46 INSESSOEES. 



some years ago, at the Red Lion Inn, Hungerford, 

 England. A gentleman who lodged there coming 

 into the yard with his chaise, accidentally ran over 

 and bruised the leg of a favorite Newfoundland dog, 

 and while the injury was being examined, Ralph, the 

 Raven, looked on also, and was evidently making hia 

 remarks on what was doing; for the minute the dog 

 was tied up under the manger with the horse, Ralph 

 not only visited him, but brought him bones and 

 showed him many other attentions. The gentleman 

 making some remarks to the ostler on the subject, he 

 was informed that the bird had been brought up with 

 a dog, and that the afTeetion between them was mu- 

 tual, and all the neighborhood had been witnesses to 

 the many acts of kindness performed the one to the 

 other. The dog in course of time had the misfortune 

 to break his leg, and during the long period of his 

 confinement the Raven waited on him constantly, 

 carried him his provisions, and scarcely ever left him 

 alone. One night, by accident, the stable door had 

 been shut, and Ralph had been deprived of his 

 friend's company all night; but the ostler found, in 

 the morning, the door so picked away, that had it 

 not been opened, in another hour Ralph would have 

 made his own entrance.* 



We will not say that it was because of this natu- 

 ral propensity of the Raven to form close and warm 

 attachments, that it was chosen by the Almighty to 

 carry food to the Prophet Elijah, during his solitary 



* Stan'ey's "Familiar Historj of Birds." 



