Hereupon the young man, observing the collar more closely,
noticed the following words embroidered upon it: _I belong now
entirely to Master Fritz, who rescued my mistress from the sea_.
"Ah, Miss Wolston," said Fritz, "you forget I only did my duty; you
must not allow your gratitude to over-estimate the service I rendered
you."
"Well, I declare," cried Mrs. Wolston, laughing "here is another
animal that speaks."
"The age of Aesop revived," suggested Mrs. Becker.
"What do you say, Master Jack?" inquired Mrs. Wolston. "Do you suppose
that Toby has learned embroidery in the same way that the parrot
learned grammar?"
"Oh, more astonishing things than that have happened! Mr. Wolston
there will tell you that he has seen a wooden figure playing at chess;
why, therefore, should the most sagacious of all the brutes not learn
knitting?"
"I fear, in speaking so highly of the dog," replied Mrs. Wolston, "you
are doing injustice to other animals. Marvellous instances of
sagacity, gratitude, and affection, have been shown by other brutes
beside the dog. A horse of Caligula's was elevated to the dignified
office of consul."
"Yes, and talking of the affection of animals," observed Ernest, "puts
me in mind of an anecdote related by Aulus Gellius. It seems that a
little boy, the son of a fisher man, who had to go from Baiae to his
school at Puzzoli, used to stop at the same hour each day on the brink
of the Lucrine lake.
Pages:
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257