80 NEIGHBORS WITH CLAWS AND HOOFS. 



his slumbers be disturbed by any undue movement, I was 

 admonished by a nip of his sharp little teeth. 



6. " All the members of the happy family were taught 

 to respect his rights, save Peep, the hawk. The three 

 dogs Grouse, the setter ; Roxy, the black-and-tan ; and 

 Prince, the bull-dog eyed the new-comer suspiciously, 

 and once or twice, at an opportune moment, made a spring 

 toward him; but he retreated in a masterly way to an 

 inaccessible corner, and the dogs were taught better man- 

 ners by a sharp touch of my riding-whip. 



7. " Yery funny were the little creature's encounters 

 with the kittens. He kept them at bay by turning on his 

 back and fighting with tooth and claw when too hard 

 pressed. Both learned to respect his rights, and at last the 

 three became great friends. Frequently the squirrel was 

 found curled up asleep between his two former enemies. 



8. " The fawn, our most dainty pet, with his beautiful 

 soft eyes, and his gentle ways, who also was called by his 

 Spanish name, Venado, was adopted by Ardea, as his 

 foster-mother, and he found great comfort in tucking 

 himself away in the soft fur of the fawn, when Yenado 

 was placidly chewing his cud. The little autocrat did not 

 hesitate to assert himself, if disturbed, by biting the fawn's 

 nose, who soon learned to accept his fate with quiet en- 

 durance. 



9. " Only Peep was incorrigible. He watched most 

 eagerly from his perch outside the window, and almost 

 twisted his head from his body when Ardea scampered 

 about on the dining-table, daintily picking up crumbs, and 

 sitting up in the quaintest fashion, with a piece of maca- 

 roni, or some other morsel, in his paws. When exasper- 

 ated beyond bounds, Peep would take a desperate flight 

 as far as his string permitted, and, failing to make a capt- 

 ure, return discomfited to his perch on the railing. 



