That He Had Sounded The
Seriousness Of Life Is Proved By The Fact That He Had Observed
And Understood The Flighty Character Of Funny Face.
When Funny
Face acquired a titbit, Darwin took up a hump-backed position
near at hand, his bright little eyes fixed on his friend's
activities.
Funny Face would nibble relishingly at his prune for
a moment or so; then an altogether astonishing butterfly would
flitter by just overhead. Funny Face, lost in ecstasy would gaze
skyward after the departing marvel. This was Darwin's
opportunity. In two hops he was at Funny Face's side. With great
deliberation, but most businesslike directness, Darwin disengaged
Funny Face's unresisting fingers from the prune, seized it, and
retired. Funny Face never knew it; his soul was far away after
the blazoned wonder, and when it returned, it was not to prunes
at all. They were forgotten, and his wandering eye focussed back
to a bright button in the grass. Thus by strict attention to
business did Darwin prosper.
Darwin's attitude was always serious, and his expression grave.
When he condescended to romp with Funny Face one could see that
it was not for the mere joy of sport, but for the purposes of
relaxation. If offered a gift he always examined it seriously
before finally accepting it, turning it over and over in his
hands, and considering it with wrinkled brow. If you offered
anything to Funny Face, no matter what, he dashed up, seized it
on the fly, departed at speed uttering grateful low chatterings;
probably dropped and forgot it in the excitement of something new
before he had even looked to see what it was.
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