In this captivating collection of Victorian anecdotes, you'll encounter true tales of railway dogs and seafaring sheep, wise elephants and sagacious rats, cats both caring and conniving, and other tales of just about any sort of critter that walks, hops, crawls or flies Meet Anchor the stag beetle, Pepper the "catting" dog, Mungo the curious mongoose, and Asnapper the brown owl. Meet dogs that can calculate time and prices, cats that plot revenge, mischievous birds, messenger pugs, rats whose nimble paws rival the Artful Dodger, and at least one fortunate mouse. You'll find the story of the sociable pig, the "fairy" in the soap dish, the jealous robin, the tree-kittens, and so many more. Meet pampered pets, hard-working animals, and wild things that don't always stay in the wild Includes delightful essays by naturalist Eliza Brightwen, who shared her home with animals of every description. Packed with gorgeous illustrations, this book is a treasure you'll want to share with your entire family, and return to again and again