le have thought of his dancing
elephants if he had seen some of the elephants who perform to-day?

[Illustration]

XXXVII

A PROVIDENTIAL SAFE CONDUCT

A traveller tells a singular anecdote of a lion, which he says was told
to him by a very credible person. About the year 1614 or 1615, two
Christian slaves at Morocco made their escape, travelling by night, and
hiding themselves in the tops of trees during the day, their Arab
pursuers often passing them by. One night, while travelling along, they
were much astonished and alarmed to see a great lion close by them,
walking when they walked and standing still when they did. Thinking this
a safe conduct sent to them by Providence, they took courage and
travelled in the daytime in company with the lion. The horsemen who had
been sent in pursuit came up, and would have seized upon them, but the
lion interposed, and they were allowed to pass on. Every day these poor
slaves met with some one or other person who wanted to seize them, but
the lion was their protector until they reached the sea coast in safety,
when he left them.

[Illustration]

XXXVIII

THE DOG AND THE GOOSE

A goose was once observed to attach itself in the strongest and most
affectionate manner to the house dog, but never offered to go into the
kennel except in rainy weather. Whenever the dog barked, the goose would
cackle, and run at the person she supposed the dog barked at, and try to
bite him by the heels. She would sometimes try to feed with the dog, but
this the dog, who treated his faithful companion with indifference,
would not allow. This bird would not go to roost with the others at
night, unless she was driven by main force; and when in the morning they
were all turned into the field, she would never stir from the yard gate,
but sit there the whole day in sight of the dog. At length orders were
given that she should not longer be molested. Being thus left to
herself, she ran about the yard with him all night and what is most
strange, whenever the dog went out of the yard and ran into the village,
the goose always went with him, managing to keep up with him by the help
of her wings, and thus running and flying, followed him all over the
town. This strange affection of the goose for the dog, which continued
till his death, two years after it was first noticed, is supposed to
have been due to the fact, that once, in her very young days, he had
saved her from a fox.

[Illustr