Chatter
Chatter
"A little child shall lead them; . . . . they shall not hurt nor destroy."
Isaiah 11:6, 9.
“On the plains, in the desert, among the cliffs of the mountains, along winding rivers and silvery lakes, swinging from lofty tree-tops, burrowing in the ground, creeping through the grass, and hiding 'neath the leaves, we find creatures, living creatures, so many and so wonderful that we are led to exclaim, "O Lord, how manifold (many) are Thy works! In wisdom hast Thou made them all!" Psalms 114:24.
Each animal is fitted by the all-wise Creator to do just those things that it needs to do. Esquimaux dogs, foxes, bears, and many other animals have a warm coat for winter and a cooler coat for summer; the Arctic fox has even fur slippers for the bottom of its feet. Some of the animals in hot countries do not have any hair or fur, but have skins so thick that a common bullet cannot go through them. The silken fur of the Water Shrew is better than a rubber coat to keep out the water when the animal is swimming, and although the mole is a great digger, none of the earth can stick to its glossy coat. As the Honey Weasel lives mostly on honey and the young of the honeybee, it has a thick, loose skin through which the bees cannot sting. The Hedgehog has a coat of sharp springy spines to protect it when it throws itself down from high walls or meets an enemy.
Dogs and cats and tigers cannot use knives and forks, as we do, in eating their food, but their sharp teeth and claws do as well. The teeth of the rat, mouse, and rabbit, are repaired or mended, as fast as they wear out. And the teeth of the Asiatic Elephant grow up as fast as they are worn away. When the whole tooth is worn out, it falls from the jaw and a new one comes in its place. The Elephant's long trunk serves for hands, a pump, and many other things. The Mole has shovels, the Oared Shrew oars, the Hedgehog and Porcupine an armour, and the Kangaroo a cradle in which to carry its babies. The Spider Monkey uses its tail to hook food out of places too small for its hand. The Anteater has an insect catcher, the Musk Rat a perfume sac, the cow four-food pouches, the camel a water bottle, and cushions for its breast and knees and feet, and even pussy has cushions on her feet. Find out, if you can, how they use all of these strange things.
Some animals have very odd habits. The bear, squirrel, woodchuck, field mouse, and other animals sleep nearly all the winter with little or nothing to eat! But in this wintry sleep breathing is almost entirely stopped, and the blood circulates very slowly. This is why we see so few animals in the winter. Frogs, toads, spiders, bees, and many of the birds do this. The Mole has a very curious habit of working three hours and then resting three. The Brush-tailed Betony fastens its tail around a bundle of grass and hops away with it to its nest. The opossum, when attacked falls down and pretends to be dead till its enemy leaves. The hippopotamus carries its young on its back. The monkeys take hold of one another's tails and make living bridges across streams. The beaver cuts down trees, builds houses and dams, and plasters them with mud.”
January 18, 1894 EJW, PTUK 45