ULSE'S FIRST INSTRUCTION 145 



mediately after Christmas brought me sufficient 

 leisure for further study, and as I had to give part of 

 this time to Lola, as well as to the writing of this book, 

 I had but a small margin left to expend on the little 

 newcomer. Nor can I say, to tell the truth, that my 

 interest in her was very great ; she had already been 

 promised to someone, and the fact of her still being 

 with me was due to the difficulties of travel in these 

 abnormal times. But, finally, sheer pity for the 

 small creature sitting alone in the stable led me to 

 bring her in for a few hours at a time so as to play 

 about with me and Lola. One day it so happened 

 that I had sent Lola off, and, being alone with Ulse, 

 (mostly accustomed to intercourse with the maids) 

 I attempted to teach her to understand : "Sit down 1 " 

 To do this I pressed the little creature down on her 

 haunches, saying, " Sit down I " And after I had 

 repeated this three times she understood quite well 

 what I meant, sitting down obediently at, my slightest 

 touch, and looking at me inquiringly out of her little 

 bright eyes. I repeated this again the next day, and 

 also touched her paw, saying : " paw ! " Then I 

 took the small paw in my hand and said : " Give 

 a paw 1 " and in a few days this, too, had been learnt. 

 I next taught her which was her right paw and she 

 very soon knew the difference. Indeed, Ulse seemed 

 to think it all great fun, and was hugely delighted at 

 the little rewards she earned. My interest, too, had 

 now been aroused, and I repeated the numerals to her 

 from i up to 5, and got her to understand " look 

 here ! " and " attention ! " Though she was on the 

 whole more fidgety than Lola had been, yet would 

 she sometimes sit quite still, intent on watching my 

 hand, but the least movement in the room would 

 start her little head off twisting to and fro to every 



