lain my husband, take my life also, as well as that of my
children." The elephant instantly stopped, relented, and as if stung with
remorse, took up the eldest boy with his trunk, placed him on its neck,
adopted him for his _cornack_, and would never afterwards allow any other
person to mount it.

[Illustration]

ANECDOTE II.

The Newfoundland Dog.

One of the magistrates in Harbour Grace, in Newfoundland, had an old dog
of the regular web-footed species peculiar to that island, who was in the
habit of carrying a lantern before his master at night, as steadily as the
most attentive servant could do, stopping short when his master made a
stop, and proceeding when he saw him disposed to follow. If his master was
absent from home, on the lantern being fixed to his mouth, and the command
given, "Go fetch thy master," he would immediately set off and proceed
directly to the town, which lay at the distance of more than a mile from
the place of his master's residence: he would then stop at the door of
every house which he knew his master was in the habit of frequenting, and
laying down his lantern, growl and strike the door, making all the noise
in his power until it was opened; if his master was not there, he would
proceed farther in the same manner, until he had found him. If he had
accompanied him only once into a house, this was sufficient to induce him
to take that house in his round.

[Illustration]

ANECDOTE III.

Studying.

A magpie, belonging to a barber at Rome, could imitate to a nicety almost
every word it heard. Some trumpets happened one day to be sounded before
the shop, and for a day or two afterwards the magpie was quite mute, and
seemed pensive and melancholy. All who knew it were greatly surprised at
its silence; and it was supposed that the sound of the trumpets had so
stunned it, as to deprive it at once of both voice and hearing. It soon
appeared, however, that this was far from being the case; for the bird had
been all the time occupied in profound meditation, studying how to imitate
the sound of the trumpets; and when at last master of it, the magpie, to
the astonishment of all its friends, suddenly broke its long silence, by a
perfect imitation of the flourish of trumpets it had heard; observing with
the greatest exactness all the repetitions, stops, and changes. The
acquisition of this lesson had, however, exhausted the whole of the
magpie's stock of intellect; for it made it