Uncle Dick and Lisa's Old Time Animal Tales

 

The Tomb of King Akbar, and the “Wolf Boy.”

Arra [India] Correspondence Frey Times.

     Here we saw among the inmates [Arra, India] a person known as “the wolf boy.” He is now about 20 years old. “The wolf boy” was taken away from a wolf-captured in a wolf’s den at Bulandshabar, about 80 miles from here in the interior-twelve years ago. He was then fully 8 years old, was found in company with the wolf and walking upon all-fours, and the animal evidently recognized and protected him as one of her own progony. No doubt the boy had been stolen and carried off by the wolf when an infant, and was fed, cared -for, and brought up in the wolfish way by his adopted mother. The boy is named “Saturday,” that being the day he was rescued from the wild animal’s den. At first raw meat was the food he most relished: he was quite wild and intractable. Gradually he was tamed, taught to walk property, and subjected to other necessary usages of human civilized life. But beyond the expression of a very few words, language could not be imparted to him. He is evidently half-idiotic, although he understands commands addressed to him, and makes known his own wants by simple ejaculations and signs. He makes his salaams to strangers, and enjoys attentions paid to him. He has a by no means unpleasant face, and there is not a mark of the beast about him except in the scar prints of his mother wolf, which he points out upon his cheek. The case is a curious one, and attracted not a little attention at the time throughout the world. It was then supposed he possessed capacity for improvement and education, but the efforts of years to teach them have met with very little success.