A KNOWING FOX

 

A KNOWING FOX - A TRUE STORY

A TAME fox was kept in a stable-yard and struck up a friendship with the dogs, but could never get the cats to approach him. Being very sensitive to smell, they could not bear his odour, and would not even walk upon any spot upon which the fox had been standing. The crafty animal seeing that the cats would not come near him, used his knowledge to cheat them of their breakfast. As soon as the servant poured out the cats allowance of milk, the fox would run to the spot and walk round the saucer ,well knowing, that the rightful owners would not touch it. Day after day the cats lost their milk, until the trick was found out, and the milk placed in a spot where the fox could not reach it. After he had had been stopped from robbing the cats, he tried his cunning on the dairymaid, as she was bringing the pails from milking. As she was passing along, the fox went up to her, and brushed himself against one of the milkpans. The milk became so tainted with the smell of the fox, that the maid dared not take it to the house, and thoughtlessly poured it into a pan, and gave it to him. The crafty animal repeated this trick several times, but when he found that the spoiled milk was given to the pigs, instead of to himself, he gave up his attempts. 

References:

Chatterbox 1877

A HORSE GUARDIAN

A HORSE GUARDIAN -TRUE STORY

ON one occasion a gentleman was returning home from a fatiguing journey, and became very drowsy. He fell asleep, and strange to say, he fell from his saddle, but in so easy a manner, that the tumble did not rouse him, and he lay sleeping on where he alighted. His faithful steed, on being eased of his burden, instead of scampering home, as one might have expected, stood by his prostrate master, and kept a strict watch over him. Some labourers at sunrise found him very contentedly snoozing on a heap of stones. They wished to approach the gentleman, that they might awaken him, but every attempt on their part was resolutely op posed by the grinning teeth and ready heels of his determined and faithful guardian.

References:

American Chatterbox 1882  

A MOTHER WATER-RAT

A MOTHER WATER-RAT - TRUE STORY

I WAS standing on a bridge over a small Hampshire brook with a trout-rod in my hand, when I saw a water-rat swimming up the stream towards me, and making for the archway. The animal did not see me, for I lowered my rod, and touched it with the top, when it dived and disappeared; but, on returning towards the same spot shortly  afterwards, I caught sight of the rat coming from under the arch with something in its mouth, and swimming quickly towards me. Close at hand was a rail with an upright post, around which clung a good deal of floating weed. To this the rat made her way, still carrying her burden, which she laid upon it and then began to climb up herself. When she was fairly up, I saw that her burden was a young one of about three inches long, which nestled under the mother, till, a slight shower coming on, they both made for the rail, the mother pushing her child up on to it first in safety, and then getting up on the rail herself and nursing it as before. I crept so close to them, that I could nearly put my hand on them, and could see the sharp black eyes of the little one, watching me intently; but as I was now drawing too near, the mother at once took a header into the brook, and the little one flopped in after her, swimming down stream a short way to another piece of floating weed, and then the anxious mother came back, and again took her little one in her mouth, and swam away with it down stream. I walked by the side of the brook for more than a hundred yards, watching the mother carrying her child in her mouth, and when I lost sight of her, she was still swimming onward with her babe. Is it possible that she was moving her family one by one to a more favorable spot?
 W.S. OWEN 

References:

American Chatterbox 1882