THE PLAY OF ANIMALS. 171 



basket the dog helped it out with his tongue and con- 

 stituted himself its nurse. He let the chicken drink 

 from the end of his tongue dipped in water, placed 

 the basket in the sun, and petted and tended the little 

 creature with unwearying care. When it grew up and 

 was badly used by the other fowls he played protector, 

 and the hen would fly on his back and appear to caress 

 him.^^ 



Herr Wilibald Wulff relates that on a visit to the 

 family of a friend in Schleswig he came upon a terrier 

 lying in a basket holding two kittens with his fore paws, 

 while two more clambered on his back. The lady of 

 the house said, in answer to his questions, that he did 

 this many times in a day — so often, indeed, that the 

 old cat had deserted her 5^oung. He was far more care- 

 ful of them than the mother herself, and would not 

 allow any one to disturb the little ones. Dr. Matthes 

 brought home a very young and helpless puppy, and 

 noticed the next day that it had already been taken 

 in charge by an old male dog. He lay down by the 

 whining puppy, licked it, and growled at any one who 

 came near. The following is related of a shepherd dog 

 by Herr Heinrich Kichter: " This remarkable and valu- 

 able dog had the habit that is common among good shep- 

 herd dogs of biting lightly the hind leg, just below the 

 hock, of straying sheep. But he omitted to do this to 

 one of the sheep, and only barked. Even at the com- 

 mand of the shepherd he refused to bite the sheep 

 and only barked the more and licked it so that it be- 

 came very bold, and allowed itself more freedom than 

 ever. But woe to any other sheep who was emboldened 

 by its example! He bit them all the more and punished 

 them severely, as if to make up for his laxity in the 

 other case. It was at last necessary to take away the 



