ANIMAL LORE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20508, 8 March 1930, Page 6 (Supplement)

ANIMAL LORE.

AND A WILLOW TREE.

BY EDNA GEAHAAI iIACKI*., Legend is teeming with instances where fcnimals have been lifted by the imagination not only to tho human but to tho fuper-human plane, and all through the centuries this peculiar sympathy between Jmman beings and their lesser brethren pf fur and feather has persisted. Religions in their early stages have references to animals and birds giving divino .injunctions by word of mouth. Baalam's ass and the owl of Pallas Athene are notable examples. People of simple and childlike faith believed these things just as ardently and sincerely as my little one believes 'her kitten literally understands every word she says to it. Native races, young in their national consciousness were en rapport with certain animals. So much so, that they adopted them as the guiding spirits of their particular tribe or clan. The totem liabit existed among the North American Indians,' the Australian aborigines, the African blacks, causing many a bird and beast to be exalted to superhuman rank. The, eagle, the bear, the fox. the hawk, the' beaver, the whale, all have served more or less successfully in this capacity. "What are the American Eagle, the Russian Bear, and the British Lion but the remnants of this ancient totem idea ? Our habit of indulging in mascots amounts to a form of animal worship. The aficient Egyptians excelled in their observance of animal lore. They worshipped the bull, the cat and the ram and even went as far as to include an insect in theip list of deities—the scarab beetle. In that, wondrous map of the heavens, called the zodiac, sages of old have enshrined some of their favourite creatures. Taurus the bull, Aries the ram, Pisces the fish, Scorpio the scorpion, Cancer the crab. The inhabitants of India are also great animal worshippers and have whole hordes of sacred cows, sacred elephants and sacred monkeys. Peoples of more inventive genius have ehown a deal of talent in the concoction of hybrid creatures to populate the world of their imagination. Most of these creatures represent a blend of the human and animal. The mermaid was a fish and human combination; the centaur, horse and man; the fawn, human and goat—obviously an attempt to identify humanity animal life. So deeply is this instinct of identification ingrained in our race consciousness that even modern children bear witness to it. Here is a letter written by a little girl to, a cat which disappeared one day and did not return: Dear Inky,—Will you please come back to me? 1 am writing this to let you know that I am still at the same place where you left me. I do hope you are quite safe and well. If you bring back any kittens I promise io take very, very great care of them. Do come back soon for I miss you very much. Your loving mistress, Faith. 1 This same child has a deep and abiding love things that crawl upon the earth—lizards, spiders, slaters, earwigs, beetles, snails and other slighted and despised creatures of the Almighty. She has been working for days on a refuge for them which she calls Willow Town. It is situated under a drooping willow tree in the back garden and consists of holes dug in the earth, piles of leaves and twigs, pools of water made by sinking tins in the ground, bits of wood and stone, all laid out according to her idea of townplanning. She has printed this notice to attract guests to her hostelry: "All/insects and small animals: welcome to Willow Town. Playgrounds, swimming pools, shady forests. Board free. A home away from home. Notice: In wet weather kindly use the shelter sheds. "By order. F. M." It seems that we shall never grow out of our belief in animal lore. This explains the undying' popularity of stories wherein the animals converse in the manner of human beings, such as is 'the case in Aesop's- Fables, Joel Harris' "Brer Babbit," Little Red Riding Hood, The Three Bears and many others that could be named.