How Animals Talk 



observation, I can hardly meet a wild bird or 

 beast even now without renewed wonder at his 

 aliveness, his instant response to every delicate 

 impression, as if each moment brought a new mes- 

 sage from earth or heaven and he must not miss it 

 or the consequent enjoyment of his own sensations. 

 The very sleep of an animal, when he seems ever 

 on the thin edge of waking, when he is still so in 

 touch with his changing world that the slightest 

 strange sound or smell or vibration brings him to 

 his feet with every sense alert and every muscle 

 ready, all this is an occasion of marvel to dull 

 men, who must be called twice to breakfast, or 

 who meet the violent clamor of an alarm-clock 

 with the drowsy refrain: 



Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, 



A little more folding of the hands to sleep! 



You will better understand what I mean by the 

 animal's aliveness, his uncloying pleasure in the 

 sensation of living, if you can forget any tragical 

 theories or prejudices of animal life which you have 

 chanced to read, and then frankly observe the 

 first untrammeled creature you meet in the out- 

 door world. Here at your back door, for example, 

 is a flock of birds that come trooping from the 

 snowy woods to your winter feast of crumbs. 

 See how they dart hither and yon between mouth- 



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