About Animals

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 42, 19 February 1938, Page 10

About Animals

PETS COME TO THE RESCUE Many blind men rely upon their faithful dogs, and, indeed, the dog has, of course, been one of man’s best friends from earliest times. Some time ago a fire broke out iu a Loudon shop one night, after all the family had gone to bed. It is probable that some at least of them would have been burnt to death had it not been for their dog. This intelligent animal, with the keen scent of his kind, perceived that there was lire in the building, aud quickly sought his master’s bedroom door. it. was shut, but he scratched and whined outside until he succeeded in awakening the man within, who, guessing that all was not right, got up, and, fortunately, was able to get everyone safely out of the house, the dog included. The horse is another of man’s oldest allies. Some years ago a farmer in the North of England was riding home through a wood oue dark night, when his head struck against the branch of a tree, and he fell from liis horse .unconscious. The animal evidently knew that something was wrong, for, after waiting a few minutes for. his master to rise, he turned round and trotted back to tho house from which they had set out, where he pawed on the door with his hoof until someone came to see what was the matter. Greatly alarmed by the sight of his friend’s riderless horse, the host hastened out, and was led through the wood by the horse to the very spot where the unconscious man was lying. Parrots have on more than one occasion been the means of frightening burglars, and so saving their masters’ goods from theft. At New Eltkam there is a parrot iu a tobacconist’s shop who serves his master as au excellent assistant. When anyone comes into the shop Polly calls out loudly "Shop! ” and plainly shows that he knows most of the regular customers. A Baby Giraffe. Whipsnade Zoo reports that Boxer, the young giraffe, is doing well and still growing. His keepers think he must now stand at least 6ft. 3in. “Fifteen feet is an unusual ~-it for a giraffe,” Captain Beal, Zoo resident superintendent, said, "but we have hopes that Boxer will one day be even taller than that. "It lakes about six years for a giraffe to finish growing up.” A Clever Horse. The sagacious manner in which a chestnut racehorse gave itself a shower bath from a circular trough of water near the stables was watched with interest by several Matamdta residents on a recent date. With the heat at its height, the horse, by bringing its chin suddenly down with a sweeping movement on the water, succeeded in drenching its chest and forelegs, and causing the water to

splash to the top of its withers. Then, turning slightly from side to side, the animal succeeded in thoroughly, wetting the sides of its chest. The horse continued its cooling efforts for well over ten minutes, pausing every now and then to allow the trough to fill up with water. Those who watched the performance were quite satisfied that if a horse is held to be without reasoning faculties then some certainly have an instinct which amounts to brain power. The Cat and the Dough. "We hear of a Yorkshire housewife who went home! the other day to find her cat nearly buried in a bowl of dough she had left by the fire, intending to bake her bread when she returned. Creeping under the cloth spread t .er the dough, the cat had curled up and gone to sleep, the dough rising all round till its curious bed nearly became a grave. THE BUFFALO The buffalo, whether the Indian or the African species, is one of the most dangerous of Jill animals. The Capo buffalo of South Africa in particular, is the largest and fiercest member of the cattle family. It is not only a massive and powerful animal, but it is also very swift, and a good horse can hardly keep ahead of a charging buffalo open eountry. When provoked the buffalo is more dangerous than a lion or tiger. In a. light with a lion a buffalo is generally the conqueror. The American bison is sometimes called a buffalo, but it is not really a buffalo at all. While that animal is harmless; the buffalo is powerful, fierce, and vindictive. All sportsmen agree that no game animal is more dangerous than a bull buffalo. It will attack, though unprovoked, and only death can stop its rush. A buffalo, if not killed, will assuredly destroy its adversary. There is no creature in existence that is so determined to stamp out the life of its opponents, and the intensity of fury unsurpassed when a wounded bull buffalo rushes forward upon the last desperate charge. A lion will rarely attack a buffalo single-handed, and even then, it generally gets the worst of the encounter. Instances have been knowD of elephants being knocked down and trampled by buffaloes. The African buffalo frequents marshes and rivers and wades about, eating aquatic plants. It lias a keen sense of smell. The buffalo bird, or ox-pecker, which always remains near it in large numbers, warns it of the approach ot disturbers. This bird is really a starling. The African buffalo has broad, flattened horns that meet as a buckler over its forehead and protect its skull. The Indian buffalo has much longer horns. Tremendous fights constantly take place between rival bulls. In both species pugnacity and revenge seem to be the animals; ’ ruling impulses. No animal is more dreaded by the natives than the wild buffalo. Despite its character, the Indian buffalo lias been domesticated, but even the domestic variety, while useful, is often a difficult animal.

