The Red Book Of Animal Stories - online children's book

Stories of Animals, Fantastic and Mundane, Edited By Andrew Lang

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GREYHOUNDS & THEIR ARAB MASTERS 315
of caution, especially if the mothers happen to be near by. But in a very little while the pups learn this too, and then the greatest pleasure they have is a hunting expedition.
By this time the pup is a year old, and has nearly reached his full strength and spirits. In three or four months more his heart dances with joy at the sight of a herd of antelopes—the more the merrier, he thinks, as he watches thirty or forty of these big beasts feeding together in the plains. Trembling with excitement he flies to his master, and looks up pleadingly in his face, for he has been too well taught to go off without leave. ' Son of a Jew,' says the master, who himself has dis­covered the antelopes, and knows quite well what this means—' Son of a Jew, do not lie to me, and tell me you have seen nothing. I know you, friend, and I myself will go with you.' So he takes his skin of water, and sprinkles it over the little greyhound's body, that he may become stronger and better able to resist his enemies. The dog is too impatient to be gone to submit patiently to these ceremonies, and when at last he is set free, gives one rapturous bark, and makes, like an arrow from a bow, for the largest and finest beast in the herd. And when he has killed him, he always receives the flesh off the ribs for his share.
Greyhounds are prudent creatures, but also very vain. If a greyhound fails to bring down an antelope which has been pointed out to him by his master, and another dog succeeds in doing it, he feels wounded in his most tender place. This vanity comes mostly from his education. A pure bred greyhound would never think of eating from a dirty plate or drinking milk which any hand had touched. He learns very early to consider that he has a right to the best of everything. Other dogs may almost starve, and accept thankfully the food a greyhound would not look at, but he will lie by his master's side, and sometimes in his bed. He wears a
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