The Mongoose. The Deadly Foe of Snakes and Rats
The mongoose is a little smaller than the ichneumon, but it is like it in other ways. Not many years ago some of these animals were brought to the island of Jamaica, where rats in the sugar-cane fields were giving the planters a great deal of trouble by gnawing the cane. For a time all went well. The mongoose went for the rats and soon these gnawers grew very few. The planters thought they had done a good thing in the way of saving their sugar-cane.
In time the mongoose was to be seen everywhere and hardly any rats were left. Then the hungry little strangers had to look for food elsewhere and found it in the poultry-yard. The chickens began to follow the rats. Nowadays the planters look on the mongoose as a worse pest even than the rat and would like very much to get rid of their late friend, who makes it very hard to keep chickens and any kind of poultry. They would be glad to find some animal that would serve the mongoose as the mongoose served the rat.
A very tamable little creature is the mongoose, and a very active one also, for it is never still for a minute except when asleep. It is not always hungry, like some other tame animals, but soon gets enough food. But when it does want something to eat it wants it badly and will walk around on its hind legs in man-like fashion after its keeper, and climb up his body till he gives it the food and drink it needs.
The mongoose always wants to know. He must have his nose in everything he sees. He is all the time looking for something new. He would make a good scholar if sent to school. We are told of one that had his doll, his pet rabbit, his toy monkey, all stuffed, and these he played with till the stuffing all came out. If they were stuffed again he would go back to his play. One day he was given a Japanese paper snake and he went for that snake as if it was a live one. First he bit it in two. Then he bit the halves into quarters. Before he let the snake go there was not a piece left big enough for a bite. The little chap knew somehow that he was a born snake killer.
When he could find nothing else to do he would climb into the window and view with delight all that went on outside, the cat, the dog, the horse, the milkman, everything. A game of tennis would hold him quiet for hours, for he was fond of ball play himself and very good at it. When he could find nothing to do or to see he would wander about like a lost lamb, and as a last resort would coil up in his master's lap and go to sleep.
He had no fancy for being locked up in a cage, as had to be done at times, and he let people know this. If a friend of his came into the room where he was caged he would begin to cry like a cat, his voice growing loud and shrill if no notice was taken of him. In a minute more he would be flying around the cage in a fury, tearing up his bedding and flinging it to all quarters. If this had no effect his voice would sink into a wail of despair which it was hard to resist.
But the instant he was taken out all his rage and grief were at an end. He would cuddle up in his master's arms, lay his head lovingly on his cheek and coo and crow away in deep delight.
Leaving the mongoose, we may take a look in upon some other four-footed creatures that make good pets. Among these are such as the chameleon, the odd lizard that has the power to take on a new color whenever it gets tired of the old one; the armadillo, which wears a coat of mail and can roll itself up into a ball that no teeth can bite into; the hedgehog, another little creature that rolls up into a ball with sharp spines sticking out on all sides; the porcupine, that does the same thing and has much longer spines; in fact, almost all kinds of small animals, even those we call house vermin, the rat and the mouse.