the grayhounde, demanded of the Kynge what the grayhounde would do?
‘“Cosyn,” quod the Kynge, “it is a great good token to you, and an evil sygne to me.”
‘“Sir, how know ye that?” quod the Duke.
‘“I know it well,” quod the Kynge; “the grayhound maketh you chere this day as Kynge of England, as ye shall be, and I shall be deposed; the grayhounde hath this knowledge naturally, therefore take hym to you, he will follow you and forsake me.” The Duke understoode well those words, and cheryshed the grayhounde, who would never after follow Kynge Richard, but followed the Duke of Lancaster.’
Among the kings who made friends and pets of greyhounds, we must not forget Frederick the Great, who generally did not waste love upon anybody! He even carried his affection for them so far that he used to take a small variety, known as the Italian greyhound, with him in his campaigns. Once, during the Seven Years’ War, he was out inspecting the ground with a view to a battle, when he accidentally got separated from his officers. Hearing a party of Austrians approaching, he picked up his greyhound, and hid under the arch of a bridge that crossed a little stream close by. The enemy, who knew that he was somewhere about, passed the bridge several times in search of him, and Frederick waited in terror, expecting every moment that a bark from his dog would betray him. But the dog seemed to understand how much depended on his silence, and remained perfectly still, till the footsteps had died away. On the death of the little fellow, some time after, he was buried in the dogs’ graveyard, belonging to the palace, where each dog has a tombstone, and on it is engraved his name and the good qualities which marked him when alive.
Although, in general, greyhounds are not so ingenious as other dogs, now and then one shows himself surprisingly clever in getting what he has set his mind on.
