Listen to the land; All about animals, part 1

Listen to the land profile of a nation in terms of its living language. This week my. Family. All about Animals. Well maybe not all about animals but a great deal about animals animals of all kinds and varieties. In this week's lesson to the land produced by station W.H. y y Philadelphia under a grant from the National Educational Television and Radio Center in cooperation with the National Association of educational broadcasters Now here is your host and animal trainer Richard S. Burdick. The trouble with the kitten is that it soon grows up to be a cat. Thus spake Ogden Nash a man who can make the fur fly in verse yet in vaguely

intelligent species with the milk of human running us. If you like animals you'll probably enjoy this week's program. And if you don't well that's just one of those things. Here's another one of those. Ogden Nash things. In fact several of them all about animals the rabbits. Here's a verse about rabbits that doesn't mention their habits. The pig the pig if I am not mistaken supplies us sausage ham and bacon but others say his heart is big. I call it stupid of the pig. The cow the cow is of the Bovino one end is moot. The other milk. No editorial comment please Jim.

This is a program in two parts. This week will concern ourselves with domestic animals next week with wild animals. I mention this so that any animals who may be listening may have just their schedules accordingly. This must certainly include dogs gay and otherwise. The pet pet of most Americans and most particularly suburbanites. It's been my observation that once a couple buys a house in suburbia and is moved in three acquisitions immediately follow a power more a lamp in the picture window and a dog. Dog owners should be particularly interested in a book by James R. Kinney with an honey gut. Illustrated by that friend of dogs James Thurber and published by Simon and Schuster and titled How to Raise a dog in the first chapter of which the authors tell us. First you get a dog. Now there are many ways of getting a dog or of a dog getting you. You may receive one as a present. You can adopt a stray from a

dog shelter. You might win one in a television contest or off a punch board a 4th of July fish fry and you can go out and buy one. Also as happens every day in the year you can become a dog owner unwittingly. Dogs are old and experienced in the practice of selling themselves. They are in fact born that way and by the time he is six weeks old the average puppy is already as wily and full of tricks as and I mean even a rug salesman and considerably more non resistable a puppy will usually show you first is around soft and cuddly line and if that does not sell you he will try the forlorn hungry orphan in the snow storm approach. If that doesn't work you may start cleaning it up for you. And if that doesn't work it will try to persuade you that no one has ever loved or understood you in your whole life and that it is high time he will guarantee you loyalty love and understanding the likes of which you have never known and it will be for you and you alone. This demonstration generally

winds up with a casually dropped but carefully saved up. Final point an clincher that he is himself a one man dog. Another trade catcher is the small bully. He is the one you see in a pet shop window chewing an ear off of a much larger dog. He is the one who was always at the top of the heap and he was the one barking with showy ferocity at the monkeys in the adjoining cage or at the ones outside walking past. Attracted you of course. Stop and watch him and the next thing you know you are inside the shop carefully explaining to the proprietor that you positively do not want to buy a dog but could you just look at that little black and white number over there. You pick him up and you have got yourself a turtle neck sweater border for life. Children are born abettors to dogs. Your child brings home a scraggly puppy from an ash heap somewhere. You protest and patiently explain that there isn't room in your small apartment for a dog.

The child cries the puppy cries. You relent and in a year the dog is the size of a Shetland pony. One little boy I know pleaded with his father for a dog for six months and for six months the father said no and was under the impression that he was finally getting his point over when the kid showed up at home one night with a little 3 pound pup tied up neck feet in the middle with a rope the size of the Atlantic cable. Houdini could not have escaped it. Look papa. Look what followed me home. The dog stayed weakened and conditioned in this manner by a child. The same man later became the owner of a second dog all by himself and by the innocent root of merely going to bed. He was on a trip and one night checked into a hotel which used in a door beds. He pulled on his bed and out rolled a small cocker spaniel. A little groggy from his internment but otherwise unharmed. Instead of reporting the

find the management in an honorable attempt to see if the dog belong to anybody or you would think out of sheer curiosity as to how a dog could get himself in such effects. This long gone dog lover ordered up a bottle of warm milk and fed the puppy. They both went to bed and had a good night's sleep and the next morning he checked out of the hotel with the dog in his suitcase. The trick is to avoid getting a dog. I hope you don't you'll admits miss too much warmth and merriment even too much plain every day alive Miss Farrow said he kept a dog to stir up the dead air in a room. That's a delightful book by the way by Dr Kinney how to raise a dog. I suggest that if you're interested in reading more of it you either buy it through Simon Schuster New York or that take it out of your library.

