Wild Animals I Have Known · Chapters
Chapters explained
Chapter companions for Wild Animals I Have Known by Ernest Thompson Seton.
Chapter 1
Dedication
The book is dedicated to Beulah.
Chapter 2
Note to the Reader
The author explains that the stories in the book are true, based on real animals he observed or knew, though some characters are composites due to fragmentary records. He emphasizes the individuality and personality of each animal, the tragic nature of wild life, and the kinship between humans and animals, asserting that animals have rights and feelings akin to our own.
Chapter 3
Wild Animals I Have Known
This introductory chapter sets the stage for a collection of true stories about wild animals, emphasizing that each animal is a unique individual with a distinct personality. The author argues that while the names of animals and places have been changed for privacy, the events are based on his personal observations and experiences. He introduces the central theme that wild creatures are not mere automatons driven by instinct, but sentient beings with their own lives, emotions, and intelligence, deserving of understanding and respect.
Chapter 4
Lobo
The chapter details the relentless efforts to capture Lobo, the cunning wolf king of the Currumpaw, who outwits traps, poisons, and hunters through superior intelligence. His downfall comes when his mate Blanca is caught and killed, leading to Lobo's sorrowful search and eventual capture.
Chapter 5
Silverspot
The chapter introduces Silverspot, a wise old crow distinguished by a silvery white spot, who leads a band of about two hundred crows near Toronto, Canada. It explores crow intelligence, social organization, and communication, detailing Silverspot's leadership, his band's daily routines, and the training of young crows. The narrative highlights Silverspot's cleverness, such as retrieving bread from a sewer tunnel, and his ability to command his troop with specific calls for danger, hawks, and other threats. The chapter also describes the crows' mating season and pairing off in April.
Chapter 6
Raggylug
Raggylug, a young cottontail rabbit, learns survival skills from his mother Molly, including interpreting the bullfrog's song as a danger signal. Despite his cleverness and many escapes from predators, his life is threatened by a larger, aggressive buck who invades the swamp, terrorizes Molly, and repeatedly attacks Rag. After a desperate chase involving a hound, Rag lures the dog toward the intruder, leading to the stranger's death. Molly sacrifices herself to save Rag from a fox, drowning in the ice-covered pond. Rag survives, inherits the swamp, and thrives with his own family, embodying his mother's legacy.
Chapter 7
Bingo
This chapter follows the life and adventures of Bingo, a collie with a strong will and a deep bond with his owner. It describes his obsessive cow-herding, his shift in loyalty from the cow stable to the horse stable, his nocturnal wanderings and encounters with prairie wolves, and a mysterious omen where Bingo's howling foreshadows danger. The chapter also explores the complex relationships between humans and dogs, including a feud over a dog's death that is quietly dropped when the culprit is revealed to be Bingo.
Chapter 8
The Springfield Fox
The narrator returns home to Springfield to solve the mystery of disappearing hens, discovering that a family of foxes led by Scarface and Vixen is responsible. He locates their den and observes the mother training her four cubs through hunting lessons and object lessons, such as catching a woodchuck and a squirrel. The chapter highlights the foxes' cunning, the mother's pride and cruelty, and the cubs' education in survival skills, while the narrator's uncle grows frustrated with the ongoing losses.
Chapter 9
The Pacing Mustang
Wild Jo Calone spots a black pacing mustang colt and becomes determined to capture him. Over time, the mustang grows into a magnificent stallion, evading capture by hunters and cowboys. Old Turkeytrack attempts to trap him using a mare as bait, but the stallion escapes. Later, Jo Calone organizes an expedition to walk down the stallion, but the horse remains elusive and free.
Chapter 10
Wully
Wully, a yellow mongrel sheepdog, is born in the Cheviots and trained by an old shepherd named Robin. He is sold and driven with a flock to Yorkshire, but during a stampede in South Shields, he is separated from Robin. Wully eventually finds a new home with Dorley, where he becomes a fiercely loyal but temperamental sheepdog. He is suspected of being the 'Mad Fox' that has been killing sheep in Monsaldale, but a test by Huldah reveals his secret nighttime escapes. Despite his sullen and aggressive nature toward humans, Wully remains gentle and protective of Dorley's sheep, saving many lambs and ewes.
Chapter 11
Redruff
The chapter follows the life of Redruff, a Don Valley partridge, from his hatching and early training by his mother through his struggles for survival against predators, hunters, and harsh winter conditions. It highlights his mother's clever tactics to protect her brood, Redruff's growth into a magnificent bird, his capture and escape from a snare, and his eventual death at the claws of a Horned Owl, marking the end of the Don Valley partridge race.
Chapter 12
List of Illustrations
A listing of illustrations for the book, including a map of Raggylug's path through the woods to evade a dog, with labeled points and landmarks.
