384 THE RAVEN AND THE DOG. 



We knew a similar instance of a strong attachment 

 formed between a Raven and a large otter-dog. The 

 Raven had been taken when young, and reared in a 

 stable-yard, where the dog was kept chained up. A friend- 

 ship soon commenced, which, increasing from little to 

 more, in time ripened into a most extraordinary degree 

 of intimacy. At first, the bird was satisfied with hop- 

 ping about in the vicinity of the kennel, and occasionally 

 pecking a hasty morsel from the dog's feeding-pan, 

 when the latter had finished his meal; finding, however 

 no interruption on the part of his friend, the Raven 

 soon became a constant attendant at meal times, and 

 taking up his position on the edge of the dish, acted the 

 part of a regular guest, and partaker of the dog's dinner, 

 which consisted usually of meal and milk, with occa- 

 sional scraps of offal meat, a piece of which the bird 

 would often snatch up, almost from the very mouth of 

 the dog, and hasten beyond the reach of his chain, as if 

 to tantalize his four-footed friend, and then hopping 

 towards him, would play about, and hang it close to his 

 .nose, and then as speedily, at the moment the dog was 

 preparing to snap it up, would dart off beyond the reach 

 of the chain. At other times he would hide the piece 

 of meat under a stone, and then coming back, with a 

 cunning look, would perch upon the dog's head. It was 

 observed, however, that he always ended his pranks, by 

 either sharing, or giving up the whole piece to his 

 friend, the dog. 



The intimacy continued for a length of time, and ter- 

 minated only with the death of the poor Raven, who 

 ,was killed by a boy throwing a stone at it; for which he 

 was very properly dismissed from the service of his 

 master. The author would here suggest the propriety 

 of parents and teachers losing no opportunity of instil- 

 ling into the minds of children a feeling of kindness 

 and benevolence to the brute creation. He has again 

 and again witnessed with pain the utter absence of these 

 : feelings in children, whose daily lessons at school from 



