  S SOME nations think certain animals sacred; that is, they are so much better than other animals that they must not be harmed; of course they must not be killed. If they can they treat them almost as if they were human beings, dressing them up nicely, even richly. Just think of one of our bull-dogs dressed and fed and housed almost as well as a king! “Why do certain tribes of Africa almost worship the Lion of Lhiamba?” Perhaps because he is so strong and wise and terrible. He seems like a very god to them, they fear him so. “Now maybe,” they say to themselves, “if we respect this great, fierce beast, never lifting a hand to harm him, maybe he will not harm us.” “Does he ever harm them?” Always, if they cross his path when he is hungry. “Are there any other sacred animals?” Yes; the bull, the white elephant, the monkey, even the serpent, and how many more it is hard to say. Maybe you can guess which is sacred to the Egyptians, Chinese, etc. We should not needlessly harm any animal. Shooting birds for mere fun is wrong. Animals have a hard time in this world. Let us not make it harder. But we must worship God only. They are mere creatures, passing away after a short stay here; God lives forever. “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” L. double line Each one of us is bound to make the little circle in which he lives better and happier; each of us is bound to see that out of that small circle the widest good may flow; each of us may have fixed in his mind the thought that out of a single household may flow influences that shall stimulate the whole commonwealth and the whole civilized world.—Selected. Lion's face THE LION OF LHIAMBA. double line
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