72 DARWINISM AND THE PROBLEMS OF LIFE 



about ! In fact, there is one experience that shows 

 clearly that the animal feels most pleasure in the very 

 form of play which will be of most importance to it 

 when it becomes reality. The harmless doe is hunted 

 throughout its whole life ; yet when these animals play 

 together, we notice that the pursued puts his whole soul 

 into it while the chaser is very little interested. It is 

 just the opposite with the carnivores. With these the 

 chaser is the more spirited. He tastes the whole joy 

 of hunting, and in fact, the chase will be the chief 

 purpose of his existence in real life. 



What is it, then, that affords the young animal so 

 much pleasure in play ? Not only the young, in fact, 

 but even the adult, which is often seen to play. What 

 is the nature of the delightful feeling that play engenders? 



It consists, in the first place, of the pleasure that is 

 felt in all energetic action. Then, it is certainly pleasant 

 to see that one can do something — that one has power. 

 In play a man delights to feel that he is "doing some- 

 thing." It is from this feeling that the pup is so ready 

 to tear up boots and other objects ; that the cat rolls 

 its ball ; that little birds, and often little children, set 

 up prolonged cries, and take considerable pleasure in 

 noise. 



It is, further, the sense of overcoming difficulties that 

 adds to the pleasure of play. Swinging, tobogganing, 

 sliding down smooth surfaces, etc., which children are 

 so fond of, is a sort of escape from the gravitation of 

 the earth, and from the friction that makes all movement 

 difficult. All these movements fill us with a peculiar 

 sense of freedom. 