Despite Ogden Nash's warning earlier quoted that Tabby eventually grows up to be a full fledged Mouser cat lovers are not to be discouraged. Christopher Morley was a cat lover in addition to being a people lover as often happens as well as vice versa. And in his volume chimney smoke published by J.B. Lippincott Company there is a verse by Mr Morley in honor of tatty Topaz. Taffy the topaz colored cat I think snarled as the NOL of that but chiefly of his meals. Asparagus and cream and fish are objects of his Friday and wish. What you don't give. He steals his gallant heart as strongly stirred by the clink of plate to a flight of bird. He has a puny tail the night he treads on stealthy path as Marius or Galahad as speaking of the Grail is amiable amber eyes a very friendly very whines like Buddha grave in fact he sits regardless of applause and thinking as he needs his paws.

What fun to be kept. For the life of me I can't tell you why. I never picture Mark Twain as a cat lover. Perhaps my concept of the man is beclouded would I stinging cigar smoke and caustic somatics. I was a member in his book roughing it published by Harper and brothers the a Serb humorist unwound the tale if you will forgive the unavoidable pun of Dick Baker's kept in which he recounted. One of my comrades another of those victims of 18 years of unrequited toil and blighted hopes was one of the gentlest spirits ever born as a patient across in a weary exile grave in simple dick Baker pocket miner of Dead Horse Gulch. He was 46 grey as a rat. Ernest thoughtful son. Splendidly educated slug Julie dressed in clay soiled but his heart was finer metal than any gold a shovel ever brought to light. Then he indeed that was never mind amended. Whenever he was out of

luck and a little down hearted it would fall to mourning over the loss of a wonderful cat. He used to own and he always spoke of the strange sagacity of that cat with the air of a man who believed in his secret heart that there was something human about it maybe even supernatural. I heard him talking about this animal once and he said gentleman I used to have a cat hair by the name of Tom quartz which you took an interest in I reckon most anybody would I had him here a year he was the most remarkable is God I ever see a large gray one of the Tom specie and that more hard natural sense than any man in his camp in a bar of dignity would let the governor of California before you were familiar with him never catch the rat in his life. There'd be about it. Never cared for nothing but mine and each note more about mine and that cat didn't any man I ever see couldn't tell nothing about placer Diggins Mr. Puckett mind and why he was just born for it had the best judgment about mine and ground

when we went to work each got a glance around and if you didn't think much of the indications you've given looked as much to say. I'll have to get you to excuse me. And without another word he used his nose near and shoved her home. If the ground suited him he'd lay low and keep dark till the first pan was washed and he sidled up to look if there was about six or seven grains of gold he was satisfied in month no matter prospect and that he lay down on our coach and snore like a steamboat till we struck the pocket and then get up and kind of superintend. He was nearly lightnin and superintendent. Well Byron bar up comes this year corks excitement. Everybody was into what nothing would do jam but we must tackle alleges too and so we did. We commenced putting down a shaft in Tom court you begin to wonder what the dickens it was all about. You never seen any mining like that before and he was all upset you might say couldn't come to a

