161. General B——g having spoken to the Duchess of Y——k about the little animals, she happened to say she would like to possess the smallest; of course K——g was too gallant a man not to send it at once to Oatlands. George the Fourth heard of the other; and on some of his staff mentioning that it would be acceptable to His Majesty, it went to the Pavilion at Brighton. It was kept there until they were tired of it, when it was transferred to the Tower. Hearing of its being there, K——g one morning went into the menagerie. An officer of the Guards, on duty at the Tower, was at the moment seeing the animals with a party of ladies; K——g was in a hurry, and inquired where the elephant was, saying he had come expressly to have a look at him and nothing else. The officer very good-humouredly observed that it mattered not what beasts they saw first, so the party adjourned to the elephant. K——g urged the keeper to go into the den to show him off, but the man said the animal had so recently arrived there that he was afraid. K——g offered to go in. The man refused leave, stating it was more than his situation was worth to permit it. K——g pressed to be allowed. The officer warmly urged the keeper to comply, “as the gentleman felt so confident,” and the keeper wavering, K——g, without saying another word, squeezed himself through the massive oak bars, went up boldly to the elephant, put his hand on his shoulder as he used to do in old days; the sagacious brute at once obeyed the signal and lay down, got up again when desired, salaamed to the ladies, held a foot out for K——g to stand on, then raised it up to aid K——g in getting on his back, and afterwards lay down to enable his old master to dismount conveniently. K——g then tickled him to make him kick, which the awkward looking beast did in a very laughable manner, and the laugh of the spectators was not diminished by his squeezing K——g so close into a corner, that he could only escape by slipping under the creature’s belly. K——g finished the exhibition by making him turn round, and again salaam the company.
162. I will not swear that K——g, who has much quiet humour, did not propose going into any other den and show off all the lions and tigers in a similar manner, but he found, of course unexpectedly, on looking at his watch, that he was obliged to hurry off instantly. The delighted and bewildered keeper entreated him to reveal the secret by which such marvellous feats were performed. K——g promised to do so on his return to London; and he would have kept his word, had not the poor elephant soon afterwards died in cutting his tusks. So the man to this day, for all I know to the contrary, thinks my friend little less than a necromancer.
REPLETE WITH GOOD THINGS.
LADIES’ DOGS OVERFED.
163. It is to be observed that ladies’ dogs are generally so pampered and overfed that a common reward does not stimulate them to exertion in the same degree it does dogs less favoured. I should speak more correctly if I said less fed; for I am ungallant enough to fancy, that an unpacked canine jury would consider the good health, high spirits, and keen appetite of the latter, a fair set-off against the delicacies and caresses bestowed by the prettiest and most indulgent of mistresses. Though the collie is the shepherd’s constant companion, the shepherd well knows that always petting the dog would spoil him. Sir J——s M——e, a Highlander, observed to his gamekeeper, that he never saw the shepherds coaxing and caressing their collies. “True,” the man replied, “but you never saw one strike his dog; he is always kind to them.” Hear this, ye ladies, who would be right glad that your pretty pets were a hundred times more obedient than you find them.
TROUT TAMED.
164. There are few animals whose confidence, if not attachment, may not be gained by constant kindness without petting. One summer’s morning I walked from Ross to breakfast with Mr. C——s at his picturesque old-fashioned house, built near a small tributary to the Wye. I was specially invited to see some tame trout, whose timidity Mr. C——s had overcome by feeding them regularly every day. Until he made his appearance near the waters, not a fish was visible; and it was very interesting to watch the perfect confidence they evinced, I might add pleasure, whenever he approached the banks. He said he felt sure he could get them to feed out of his hands, if he chose to devote sufficient time to them. There was one fine fellow for whom all the rest most respectfully made way. He weighed close upon 5 lbs. This was proved; for a party, whose name I dare not mention, secretly caught the animal in order to weigh it, and though he immediately replaced it in the water perfectly uninjured, yet its old distrust was so much re-awakened that it hid itself for four or five months. Mr. C——s naturally thought that it had been captured by some poacher, and had met with the same unlucky fate as a former favourite, of still larger dimensions, which a newly-hired cook had contrived to secure whilst it was basking in the shallows; and had served up at dinner-time, in the full expectation of receiving much commendation for her piscatory skill.
165. Judicious perseverance,—in other words, consistency,—will not only teach accomplishments, but correct bad manners. The oldest friend I possess used to allow a favourite dog to sleep in his bed-room. The animal, though he had a very short, clean coat, was always more or less annoyed by those nimblest of tormentors[24] to be found in most countries, particularly in warm ones; and there being no carpet in the room, his scratching at night, as you may well imagine, made a loud, disagreeable thumping against the boards, which invariably awoke my friend (a very light sleeper), and he as invariably scolded the dog. This undeviating consistency made the dog at length entirely relinquish the obnoxious practice, until his master was fairly awake, or at least had begun to stretch and yawn.