POWDER AND PATCHES HAS A SECRET Hukanui. Dear Hub, • I’m glad that you were pleased to hear From your loving Cog again. It also thrills me to hear, It brings you joy (not pain) To read my weekly letters, I thought you might tire, But your appreciations Have again set me on fire! My head is awfully achey, I really wonder how I can be bothered rhyming Just as I’m rhyming now. My eyes feel very heavy, I’m afraid in a short time The joy of wearing spectacles Will truly be mine. I had a lovely week-end In Masterton last week, I watched the many Highlanders Who piped along tho street. The weather was very hot, I had a nice swim But after all those pleasures I’ni not even full of vim. I feel no "merry Andrew,” I feel an awful age, But I will quit this sorrow, And fill another page. I am also thrilled, Hub, And much excited too, But yet I mustn’t tell you, ’Cos it’s a secret, too. I’m going to tennis, This evening and thought ►Seeing it was hot, I’d wear My shorts, so cool , and short. But .’praps I’ll wear my gymn frock, It’s so youngish, too, I love it’s pleats and blouse, And neat navy blue. I wish there was a dance on, I’m tired of .boring nights, And although I get heaps of sleep For I never go out at nights, Of late, I retire early And am up so early, too, When the . air is wholesome And the sky seems more blue, When Snowy purrs around my legs, And the pup is very fit, When “Whopper” registers his joy Be loudly doth bark it. Mum’s gladiolas are fading Their petals soft, float down And mingle with the earth about, All goldeny and browns If I sent a photo Of Jennifer and me Would you be able To return it safely? You see it is a good one, But. if. you print it there, Would it be ablo To come back wtih care? Glad you like our Jennifer, You must see I think her swell, She’s such a host of joy germs, How many I can’t tell. All wrapped up in chubby arms, And hid in cheery smiles, Which often play upon her face In simply miles of smiles. But I must end this letter, Love, Hub, to Cogs and you. And again I send you My rhyming adieu. I’m listening to the organ band From station 3YA And I can’t help liking it, It surely is O.K. Powder and Patches.

If you have the negative P. and P. we would like it and if it were sufficiently clear—possibly it might appea; in the Page!

LOVED BY LITTLE CHILDREN Norman Allenby, aged 61, soldier in the Great War, was known to a comparative few during his thrifty, industrious life. Now that he is dead he is famous throughout Australia. At the Children’s Hospital, Melbourne, 76 little patients, and many more at the Children’s Aid Home, knew him as ‘ ‘The Storyman.” His landlady, in Middle Park, said: "Ho was a quiet-living man, who lived for the children. Every day the postman brought him many letters. Most of them were addressed in childish writing, simply to ‘The Storyman.’ Even with wrong addresses they were delivered. The postman knew him. Some came after he died. “He used to sit up late writing letters, hundreds of them, for he seemed to keep in touch with all the children after they left the hospital.” He also wrote hundreds of little stories and children’s plays. The Victorian Children’s Aid Society told how he began his work for the children at their home in Sydney road j ears ago. He took the patients for walks, taught them to play games in Royal Park, wrote and arranged juctle plays in which the children acted, and brought lollies and, books to them. At the Children’s Hospital a sister said: "He came every Saturday at 1 o’clock bringing a little case. It was full of lollies and picture cards. He went from bed to bed in the two medical and the two surgical wards, ...1 spoke to every one. The children all loved him.” The. patients were telling his stories to each other on the day of the funeral all about Mr Grunt who went to China for gold, about the Owl and the Thieves, and the Boy who Faded A -ay. '“Gee,” said Maurice, one of the little patients. "No one could tell a story like The Storyman.” “The Storyman” left only enough to bury him. Dear Hub, —Here I am again after a lovely holiday. I have started my scrap book. When does the competition close We had two weeks at Waitarere beach. I wrote to you before the holidays and it was not in the paper. 1 wonder why? Well, Hub, I’ll have to end now. Rosebud. I think your letter came too late for the Page, Rosebud, and that’s why it was not printed. Just watch the Page for the scrap book closing date. Haicorube. Dear Hub, —I certainly got a surprise when I saw I had won the Skilltest last Saturday. I had a bicycle for Christmas, Hub. I have had a holiday at Castlecliff where I did a lot of fishing. One day I caught 47 herrings. When do we have to have our scrapbook ready? I am making one. Laddie. It was a pleasant surprise indeed! You must have had great fun on your holiday. Just watch the Page for information about the scrapbooks, Laddie.