right understanding of it NO WAY too many for him. Is he was down on it do you bet you he was down on a powerful always appeared to consider at the cost of this foolishness out with that cat you know was always again newfangled arrangements somehow never could abide him. You know it is old habits die. Dom Cortes began to get sorta reconciled a little though we never could altogether understand that eternal sinking of a shaft never pan out anything lasting up to coming down in the shop to Sefton. Got a cite for a dot. When you get the blues and you kind of scruffy and I graduated in disgusted no one as he did at the bills was runnin up all the time and we weren't making a cent he'd curl up on a gunny sack in the corner and go to sleep. I was there one day when the shaft was down about eight foot. The rocket so high we had to put in a blast the first blast and we'd ever done since Tom Cortes was born and then we let the fuse and climb out and got off about but the yards and forgotten left Tom Cort sound asleep on the gunny sack

and sear in about a minute we seen a puff of smoke bust up out of the hole and then everything let go an awful crash and about 4 million tons or rocks and dirt and splinters shut up about a mile and a half into the air and by George right the dead center of it was old time courts go on end over end on us Norton is an economic blow in a region for things like all possessed. But I want no use you know it was no use and that was the last we've seen for about two minutes and a half and all of a sudden it begins to rain. Rocks and rubbish and directly come down about 10 foot off from where we stood. I reckon he was perhaps the ornery looking beast you ever did see one here was shot back on his neck and his tail was stove up and his eye winkers was seen as Dauphine was all blacked up with powder and smoke and all sloppy with mud and slush from one in t'other. I'll certain want know you tried apologize you couldn't say a word. I'm courts are sort of disgusted look at his saffron and looked at us

and I was just exactly the same as if he had said gents Maybe you think it's smart to take advantage of a cat that had no experience of courts money but I think differently. When he turned on his heel and marched off home without ever saying another word. I was just as style and maybe you won't believe it but after that you never see a cat so prejudiced against mine and that's what he was. By and by when he did get to going down in the shaft again you'd have been astonished is a Gas City. The minute we touch off a blast in the fusing of the sizzle it give a look as much to say. Well how have to get you to excuse me and it was surprising the way she not allowed to hold over a tree sagacity at a known name for inspiration. I said Well Mr. Baker is prejudiced against quartz mining was remarkable considering how he came by it. Couldn't you ever cure him of it. Hear him know when Tom Cortes was shot once he was shot

and you might have brought him up as much as 3 million times and you'd never have broken him of his custom prejudice against quartz mines. Well two items about cats and only one about dogs. I'm down to receive angry letters from the dog lovers walking and fire hydrant society about this one. So I took the dogs for a quick recovery and a clever verse by Phyllis McGinley. Originally published in The New Yorker and later in a book a short walk from the station by Viking Press inc. rattled rhyme in praise of poodles. Sealy arms Waddle Newfoundland's Cuttle Airedales all dawdle on corners to grouse docks and snow of reasons to huddle but poodles walk proud in the house.

Boxers are addled with love they speak twaddle guests will be straddled just pummelled embraced Cockers have noodles and chanting to model the poodle's of manners and takes needless and idle on pool the paddle learning's a bridle he's planning to wear Ruff to the middle. Play fiddle or waltz to an air collies are brutal guard babes in the cradle Springer's can wheedle a bird from a tree. Dobermans model pugs scorn a puddle beagles can yodel. The slightly off key Scotty's win medals Pekinese title Chows while a riddle are tempting to cuddle yet kit and caboodle no peer has the poodle for Poodles. Thinks highly of me. And jamming in next week's program all about animals part two which concerns itself with wild animals. We will include an informative and compelling piece by Jay Frank Dolby on wild horses in particular a phantom

white Steve that was a legend of the prairie's of the early West. But since horses are both wild and domestic and in these modern times almost exclusively the latter we would be failing in our assignment if we did not include a reference to horses in this week's program on domestic animals. A special favorite of mine both is fine writing and for its insight into the love of a small boy for horses as the Red Pony by John Steinbeck. In The Red Pony Steinbeck tells of a boy Jody Teflon who lives on a ranch in Salinas Valley California and it wants a horse more than anything else in the world. Jody Steinbeck tells us it was only a little boy 10 years old with hair like dusty yellow grass and was shy polite gray eyes and with a mouth that worked when he thought each morning the sound of the triangle picked him up out of sleep. It didn't occur to him to disobey the harsh note. He never had no one he knew ever ever had.

