176 NATURAL HISTORY IN ANECDOTE. 



branches of the Elbe, became entirely covered with water, 

 to the great alarm of the horses, which, with some foals, had 

 been grazing on it. They set up a loud neighing, and col- 

 lected themselves together within a small space. To save 

 the foals that were now standing up to their bellies in water 

 seemed to be the object of their consultation. They adopted 

 a method at once ingenious and effective. Each foal was 

 arranged between horses, who pressed their sides together so 

 as to keep them wedged up, and entirely free from injury 

 from the water. They retained this position for six hours, 

 nor did they relinquish their burden till the tide having ebbed 

 and the water subsided, the foals were placed out of danger." 

 Horse Play. Horse-play is a term which conveys the idea 

 of rough if not brutal romping, and yet the horse can be 

 gentle in its friendships and considerate in its dealings with 

 weaker animals, and with children to a remarkable degree. 

 White in his " Natural History of Selbome ", tells of a curious 

 friendship between a horse and a hen. "These two incon- 

 gruous animals spent much of their time together in a lonely 

 orchard, where they saw no creature but each other. By 

 degrees an apparent regard began to take place between the 

 two sequestered individuals; the fowl would approach the 

 horse with notes of complacency, rubbing herself quietly 

 against his legs, while the horse would look down with satis- 

 faction, and move with the greatest caution and circumspec- 

 tion, lest he should trample on his diminutive companion." 

 A similar friendship is recorded as between a horse and a 

 sheep, whom circumstances threw much in company. Both 

 gregarious animals and both failing of companionships of their 

 own kind, they found solace in their loneliness in a beautiful 

 if curious friendship. The gentleness of horses in dealing 

 with children has often been remarked, even when within the 

 confined limits of a stable they will use the utmost circumspec- 

 tion as to movements lest they should inadvertently tread upon 

 their playfellows. Mr. Morris tells of a plough hoise who 



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