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE CORNER FAMOUS ST. BERNARD HOSPICE There are few young people who have not heard of the famous St. Bernard Hospice and the brave monks and dogs who dwell there, and whose mission it is to render aid to lost travellers. The hospice is one of the oldest and at the same time most interesting institutions in the world. It is situated on the Si. Bernard Pass at a height of just over SOOO feet above sea level. It is, in fact, the second highest inhabited building on the globe. This pass ,is one of the highways between Switzerland and Italy. Over 20,000 people traverse the road every year, and, as nearly twothirds of this number accomplish the journey in winter, being poor labourers either going to or returning from their work on the other side of the mountain, the monks and their noble dogs may be said to be responsible every season for thousands of lives.

This 1000-year-old monastery really consists of a large block of grey buildings. The walls are exceedingly thick —twelve feet in some places—so as to withstand the fierce winds and the weight of the snow that is driven against them. In midwinter the snow around the building is seven to ten feet deep, and sometimes is so driven by the wind that it forms huge drifts against the buildings that reach right up to the roofs. Snow falls on the pass for fully nine months out of every twelve, and it is then that the monks and the dogs have to go out and search for travellers. One of the monks, in an interview with an English journalist, had many stories to relate of life in the snow country and the wonderful work of the St. Bernard dogs. “It is virtually impossible,” he told the journalist, “to describe the terrors of the mountain roads in the depth of winter. There Is not a vestige of a path, and it is only an experienced traveller who could reach our hospice alone without mishap. Then there are constant snowstorms, fierce and cold biting winds and fogs. The snow storms come on very suddenly and are terrible things to face. The snow penetrates through everythink like fine sand. It blows into your eyes, into your mouth and ears, into your hair, and gets into your clothes. In a few minutes it forms a crust over your whole body. Then movement becomes difficult, and you feel inclined to lie down and wait till the storm has

Feilding. Dear Hub, —I hope you had a happy Christmas. We had some chicken* | hatched this year. We have eaten most of tho baby roosters and the pullets are growing quite big. When the circus was in town I went and saw the animals and had a ride on tho elephant. I went to the show and had lunch under a big shady tree in the grounds. Green Gem. Yes, thank you, Green Gem, I dil have a happy Christmas. I saw the elc* phants, too, but didn’t venture a ridel Feilding. Dear Hub, —It seems such a long timd since I wrote to you. I went to isew Plymouth for my Christmas holidays, Did you go away, Hub? I am now in , Std. 4 at school. I must close now as it is bedtime. Daddy’s Lad. Welcome back again, Daddy’s Lad, glad you had a good holiday. No, X . did not go very far away for Christ* Wood villa. Dear Hub, —It is such a long tima since I last wrote to the Page, isn’t itf To-day is very dull. It seems as if we’ll be having more rain. Everyone, at least the farmers enjoy the rain. I see Powder and Patches has begun rhyming again. I heard the mouth organ band last time they played aud they were lovely. They played "September iu the Rain,” and it souuded lovely on mouth organs. This is just a short note to accompany two photos of my wee nephews. We were wondering if you would be able to print them iu the paper. They arc very clear photographs. Well I had better closa now. Bonnie Bluebell Those photographs were just lovely, Bonnie Bluebell, and if you could send in the negative of the one wher* the wee lads are silting on the piggi*'* back we ’ll see what we can do.