And on this particular morning in the triangle sounded Jodi dressed more quickly even than usual in the kitchen when he washed his face to comb his hair. His mother addressed him irritably. Don't you go out and get a good breakfast and you went into the dining room and sat at the long white table. He took a steaming hot cake from the platter arranged two fried eggs on it covered them with another hot cake and squashed the whole thing with his fork. His father and Billy Buck came in. Jody knew from the sign on the floor that both of them were wearing flat heel shoes but he peered under the table to make sure his father turned off the oil lamp for the day had arrived and he looked stern and disciplinary. But Billy Buck didn't look at Jodi at all. He avoided the shy questioning eyes of the boy and soaked a whole piece of toast in his coffee. Carl to Flynn Jodi's father said crossly you come a lot after breakfast.

Jodi had trouble with his food then for it felt a kind of doom in the air. After Billy had tilted his saucer and drained the coffee which had slopped into it and wiped his hands on his jeans the two men stood up from the table and went out into the morning light together and Jodi respectfully followed a little behind them. He tried to keep his mind from running ahead tried to keep it absolutely motionless. His mother called Kyle. Don't you want to keep him from school out. They marched past the Cypress where a single tree hung from a limb to butcher pick John and pass the black iron kettle so it was not a pig killing. The sun shone over the hill and through long dark shadows of the trees and buildings they crossed the stubble field to short cut the barn Jodi's father unhooked the door and they went in and walking toward the sun on the way down. The barn was black as night and contrast and warm from the hay and from the beasts Jodi's father moved over toward one Buck's dog.

And there he ordered. Jodi could begin to see things now. He looked into the box stall and then stepped back quickly. A Red Pony Colt was looking at him out of the stall. Its tense ears were forward in the light of disobedience was in its eyes its coat was rough and thicker than air Dale's fur and its mane was long and tangled Jodie's throat collapsed in on itself and cut his breath short. Needs a good curry I'm his father said. And if I ever hear of you not feeding him or leaving a stall dirty I'll sell him off in a minute. Jodi couldn't bear to look at the pony's eyes anymore. He gazed down at his hands for a moment and he asked very shyly. Mine. No one answered him. He put his hand out toward the pony its gray nose came close sniffing loudly in the lips drew back in the strong teeth close done Jodie's fingers. The pony shook its head up and down and seemed to laugh with amusement. Jodi regarded his beauty bruised fingers.

Well well I guess you can bite All right. The two men laughed somewhat in relief. Carl Teflon went out of the barn and walked up a side hill to be by himself for he was embarrassed. But Billy Buck stayed. It was easier to talk to Billy Buck anyway. Jody asked again. Mine really became very professional in tone sure but if you look up Foreman recommend right I'll show you how he's just a colt. You can't write him for some time. So he put out his bruised hand again and this time the Red Pony let his nose be rubbed. I ought to have a carrot joke he said. Where'd we get him belly bottom of the sheriff's auction. Billy explained. The show went broke and Salinas had bad debts. The sheriff was selling off their stuff. The pony stretched out his nose and shook the forelock from his wild eyes. Jodi stroked the nose a little

he said softly. There there isn't a saddle Billy Buck laughed. I forgot mine alone in the harness room lifted down a little saddle of red morocco leather. It's just a show saddle Billy Buck said disparagingly. Not practical for the brush but it was cheap at the sale. He couldn't trust himself to look at the saddle either and he couldn't speak at all. He brushed the shining red leather with his finger tips. After long time he said. It looks pretty hot. He thought of the grandest and prettiest things he knew if he hasn't a name already. I think I'll call him gabble and mountains he said. Billy Buck knew how he felt very long name. Why don't you just call him javelin. That means hawk and I'd be a fine name for him. Billy felt glad.

