54 A BOOK OF MORTALS 



down the years. They must have, else must they have 

 begun as they are now, which is unlikely. It is no trouble, 

 for instance, to teach a pup whose parents and grandparents 

 were performers almost any trick. In fact our whole 

 theory of domesticating animals rests on their suscepti- 

 bility to the domestic influence. But it is only something 

 of their knowledge which they can hand down to posterity. 

 Speech gives them no record of wisdom to hand down from 

 generation to generation ; and so even the vocabulary of a 

 dog with which this chapter ends, will pass out of dog life 

 when its possessor dies ; pass as something like it has 

 doubtless passed every day since the far away master of 

 Horme the greyhound wrote of him thousands of years 

 ago " He hath more tones in his voice than any dog 

 I know." 



In a way, perhaps, this quaint evanescence may make 

 it more interesting to read. 



One Dog's Vocabulary. 



Pronouns. — I, you, they, yours, mine. 



Nouns. — Door, window, table, chair, stairs, gate, bed, 

 place, rabbit, gun, shooting, dog, cat, rat, carriage, fire, 

 corner, water, dinner, cook, kitchen, bath, breakfast, lunch, 

 tea, hat, boots, walk, stick, slippers, yawn, rain, telephone, 

 feet, tail, horse, sheep, tea, sugar, coffee, puppy, master, 

 mistress, aunt, hall, pill, garden, dining, drawing, billiard 

 rooms, pillow. 



Adjectives and Adverbs. — Good, bad, handsome, under, 

 over, out, in, other side, first, second, third, fine, silly, 

 sulky, clever, stupid, naughty, beautiful. 



