EDUCATED HOGS. 155 



table," but tliis proved to be a catcb ; a hoop being covered 

 with paper on which the multiplicatiou table was printed,, the 

 bog was made to jump through it. The humor of the " sell " 

 saved the exhibitor from the indignation ' his deception might 

 otherwise have aroused. 



In Holland, quite a number of years ago, a hog ran a race 

 against a fast trotting horse. The training adopted to prepare 

 the hog for this novel contest was a good illustration of "educa- 

 ting through the stomach," and the performance sufficiently cu- 

 rious, we think, to warrant insertion here, Somewhat condensed 

 the story is substantially this : 



A member of a sporting club at the Hague was bragging of 

 the speed of a certain horse possessed by him. Another mem- 

 ber asserted that he had a hog which he should not fear to 

 match against him, and this proposal, though at first laughed at 

 as a jest, ended in a match of six English miles, for one thousand 

 guilders ; fourteen days being allowed the owner of Nero, the 

 hog, for training ; and the horse to carry two persons. • The 

 course selected was the avenue leading from the Hague to the 

 sea shore at Scheveningen ; the hour, eleven o'clock. 



The first day's training consisted in giving Nero nothing to 

 eat. On the second day, at eleven o'clock, his master appeared, 

 and fastening a rope securely to one of Nero's hind trotters, 

 drove him, with many a kick and forcible persuasion all the 

 way over the course of Scheveningen. Here Nero received 

 two herrings, which he ravenously devoured. It is said that 

 hogs — or at least Dutch hogs — ^prefer fish to any other food. 

 On this scanty meal Nero had to tramp home. 



The third day the hog was ravenous, but had to bide his 

 time till, at eleven o'clock, his master presented himself for 

 another trip to the course. After a liberal and energetic appli- 

 cation to the booted foot, .and a little loud and angry discussion 

 between the two parties, they arrived at their journey's end, 

 where Nero was regaled with three herrings, being one extra, 

 which he dispatched voraciously in double quick time, looking 

 for more, but in vain. He was then, with much coaxing and 

 kicking, persuaded to resume the return trip homeward, and 

 which was safely accomplished, although not without consider- 

 able opposition, accompanied by vigorous squealing and deter- 

 mined grunting on the part of Nero. 



On the fourth day, when his master present-ed himself, Nero 

 seemed to understand somewhat the object of his calling 5 he 

 walked off, not only without compulsion, but with considerable 

 alacrity, at a good round pace to get to his journey's end, where 

 his master regaled him not alone with his coveted dinner of 