Now if you will collect the tail hair I might be able to make a hair rope voice sometime Billy. You could use it Veronica more. Jodi wanted to go back to the box stall. Could I lead him to school. You think to join the kids. Billy shook his head. He's not even a halter broke yet. We had a time getting him here had to almost drag him. You better be starting for school I'll bring the kids to see him here this afternoon Jodi said. Six boys came over the hill half an hour early that afternoon running hard their heads down their forearms working their breath whistling. I swept by the house and cut across the stubble field to the barn and then they stood self-consciously before the pony and then they looked at Jodi with eyes in which there was a new admiration and a new respect. Before today Jodi had been a boy dressed in overalls and a blue shirt. Quieter than most even suspected of being a little cowardly.

Now it was different. I've a thousand centuries they drew the ancient admiration of the footmen for the horsemen they knew instinctively that a man on a horse is spiritually as well as physically bigger than a man on foot. They knew that Jodi had been miraculously lifted out of the equality with them and had it placed over them. Javelin put his head out of the stall and sniffed them. Once you're right in the boys cried what your brightest hair with ribbons like an affair when you got a lot of Jody Jody's courage was up. He too felt the superiority of the horseman. Well he's not old enough. Nobody can ride him for a long time. I'm going to train him on the long haul or Billy Buck is going to show me how well I can't even lead him around a little. He isn't even a halter broke Jodi said he wanted to be completely alone and he took the pony out the first time. Come and see the saddle. The boys were speechless at the red morocco Suttle completely shocked out of content.

There isn't much use in the brush. Jodi explained it a little looked pretty on him though. Maybe I'll ride bareback like water in the brush. How are you going to rope a car without a saddle horn Jody. Well maybe I'll get another saddle for every day. My father might want me to help him with the stock. He let them feel the red saddle and showed them the fine brass chain throatlatch on the bridle and the big brass buttons of each temple with a head stall and broad brow band crossed the whole thing was too wonderful. They had to go away after a little while and each boy in his mind searched among his possessions for a bribe worthy of offering in return for a ride on the red pony. When the time should come. Jodi was glad when they had gone. It took brush and curry comb from the wall took down the barrier of the box stall and stepped cautiously in Pony's eyes glittered and he edged around in a kicking position. But Jodi touched him on the shoulder

and rubbed his high arched neck as he had always seen Billy Buck do any crude boy or boy the pony gradually relaxed his tenseness Jodi curried and brushed until the pile of dead hair lay in the stall until the pony's coat had taken on a deep red shine each time he finished he thought it might have been done better. He braided the mane into a dozen little pigtails and he braided the forelock and then he undid them and brushed the hair out straight again. Jodi did not hear his mother enter the barn. She was angry when she came but when she looked at the pony and Jodie working over him she felt a curious pride rise up in her. If you forgot the woodbox she asked gently. It's not far off from dark and there's not a stick of wood in the House and the chickens aren't fed. Jodi quickly put up his tools. I forgot ma'am. Well after those do your chores first then you won't forget. I expect you'll forget lots of

things now if I don't keep an eye on you. Can I have carrots from the garden farm man. She didn't think about that. I guess so. If you only take the big tough ones carrots keep the coat. Good job he said. And again his mother felt a curious rush of pride. Are you are. You are. We shut the door knob for this week. The animals in our literary collection all about animals. Part 1 genius domesticus as captured and well trained prose and poetry by Ogden Nash. Dr. James R. Kinney. Christopher Morley. Mark Twain Phyllis McGinley and John Steinbeck.

Next week part two. Wild Animals. If you enjoyed this one I think you'll find some pleasures in the next one. Anyway I hope you plan to be with me. And until then this is the verdict saying thanks for listening. And so long. To. Listen to the land is produced under a grant from the National Educational Television and Radio Center and is being distributed by the National Association of educational broadcasters. It is produced and recorded at station w h y y Philadelphia. This is James Keeler inviting you to be with us next week for the program all about animals. While I listen to the land with your host and the writer Richard bird. You are. This would be an AB Radio Network.