Animals

Southland Times, Issue 22146, 14 October 1933, Page 18

Animals

Now I think that all of you will agree with me when I say that there are a number of different kinds of animals. No animals can speak but there are numerous ways which they have to make us understand them. For instance, the cat purrs when it is pleased and mews when it wishes us to attend to its wants. The dog, when pleased, wags its tail for very joy, but when unhappy, it usually gives vent to a doleful whine. We shall go out to the fields and see the lambs, the sheep, the cows, the little calves and the horses. For a few moments we watch the lively little lambs as they frisk about or lie basking in the sunshine. We then turn our gaze to the ewes, that, when we go near to their lambs or themselves, stamp their feet as if to tell us that it is not necessary for us to take another step in their direction. Perhaps some lamb has lost its mother while it has been playing. What a joyful reunion takes place when the pair find each other! What do you say to an imaginary tour round the world? We are just going to call in at certain places, as our main object is to see some of the animals. Leaving New Zealand we go across the Tasman to Australia where we notice the kangaroo, a peculiar animal. How queer it looks as it hops along carrying its young one in its pouch! From Australia we sail over the Indian Ocean to Bengal in India. Here are the Bengal tigers, which, to we people, look very ferocious. lam sure that those animals would not let anyone escape their clutches, so it is best to keep well away from them. From thence we will go to Africa where there are quite a number of different animals. There are the lions, the blesbok, the leopard, the rhinoceros, the gorilla, and the fellow deer. The latter is to be found in the north-west of Africa and other countries bordering the Mediterranean. It was introduced to England and is found in many parks and forests of that country. The majority of fallow’ deer are spotted but there is a race of very dark brown ones. The lion, with its shaggy mane, is a very ferocious animal and is to be found in the African jungle. The leopard is an animal of the cat tribe and has a spotted skin. The blesbok is a small South African antelope, but, unfortunately, there are not many of its kind alive. The gorilla is the largest and fiercest of the man-like apes. They are only to be found in certain parts of Africa. From Africa we go to the Br. Isles where many animals are kept in zoos and parks. Leaving that country we go across to North America where there are the brown bears, the bison, the reindeer, timber-wolves and so many others that they are too numerous to mention. Now, we are on our homeward-bound journey. In our own country we have the domestic animals, the horse, the cow, the dog and the cat, to which we should always be kind, for they rely on us for their care. —3 marks to Cousin Daphne Shields (11), Kennington.