Uncle Dick and Lisa's Old Time Animal Tales

     On going into my own cow-shed a short time since to see a cow that had a young calf. I found her quietly chewing her cud, and to my astonishment, I observed a large rat lying at full lenth between her hind legs, sucking vigorously at one of her teats. My first impression was that the rat was dead, however he got there; but I soon discovered the bright eye of the rat looking at me, the point of the cows teat in its month, and the quick suction movement of his throat. So fascinated did the rat appear with his refreshing occupation that he took no farther notice of my entrance than by watching me out of the corner of one eye and was not even disturbed by my calling loudly to the gardener at the lower end of the yard to come and witness the novel sight. His exclamation on seeing it was “Well sir, I’m sure I never did see such a thing in my life.”-Nor was it till he stooped with the intention of taking the thief by the tail that the rat attemped to move. He then sprang suddenly from his soft bed and made a push towards the corner of the pen, where he quickly met with the reward of his temerity, and was knocked over with a stick. It has been remarked that the cow seemed to have less talk than she should have had so soon after calving, and it may readily be supposed that the supply was actually and perhaps materially diminished by this audacious theif, and others, no doubt, of his thievish fraternity, to the friendly fountain.-The London Field.