 eggs of the canker-worm moth in one day.

“‘A flicker eats no less than 9,000 ants a day.

“‘A pair of wrens have been seen to carry one hundred insects to their young in an hour. They are especially fond of plant-lice and cutworms.

“‘Little humming-birds lick plant-lice off foliage with lightning rapidity.

“‘The yellow-billed cuckoo eats hundreds of tent caterpillars in a day.

“‘Seed-eating birds destroy millions of seeds of troublesome weeds--actually eating hundreds of tons of seeds.’

“How do people know what the different birds eat?” asked Mary Frances. “Did some one watch to see what each different bird took for a meal?”

“No;” Billy referred to his clipping. “Scientists have examined the contents of the stomachs of the birds, and have learned what food each kind of bird uses. There was a time when people imagined that robins stole so many cherries and berries that it was a good deed to kill them. Now they have found that they destroy so many injurious insects that they do not begrudge them a few cherries. Besides, if mulberry trees are planted nearby they will prefer their fruit to the cherries.”

“Oh, Billy,” cried Mary Frances, “isn’t it wonderful! Not only do birds help us by destroying harmful insects and seeds, but they help us by their beauty. I believe they are the most beautiful of living things! They could have helped us just as much and have been as ugly as--cutworms.”

“Yes,” replied Billy, “I believe that is so; but it takes a girl to think such things out. The strangest thing to me, however, is that without birds we should die of starvation. This paper says that if the birds disappeared entirely, agriculture and farming would be impossible within a few years.”

II

“Bees and birds,” said Mary Frances softly, “keep us from starving. How wonderful it all seems. Why, Billy, it must have all been planned out when God made the world!”

“I have thought of that myself, Mary Frances,” said Billy; “it’s one of those thoughts a fellow doesn’t often speak out loud. I don’t know why.”

“Everybody ought to take care of birds,” went on Mary Frances. “Surely the reason they don’t is because they do not understand how wonderfully they help us. Birds and bees keep us from starving. Oh, Billy, let’s have lots of birds in our garden!”

“Why, how?” asked Billy. “Perhaps we could put food out for them.”

“Yes, but I wasn’t thinking of that. I thought maybe we could put houses where they would build their nests.”

“Of course,” replied Billy; “and we could keep a small bathtub full of water for them.”

“What fun!” cried Mary Frances. “Billy, do you know how to build the right kind of houses for each different kind of bird?”

“No, I do not,” answered Billy; “I know of only a few. They are the ones our manual training teacher showed us. I have some pictures right here in my book. It’s queer I didn’t think of them!”

“Let me see them,” cried Mary Frances. “Oh, will you make some later on?”

“I am to make them in school next term,” explained Billy. “Let me show you these pictures.”

A ROBIN’S SLEEPING PORCH

Robin Redbreast will not live in an enclosed house, but desires merely a shelter where the family can have plenty of fresh air.

“I believe in living out-of-doors,” says Mrs. Robin Redbreast, “and I shall not keep my children indoors, no matter how sanitary the house may be. They shall be educated in the open air. There is as much to be learned outdoors as indoors.”

A BUNGALOW FOR WRENS

Jenny Wren and her husband like a little perch to rest upon before entering their home. In order to keep the English sparrow from being inquisitive and troublesome, make the entrance only one inch across so that Mr. and Mrs. Sparrow cannot enter.

“Sparrows are not a bit nice neighbors,” fusses gentle Jenny Wren. “They pick a quarrel over nothing, then peck our family to pieces if they can.”

THE MARTINS’ HOTEL

Do not charge Mr. and Mrs. Martin for lodgings. Instead, be thankful that they bring their friends and relatives with them, for martins come in companies and love to linger where invited. They destroy millions of insects.

THE BLUEBIRD’S COTTAGE

These heavenly bluebirds, with pinkish plumage on their breasts, add great beauty to our home gardens; and fortunate is the owner of the bird house which they select “rent free.” They are terribly afraid of English sparrows, or more of them would live in the houses around about the home garden. Bluebirds eat up whole families of garden pests at a meal.

--_From The Mary Frances Garden Book._

QUESTIONS

Have you ever built a bird house?

Do you know that if you place a basin upside down on the post
before putting the house on, cats cannot climb over it?

Will you keep an account of the birds you see every day?

Why are birds necessary to man?

Name some of the most useful birds?

How can we help birds?

Why is it not right to cage wild birds?

Why do many birds fly south in the fall?

Will you bring some pictures of birds to put on a chart?

