The Wolf
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terrible howling noise; and though they are in general cowardly, yet when they are very
hungry they attack large animals, and even men. They almost always go out by night,
and the Bible refers to this when it says, "Their horses are more fierce than the
evening wolves." Jacob, just before his death, said of one of his sons, "Benjamin shall
raven as a wolf; in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at evening he shall
divide the spoil."
There were once a great many wolves in New England and in other parts of the United
States, and some are left yet, although many have been killed or driven away. There
are still great numbers of them in some countries. In England the month of January
used to be called Wolf- monat, or wolf-month; "because," as an old book says, "people
are wont in that moneth to be more in danger to be devoured of wolves than in any
season els of the yeare, for that through
the extremity of cold and snow those ravenous creatures could not find other beasts
sufficient to feed upon."
A sad story is told of something that happened in Russia a many years ago. A woman
was one day riding on a sledge with her three children over a lonely road, when
suddenly she heard the noise of wolves behind her. She was not very far from home,
and tried to urge her horse on, to get out of their reach; but they gained upon her
every moment, and were just on the point of rushing on the sledge, when the poor
woman, to save the lives of the rest, caught up one of the children and threw it to the
wolves. This stopped them but a short time; they devoured it at once and again ran
howling after the sledge. The mother threw out a second child, hoping to escape with
the other; but in vain. Again the cruel animals were close behind her, and to save her
own life, hardly knowing what she did, she threw over her only remaining child. She
succeeded in reaching home herself, in safety, but where were her children? She told
the terrible story; but while she was endeavoring to excuse herself by telling of her
exceeding fright and danger, a man who stood by struck her on the head with an axe
and killed her at one blow-saying that a woman who would thus give up her children to
save her life, was not fit to live.
The Bible tells us of a time yet to come, when "The wolf shall feed with the lamb."
Perhaps this will be exactly true of the animals in those days, though it now seems so
unlikely; but I suppose it means also that wicked and cruel men shall become holy and
Christ-like. Then all will be peace on earth, and "none shall hurt or destroy in all" God's
"holy mountain."
I do not find the names of any animals mentioned in the Bible, beginning with X, Y, or
Z. If you can find one, I should like to know it. And no I hope that whenever you see
the names of any of these animals in your Bible, you will take pleasure in noticing
what is said about them, and will remember what I have told you. I have been very
happy in talking to you about them.
hungry they attack large animals, and even men. They almost always go out by night,
and the Bible refers to this when it says, "Their horses are more fierce than the
evening wolves." Jacob, just before his death, said of one of his sons, "Benjamin shall
raven as a wolf; in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at evening he shall
divide the spoil."
There were once a great many wolves in New England and in other parts of the United
States, and some are left yet, although many have been killed or driven away. There
are still great numbers of them in some countries. In England the month of January
used to be called Wolf- monat, or wolf-month; "because," as an old book says, "people
are wont in that moneth to be more in danger to be devoured of wolves than in any
season els of the yeare, for that through
the extremity of cold and snow those ravenous creatures could not find other beasts
sufficient to feed upon."
A sad story is told of something that happened in Russia a many years ago. A woman
was one day riding on a sledge with her three children over a lonely road, when
suddenly she heard the noise of wolves behind her. She was not very far from home,
and tried to urge her horse on, to get out of their reach; but they gained upon her
every moment, and were just on the point of rushing on the sledge, when the poor
woman, to save the lives of the rest, caught up one of the children and threw it to the
wolves. This stopped them but a short time; they devoured it at once and again ran
howling after the sledge. The mother threw out a second child, hoping to escape with
the other; but in vain. Again the cruel animals were close behind her, and to save her
own life, hardly knowing what she did, she threw over her only remaining child. She
succeeded in reaching home herself, in safety, but where were her children? She told
the terrible story; but while she was endeavoring to excuse herself by telling of her
exceeding fright and danger, a man who stood by struck her on the head with an axe
and killed her at one blow-saying that a woman who would thus give up her children to
save her life, was not fit to live.
The Bible tells us of a time yet to come, when "The wolf shall feed with the lamb."
Perhaps this will be exactly true of the animals in those days, though it now seems so
unlikely; but I suppose it means also that wicked and cruel men shall become holy and
Christ-like. Then all will be peace on earth, and "none shall hurt or destroy in all" God's
"holy mountain."
I do not find the names of any animals mentioned in the Bible, beginning with X, Y, or
Z. If you can find one, I should like to know it. And no I hope that whenever you see
the names of any of these animals in your Bible, you will take pleasure in noticing
what is said about them, and will remember what I have told you. I have been very
happy in talking to you about them.
