2. To cultivate the child's reasoning faculty. The child is encouraged at every step to think and to reason why the animal does certain things; _e.g._ why the elephant does not drink directly with its mouth, but has to squirt the water into it with the trunk. 3. To teach a moral from the study of animals. The whole of Creation is one immense and beautiful pattern: so the child may well be trained to see the pattern in this also. And as a practical benefit from the study of animals, the child may learn thereby the value of certain qualities, such as obedience, discipline, and good citizenship--_e.g._ as in the remarkable case of the elephant, the buffalo, and the flamingo, as described in the text. In this regard I have kept in mind the very useful suggestions formulated a few years ago by the Moral Education League of Great Britain, under the patronage of Queen Mary, five of whose children at that time ranged in age from seven to fifteen. One of the functions of education is to present to the child the noblest and the most elevated of ideals. I have sought to do that in almost every chapter. I have to acknowledge my obligation to the New York Kindergarten Association for its valuable cooperation in putting this book through a practical test. The Kindergarten Association on more than one occasion provided me with a large audience of children, ranging in age from six to nine, ex-pupils of the Association, who are now in the public schools. CONTENTS CHAPTER I. THE MIDNIGHT POOL Elephants Drink First--But Down Stream How the Elephant Drinks Why the Elephant Drinks with his Trunk II. THE LAW OF THE JUNGLE How Buffaloes Come to Drink--In Rows Buffalo Knights Guard the Timid Deer Wild Pigs--Careless Red Dogs--Bold, Fearing Nobody Other Animals Come Alone The Law of the Jungle--Clear Water for All III. THE ELEPHANTS' BATH Elephant Child Obeys Mamma--or Gets Spanked How the Elephant Child is Bathed How the Elephant Child Learns to Swim IV. ELEPHANTS: THE TRICKS OF THE JUNGLE Elephant Child Learns to Feed Elephant Child "Swats" Tormenting Flies Elephant Covers Back from Hot Sun How Elephants Walk under Water How Elephants Break Down or Pull Out Trees V. ELEPHANTS: THE TRICKY TRAP The Elephant Taps Suspicious Ground with his Trunk Elephant Tricks the Tricky Trappers VI. BUFFALOES: THE KNIGHTS OF THE JUNGLE Buffaloes Cover Body with Mud against Flies How Buffaloes Guard against Tiger while Feeding How Buffaloes Know Danger is Coming--Three ways Buffalo Sentinels Buffaloes Make a Ring when Tiger Comes Small Animals Find Safety in Buffalo Ring VII. TAMING THE BUFFALO Wild Buffaloes Tamed Quickly by Kindness Little Boys Take Charge of Buffaloes How the Big Buffaloes Love the Little Boys VIII. THE BUFFALO AND THE BOY IX. DEER AND ANTELOPE Horns and Antlers Different in Three Ways Elk and Other American Deer Other Kinds of Deer Barking Deer--One of the Wonders of Nature X. DEER AND ANTELOPE: THEIR SPECIAL GIFTS