had
put the meat there.

They had long known that anything that had to do with man was dangerous
to wolves. So the wolves resolved to leave the meat untouched. Instead,
they went on raiding the sheep and the cattle. And they taught their
children, and their children's children, to do the same.

And now the American wolf has beaten man, finally and absolutely. The
farmer and the ranchman can think of no other method of killing the
wolf. So the American wolf continues to flourish merrily.

The marvel of all this is that the wolf is not naturally a very
intelligent animal. Most animals have far more natural intelligence than
the American wolf; and yet none of these animals seem to be able to beat
man in the battle of wits. The American wolf alone has done it, though
he naturally has very little brains.

But _he has used all his brains_. He has concentrated his efforts to
save his life by beating man. He has not only used all his brains, but
he has done so _all the time_. He determined to overcome each new danger
as it arose. And he _worked hard all the time_.

My dear children, that is a great lesson for us. All children, or all
men and women, do not have great talents; but everybody can use all the
brains he or she has. Some few people prosper in life because they have
talents and use them. Other people of talent are lazy, and do not use
all their gifts; these people do _not_ prosper. But many people, who
have no talent at all, prosper just the same; they do what the American
wolf has done.

1. They first decide on something _worth doing_, just as the wolf
decided on saving his life.

2. Then they _use all the brains they have_ to do that thing.

3. They _concentrate_ their efforts on it.

4. They _work hard all the time_ to do that thing.

5. As they meet each difficulty or danger or trap, they devise a method
of _overcoming_ that difficulty or danger or trap.

If you learn this much from the American wolf, you will learn the secret
of success in the battle of life, when you grow up.

Meanwhile, remember all that I have told you, till I come back and tell
you in the next book many more Wonders of the Jungle.

Till then, as they say in the Orient, God and His peace be with you!

* * * * *

Transcriber's note

The following changes have been made to the text:

Page vi: "as Heroic Husband" changed to "as a Heroic Husband".

Page vi: "Why the leopard has spots" in the T