THE COW 31 



third and fourth fingers and toes.) What do we call 

 these nails of the cow? (Hoofs.) Where are the 

 nails on our fingers ? (On the back of the ends of 

 our fingers.) Where are the nails of the cow ? (Her 

 nails or hoofs go all the way around.) Feel of them. 

 (They are very hard and thick.) Does she need 

 such hoofs ? Why ? Notice the shape. (They look 

 like one hoof cut in two.) Because they look this 

 way we say the cow has a cloven hoof. Cloven 

 means cut in two, but we know that she has two nails 

 or hoofs on each foot. Now you know how the cow 

 stands. How is it ? Does the cow find it hard to 

 stand ? Can she reach the grass on the ground with 

 ease ? How does she gather the grass ? (She reaches 

 out with her tongue and draws a wisp into her mouth, 

 and nips it off with her teeth.) What kind of tongue 

 has she ? (A long, limber, rough one.) Why does 

 it need to be so long ? Why limber ? Why rough ? 

 What else does she use in gathering the grass ? 

 (Her thick, broad lips.) [These answers should be 

 the result of the child's careful observations.] How 

 does she bite off the grass ? (With her front teeth.) 

 Have you noticed anything strange about these front 

 teeth ? (The cow has no front teeth in her upper 

 jaw.) How then can she bite off the grass? (The 