If you build a bird house, will you bring it for the class to see?

* * * * *

The birds of one of our large cities are being provided with homes by the pupils of the city’s public schools. These homes are bird houses, made by the children in the manual training classes.

The president of the city’s Humane Society offers a prize every spring to the child who first has a bird tenant in the houses newly set out. The prize is a book about birds and their habits.

You can imagine how eagerly the boys and girls watch the houses to be sure of noting the exact time when a bird family moves in.

--_National Humane Journal._

ANDROCLUS AND THE LION

I

Many years ago there lived in the city of Rome a rich man who owned a great number of slaves.

One slave, named Androclus, grew very weary of the hard work he was forced to do, and upon a dark night ran away from his home.

At first he did not know where to go, but ran blindly through the streets until at length, when almost breathless, he found himself outside of the city.

There he could travel more slowly; but he must, nevertheless, go steadily on or he would be caught and fed to the lions. For this was the law; a runaway slave was cast into the arena into which hungry lions were driven.

Poor Androclus was very much frightened as he went on his way thinking how dreadful it would be if he were found.

Just as the morning light broke gently over the hills, he came to the edge of a thick woods.

“This is the very place to hide,” he thought; and plunged into the dense thickets.

On and on he stumbled; on and on, even though he was so tired and thirsty that he feared he would faint.

At last, just when he thought he could not take another step, he heard the sound of running water, and in a minute or two, he came to a beautiful little brook.

By its side he knelt and drank; but although the cool water refreshed him, he found that he had not strength to go on.

“What shall I do?” he wondered.

Then he saw the mouth of a cave not far away.

“I will crawl into that cave and rest,” he thought.

It was very comfortable in the cave, for there was a bed of loose leaves on which to lie.

So Androclus lay down and was soon fast asleep.

II

Suddenly he was awakened by the deep roar of a lion! Nearer and nearer it came--nearer and nearer!

Androclus, terribly frightened, drew back as far as he could into the darkest corner of the cave, hoping that the lion would not see him; but on it came right into the cave!

Then Androclus saw that the lion was lame. It held up its front paw very much as a kitten might have done had its paw been sore.

Androclus took courage.

He crept softly toward the great beast, which, seeming to know that the man could help him, allowed him to take hold of his paw.

It required but a moment for Androclus to pull out the large thorn which was causing the pain.

The lion was so pleased that he rubbed his head against the man’s shoulder, and purred loudly.

After that, Androclus was never afraid of the lion; and the lion to show his gratitude shared his food with him. In this way these strange companions came to live together in the cave.

One day when the slave was walking in the forest, some soldiers spied him. They knew that he must have escaped from his master, so they bound him and took him back to Rome.

Poor Androclus knew that the thing which he had so dreaded was about to happen. He would be fed to the hungry lions.

The day came. Great crowds of people had gathered, as people gather nowadays to see a ball game.

Androclus, weak with fear, was pushed into the arena. He could hear the roar of the hungry lion as it came tearing from its cell.

Right toward Androclus rushed the great beast; the people expected to see the slave torn into pieces. Imagine their surprise when the lion suddenly stood still, and Androclus sprang toward him with a cry of joy; for it was his friend, the lion of the forest!

And the lion was just as glad as Androclus. He acted like a big pleased kitten, purring and licking Androclus’s hands and feet lovingly.

The people wanted to know how such a strange thing could happen; and Androclus, with his hand on the head of his pet, told about his flight; about the lion’s hurt paw; about their life together in the cave; and about the lion’s sharing his food with him.

Before he was through many voices cried, “Let them live! Let Androclus and his lion live!” And they were both given their freedom.

For many years, Androclus and his pet were one of the most interesting sights in the great city of Rome.

--_An Old Tale._

BOOKS AND STORIES ABOUT ANIMALS

Black Beauty Anna Sewell.
Our Gold Mine at Hollyhurst }
Beautiful Joe } American Humane Education Society,
Lessons about Animals } Boston, Mass.
The Strike at Shane’s A Prize Story of Indiana.
For Pity’s Sake Dedicated to my Horse, my Dog, my Cat.
--Sarah Nelson Carter.
Our Dumb Animals (Magazine) Norwood, Mass.
Mary Frances Garden Book Jane Eayre Fryer.
Concerning Cats Helen Winslow.
Dogs of All Nations Conrad J. Miller.
Stories of Brave Dogs M. H. Carter.
The Bell of Atri Henry W. Longfellow.