Even great disparity of kind and size does not always prevent social
advances and mutual fellowship. For a very intelligent and
observant person has assured me that, in the former part of his life,
keeping but one horse, he happened also on a time to have but one
solitary hen. These two incongruous animals spent much of their
time together in a lonely orchard, where they saw no creature but
each other. By degrees an apparent regard began to take place
between these two sequestered individuals. The fowl would
approach the quadruped with notes of complacency, rubbing
herself gently against his legs; while the horse would look down
with satisfaction, and move with the greatest caution and
circumspection, lest he should trample on his diminutive
companion. Thus, by mutual good offices, each seemed to console
the vacant hours of the other: so that Milton, when he puts the
following sentiment in the mouth of Adam, seems to be somewhat
mistaken:
Much less can bird with beast, or fish with fowl,
So well converse, nor with the ox the ape.
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