Book Description:
Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER II THE ELEPHANT (ELEPHAS) This animal has interested mankind more than any other, owing to the peculiar combination of immense proportions with extraordinary sagacity. The question has frequently been raised 'Whether the elephant or the dog should be accepted as superior in intelligence?' My own experience would decide without hesitation The Dog is man's companion ; the Elephant is his slave. We all know the attachment and fidelity of the dog, who appears to have been created specially to become the friend of the human race. He attaches himself equally to the poor man and the rich, and shares our fortunes 'for better, for worse,' clinging with heroic loyalty to his master when all other friends may have abandoned him. The power of memory is wonderfully exhibited, considering the shortness of life which Nature, by some mischance, has accorded to man's best friend. ' While thus Florinda spake, the dog who lay Before Rusilla's feet, eyeing him long And wistfully, had recognised at length, Changed as he was and in those sordid weeds, His royal master. And he rose and lick'd His withered hand, and earnestly looked up With eyes whose human meaning did not need The aid of speech; and moan'd, as if at once To court and chide the long withheld caress . . . Disputing, he withdrew. The watchful dog Followed his footsteps close. But he retired Into the thickest grove ; there yielding way To his o'erburthen'd nature, from all eyes Apart, he cast himself upon the ground, And threw his arms around the dog, and cried While tears stream'd down. Thou Theron, thou hast known Thy poor lost master . . . Theron, only thou !' Southey's Roderick, last of the Goths. In case of danger the dog will defend his master, guided by his own unaided intellige...
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