294 THE PLAY OF ANIMALS. 



Only in this way can we explain the animal's restrain- 

 ing his fighting propensities, beyond a certain limit, 

 though the external aim, the subjugation of his oppo- 

 nent, remains and tries hard to break through these 

 restraints. Now, the full-grown dog romps with his 

 master and the make-believe is fully developed and 

 conscious, for his bite is intentionally only a mumbling, 

 his growl pure hypocrisy. The animal, playing a part 

 as an actor, comes very near to art; henceforth he 

 plays for play's sake with very little external aim, 

 though his disposition to use his strength in earnest 

 as the play grows more exciting, witnesses to the fact 

 that it has not entirely vanished. At this point of the 

 illustration we go to man for our instance. 



Suppose instead of the dogs two boys wrestling ; here, 

 too, we find the earnest aim to overcome an opponent, 

 and at the same time consciousness that the pleasur- 

 able quality of the game can only be preserved by con- 

 fining the struggle to certain limits and keeping up the 

 pretence. Going on to a wrestling match before spec- 

 tators the case is much the same, for the likeness to 

 real fighting gained in one way is lost in another, since 

 the most reckless wrestlers are held in check by external 

 restrictions, called " rules of the game." Going on fur- 

 ther, we make a great advance if we allow the contestants 

 to arrange it all in advance : " You take a good grip and 

 throw me, but I make a sudden move and get the upper 

 hand," and so on. This, then, becomes pure make-be- 

 lieve, since both wrestlers are playing a part; but we 

 shall find that, just as with the dogs romping with their 

 master, the real aim of conquering an opponent will 

 get the better of these restrictions if a particularly skil- 

 ful move calls forth loud applause. But to go on with 

 the illustration. Supposing the game carried out ac- 



