38 
THE COW. 
THE COW. 
This animal is tame and gentle, because she is treated r 
with kindness, and fed by the hand of man. If ill-treat- \ 
ed, beaten, or pursued by dogs, she will soon become ( 
fierce and mischievous, and will turn upon those who \ 
pursue her, and toss them on her horns. Thus if we s 
would have our domestic animals kind to us, we must i 
begin, by being kind to them. 
Does the Cow ever run wild in the woods 7 j 
The Cow, in some countries, runs wild in the woods, ' 
as the Bison does in the forests of America. Wild ) 
Cows, when hunted by men and dogs, are exceedingly ; 
fierce and dangerous. Even the small calves of these 
wild Cows, will butt any person who comes near them. , 
Is the size of the Cow the same, in every country where she lives ? j 
The size of these animals is greatly affected by heat 
and cold, and by the goodness of the pastures where [ 
they are kept. In a certain part of Asia, where it is , 
neither too hot, nor too cold, and where the grass grows S 
high, and is rich, it is said that the Cow grows so large, ; 
that a man has to reach higher than his head to touch / 
her back. While in Africa, where it is very hot, and 
where the pasture is poor, the Cow is not much larger ( 
than the goat, and gives only a pint of milk a day. < 
Is the shape of the Cow always the same ? ) 
The shape and appearance of this animal, differ } 
greatly, in different countries. In Persia, and in a part ( 
of India, there is a kind of Cow called Zebu, which has ) 
a large hump on the shoulders, and which is used to 
carry burthens and to draw carriages. In Poland there 1 
is another kind, called Urus, which is more than twice 1 
the size of our Cow, and which is always of a black 
color, with a line of white running along the back. The ' 
bison and buffalo, are both animals of the Cow kind, but 
they are of a different species, and have none of that i 
kindness which belongs to the domestic Cow, as will 
be seen hereafter. 
When we think of the usefulness of the Cow, and her 
gentleness, in the domestic state, and when we consider 
that she can live in almost every country, on the earth, 
we cannot but admire the wisdom of the Creator in fit¬ 
ting her, for so many climates, while we thank His good¬ 
ness for conferring on man, a favor so universal. 
ANECDOTE I. 
To those who live in other countries, it may be very 
pleasant to know what the Hottentot does with his Cow. 
The Hottentots, are poor negroes, who live in Africa, and 
who have no money, and but a very few of the comforts 
of life, which other people enjoy. The greatest comfort 
the poor Hottentot has, is his cow. She gives him milk, 
and he pays her, by making her his friend and compan¬ 
ion. She even takes the place of the dog, to serve him. 
If he has a flock of sheep, she takes care of them, and 
goes around the field, to see that none of them stray 
away, and that no fierce animal comes to destroy them. 
Having gone around the flockjand seen that all is right, 
she goes back again, and feeds by the side of her master 
while he is at work. He speaks kindly to her for hav¬ 
ing done so well, and if he sees that a sheep is again 
straying, he sends her off to drive it back to the flock, 
which she seems to do with the greatest pleasure. 
At night the Cow follows her master home, and sleeps 
in the same hut with him and his children. This is 
what the Cow does for the Hottentot in time of peace. 
In time of war, she does more, for she then fights his 
battles for him. When other negroes come to take 
away the poor Hottentot’s hut and land by force, the 
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