How Animals Talk 



but his play ran mostly to mischief, or to some- 

 thing that looked like joking, since he could never 

 see a contemplative cat or a litter of sleepy little 

 pigs without going out of his way to tweak a tail 

 and stir up trouble. At times he would watch, 

 keeping out of sight in a leafy tree or on the roof 

 of the veranda, till Tabby, the house cat, came out 

 and sat looking over the yard, her tail stretched 

 out behind her. If she lay down to sleep, or sat 

 with tail curled snugly around her forepaws, she 

 was never molested ; but the moment her tail was 

 out of her sight and mind Necho saw the chance 

 for which he had apparently been waiting. Glid- 

 ing noiselessly down behind the unconscious cat 

 he would tiptoe up and hammer the projecting 

 tail with his beak. It was a startling blow, and 

 at the loud squall or spitting jump that followed 

 he would fly off, "chuckling" immoderately. 



When Necho saw or heard a gang of boys as- 

 sembled he would neglect even his dinner to join 

 them; and presently, without ever having been 

 taught, he announced himself master of a new art 

 by yelling, "Ya-hoo! Come on!" which was the 

 rallying-cry of the clan in that neighborhood. 

 He said this in ludicrous fashion, but unmistak- 

 ably to those who knew him. Sometimes he would 

 croak the words softly to himself, as if memorizing 

 them or pleased at the sound; but for the most 



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