Zusammenfassung
Zusammenfassung von Wild Animals I Have Known
Für wen es gedacht ist
For readers who love animals, nature writing and short stories with strong plots, and parents or teachers looking for thoughtful tales to share aloud.
Worum es in diesem Buch geht
Wild Animals I Have Known is a book of eight stories about animals, written and drawn by Ernest Thompson Seton and published in 1898. Seton was a naturalist, an artist and a hunter's son who had lived on the plains of Manitoba and watched wild creatures for years. He wrote the book to show that animals are individuals, each with a character, a family and a life of its own. Each story follows one creature closely, and Seton says plainly that he drew on real animals he met or heard about.
The stories are Lobo, Silverspot, Raggylug, Bingo, The Springfield Fox, The Pacing Mustang, Wully and Redruff. They take you from the cattle ranges of New Mexico to the ravines of Toronto and the farms of Massachusetts. You get a wolf, a crow, a rabbit, a fox, a wild horse, a partridge and two very different dogs. You also get a way of looking at nature that was new in its day, with respect for the hunted and clear eyes about the hunter. Let us begin with the wolf who ruled a valley.
In dieser Zusammenfassung
- 1A wolf king outwits every hunterFree
- 2Small creatures live by wit and watchfulness
- 3Two dogs show loyalty and character
- 4A mother fox teaches her young to survive
- 5Freedom and hard winters test the wild
- 6Why Seton wrote tragic tales in plain style
Punkt 1 von 6
A wolf king outwits every hunter
The first and longest story is Lobo, the King of Currumpaw. In the Currumpaw valley of northern New Mexico, a huge gray wolf called Lobo leads a small pack of five. Ranchers know him by his size and by his deep voice, which carries across the plains at night. The pack kills cattle, and the ranchers want it gone. Seton, who is a hunter and trapper at this point in his life, is hired to bring the wolves down.
The story is a long contest between a clever man and a cleverer animal. Seton studies the pack and learns that Lobo does not eat poisoned meat. The old wolf seems to understand what a trap is. He even leads his pack around baits that Seton has set with great care. Each of the wolves has its own mark and its own habits, and Seton tells them apart, including a pale female named Blanca and a swift wolf who runs at the front of the pack.
The tale shows how much planning goes into catching one animal. Seton tries new poisons and new kinds of traps, and Lobo steps over and around them, sometimes scraping the traps out of the ground. He seems to laugh at the men. The ranchers begin to speak of him with something close to awe, and Seton is pulled between his job and growing respect.
What makes the story work is the way Seton treats Lobo as a ruler with a pack to protect rather than a villain. The wolf has loyalties, a mate and a code of care for his band. When you read, notice how Seton shifts the sympathy. The hunter begins as the hero and slowly becomes the one who must live with what he does. This first tale sets the tone for the whole book.
That’s 1 of 6 key points.
The rest of the summary, written and spoken, and the whole book: free to start.
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Who’s who
- Lobo
- Lobo is a powerful gray wolf who leads his pack against the hunters of New Mexico.
- Blanca
- Blanca is a pale she-wolf in Lobo's pack whose close bond with him shapes their shared life.
- Silverspot
- Silverspot is a white-marked crow who leads a flock near Toronto and teaches younger birds survival skills.
- Raggylug
- Raggylug is a young cottontail rabbit who learns from his mother to hide and escape from enemies.
- Bingo
- Bingo is Seton's devoted prairie dog companion, though the calls of wolves compete for his attention.
- The Pacing Mustang
- The Pacing Mustang is a swift wild stallion who guards his mares and evades pursuing cowboys.
- Redruff
- Redruff is a partridge growing up near Toronto, learning woodland survival while sharing his habitat with other creatures.
- Wully
- Wully is a shepherd dog whose fierce attachment to his master shapes his dealings with others.
About this edition
Every format is free to start, and print and large print are at cost.
- LengthAbout 53,000 words
- Reading timeAbout 3 h 30 min
- Listening time5 h 50 min
- FormatseBook, large-print eBook, audiobook, 15-minute summary; paperback, hardcover and large print at cost
- LanguagesEnglish and 14 other languages
Questions about Wild Animals I Have Known
What is Wild Animals I Have Known about?
It is a collection of eight stories about individual animals, including a wolf, a crow, a rabbit, a fox, a wild horse, a partridge and two dogs. Each story follows one animal's life in the wild or near people.
Are the stories in Wild Animals I Have Known true?
Seton based them on real animals he met or heard about, but he shaped them into stories and imagined their thoughts. They are best read as realistic fiction grounded in close observation. The book appeared in 1898.
Which story is the most famous in the book?
Lobo, the King of Currumpaw, is the best known. It tells how Seton, hired as a wolf hunter in New Mexico, tried to catch a clever wolf leader and came to respect him.
Is it suitable for children?
Many families read it aloud to older children, since the language is clear and the animals are vivid. Because the stories deal openly with death and hunting, parents may want to read ahead for younger listeners.