ULSE'S FIRST INSTRUCTION 



A I have stated, when Lola came to me she 

 could already say " yes " and " no " ; she had 

 even some slight acquaintance with the numbers 

 and counting. The bridge leading from man to 

 animal had been started, and the first difficulties 

 embarked on. The further I pursued these studies 

 with Lola, the keener became my curiosity to know 

 whether I should be equal to the task of tackling this 

 work where an animal in its primeval state was 

 concerned, thus driving in the first props of this 

 bridge myself ! I tried my 'prentice hand in this 

 work on Geri, the beautiful German sheep-dog, who 

 had come into my possession in 1914. This dog 

 owing to excess of breeding, and also, perhaps, to the 

 impressions imbibed in his youth was unusually shy 

 and melancholy he lacked all natural energy to " cut 

 a figure " in any way ; he had learnt to say " yes " 

 and " no," and I feel sure that he understood me 

 very well, but his nervousness and his constant fear 

 held him back from rapping out anything beyond his 

 yes and no answers. (At a later date I was obliged to 

 give him away, owing to the scarcity of food.) Lola's 

 progeny, therefore, seemed to offer more promising 

 material for fresh ventures, but all excepting the 

 little lady-dog Ulse had been dispersed, going to their 

 several new owners, before the winter days im- 

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