Friends and Helpers

Friends and Helpers

The Project Gutenberg EBook of Friends and Helpers, by Sarah J. Eddy Copyright laws are changing all over the world. Be sure to check the copyright laws for your country before downloading or redistributing this or any other Project Gutenberg eBook.
This header should be the first thing seen when viewing this Project Gutenberg file. Please do not remove it. Do not change or edit the header without written permission.
Please read the "legal small print," and other information about the eBook and Project Gutenberg at the bottom of this file. Included is important information about your specific rights and restrictions in how the file may be used. You can also find out about how to make a donation to Project Gutenberg, and how to get involved.
**Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts**
**eBooks Readable By Both Humans and By Computers, Since 1971**
*****These eBooks Were Prepared By Thousands of Volunteers!*****
Title: Friends and Helpers
Author: Sarah J. Eddy
Release Date: May, 2004 [EBook #5730] [Yes, we are more than one year ahead of schedule] [This file was first posted on August 18, 2002]
Edition: 10
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FRIENDS AND HELPERS ***

Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Charles Franks and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team.

FRIENDS AND HELPERS
COMPILED BY
SARAH J. EDDY
1899

PREFACE.
The object of this book is to teach children to treat all living creatures with considerate kindness and to appreciate the services of man's helpers in the animal world.
In many homes this teaching is entirely neglected, and it is left for the school-teacher to arouse interest in the animals dependent upon us, and to encourage pity and compassion for their suffering.
Sir Arthur Helps says: "The great advancement of the world, throughout all ages, is to be measured by the increase of humanity and the decrease of cruelty."
Cruelty in any form is a species of savagery. Civilization can be brought about only by education. The savage does not know that he is a savage. The child does not realize that he is cruel, until he is shown the ways in which the lower animals suffer and are made miserable.
The thoughtless child makes the selfish man or woman, and selfishness lies at the root of crime.
"Evil is wrought by want of thought As well as want of heart."
Children have tender hearts and quick sensibilities, but they sometimes lack imagination and sympathy through their ignorance of actual conditions. They are easily influenced by one whom they love and respect, and the teacher's power to make the world better by pointing out the great duty of humanity should find more scope than it has done in our educational systems.
"The humane movement is a broad one, reaching from humane treatment of animals on the one hand to peace with all nations on the other. It implies a step beyond animal's rights. It implies character building. Society first said that needless suffering should be prevented; society now says that children must not be permitted to cause pain because of the effect on the children themselves."
Mr. Frank M. Chapman has kindly written for the book the chapters on "Our Friends the Birds," "Feathered Travelers," "When the Birds Return," "Birds' Homes," and "The Robin."
Through the courtesy of Messrs. Houghton Mifflin Company several poems by Celia Thaxter and others have been used. The publications of the English Humanitarian League, especially the pamphlets by Mrs. Florence H. Suckling and some of the writings of Miss Edith Carrington, have proved helpful and suggestive. The compiler has had the assistance of Mrs. Charles A. Lane in editing and preparing material.

CONTENTS.

PART I.
ROVER AND HIS FRIENDS .. Adapted from an English story FAMOUS DOGS HOW TO TAKE CARE OF DOGS .. Anna Harris Smith STORIES OF DOGS FORSAKE NOT AN OLD FRIEND .. Plutarch CATS AND DOGS FAMOUS CATS KITTY'S CHRISTMAS TO MY CAT MUFF .. John Owen HOW TO TAKE CARE OF CATS CAT QUESTIONS .. Lucy Larcom THE CAT FAMILY THINGS TO REMEMBER STORIES OF CATS A BRAVE GIRL .. Harriet Beecher Stowe AUNT ESTHER'S RULE .. " " LION STORIES THE KING OF BEASTS THE SHIP OF THE DESERT A HEAVY LOAD FAMOUS HORSES HOW TO TREAT HORSES CATCHING THE COLT .. Marian Douglass A REMARKABLE HORSE-TRAINER THE ARAB TO HIS HORSE .. Bayard Taylor "WAITING FOR MASTER"

PART II.
ROBERT'S DREAM .. Anna Harris Smith ROBERT ON A FARM .. Anna Harris Smith APRIL SONG .. Mary E. Wilkins EARTHWORMS AND SNAKES. HUMANITY .. T. Gisborne ANTS, BEES, AND WASPS A LITTLE BLACK SLAVE .. Adapted from an English story A BUTTERFLY'S WING TO A BUTTERFLY .. Jane Taylor CUNNING BEE .. Anonymous GRASSHOPPER AND CRICKET .. John Keats PATIENT WEAVERS THE WOODMOUSE .. Mary Howitt A MOUSE'S STORY WISE RATS THE SQUIRREL'S STORY .. Anna Harris Smith FORBEARANCE .. Ralph Waldo Emerson THE STEEL TRAP .. Adapted from story