So7ne Harmless Beasts. 149 



and when it is referred to it is as " Behemoth," or " river- 

 horse." It then becomes "Job's beast," "scaled," and 

 " spouting," and, therefore, more or less fabulous or more 

 or less mixed up with crocodiles and whales. Montgomery, 

 however, gallantly takes the whole name into a line, and for 

 his isolated courage, in spite of his absurd misrepresen- 

 tation of the comfortably-browsing pachyderm, deserves 

 quotation — 



" The hippopotamus amidst the flooci. 



Flexile and active as the smallest swimmer, 

 But on the bank ill-balanced and infirm ; 

 He grazed the herbage with huge head declined, 

 Or leaned to rest against some ancient tree," 



But I confess that the river-horse has less significance than 

 many animals. There is much, of course, that is pleasant 

 enough in the manner of its life — its lazy lounging existence 

 in warm streams, its circumstances of perpetual plenty, its 

 innocent pastimes when undisturbed, its helpless ferocity 

 when attacked. But, except as living a slothful and appa- 

 rently useless life under conditions of unalloyed hippopota- 

 mus-happiness, as a symbol for pure, feral enjoyment in 

 its utmost expression, this monstrous grotesqueness — as if 

 from some " great chronicle of Pantagruel " — this familiar 

 of old Nile in his cradle, has little significance 



As Behemoth it is a delightful fiction, but in its actual 

 carnal bulk it is only a hippopotamus. The Rabbins said 

 that there were never more than two Behemoths at a time 

 in the world. They inferred this from the compassionate 

 goodness of the Almighty. For if there were to be more 

 than two at a time, they doubted if the whole earth could 

 provide them sufficient sustenance. It is a pity in one way 

 that the day of beliefs in unique existences is past; for 

 what zest it would have lent to travel and sport if there had 

 been a possibility of meeting with the pair of hippopotami, 

 ihc phcenix, or the one and only unicorn ! 



