A dog, swallows and us
In our house there is a dog whose name is Puppy. Of course I call her "Puppy!" when she doesn't follow me. She has lived with us for six years. She doesn't do what I say but stays where she is or lifts her paw to my hand. She barks every time she wants to go for a walk that usually takes around thirty minutes. She eats many different kinds of food, not only dog food but things such as sea bream and fish sausage. And when my father comes home, she runs to him and jumps at him wagging her tail. But she doesn't do this when I come home. She knows who is the most important person and regards me as a 3rd-ranked person even though I take her for a walk every morning.
Above our house entrance there is a nest of swallows. They are not usually there during daytime but fly around looking for insects, especially dragonflies, to feed their offspring. Swallows make their nest on pillars, in the corner of ceilings, beneath eaves, or wherever people live nearby. That is because swallows try to protect themselves from their natural enemies such as crows, snakes and so forth, so that those cannot attack their nests. Making nests around houses doesn't mean that swallows love human beings but that they try to protect themselves. My father told me that last year.
In fact, swallows did make their nest last year in the same place my picture shows. But my mother removed it after they left last year. Then, this year, they came back but there were no nest, so they made another one in which they live today. My mother says that she will not break it again.
Among the Japanese it is said that the house on which swallows make their nest will be happy because swallows feed and raise their offspring very earnestly. So swallows are a symbol of "earnest parents." It is believed that married couples or families who live in a house with a swallow's nest will have lots of children in the future.
I live by myself but I have a cat at my parents' home. She has pretty eyes, long gray hair and a sweet behavior. I am very happy to have her.
Hiroko, having pets is very good unless you have an allergy to animals. You will be cheerful when you have a pet such as a dog, a cat, a bird and so on. The most important thing is that those who have pets have to take care of them; there are too many stories of cruelty to animals.
Oh, my house also has a swallow nest, Daijirou! They make their nest under the roof every year, and the brood twitter cheerfully. I have heard that the house on which swallows make their nest will be happy, but I didn't know why. So, it follows that both of our parents are earnest. Ah, I think so, anyway...
I'm a little bit sad because I don't have swallow nests at my house...
One of my neighbors does have one at her house and I enjoy watching the swallows feeding their children. I have taken care of a baby swallow which fell out of its nest. It was really cute and soon became attached to me. So, I was reluctant to give it back to its parents. (I did give it back, of course!)
I laughed at your entry, Daijiou. Your dog regards you as third-ranked person among your family, does she? You poor soul! The dog in my friends' house named Tora is wagging his tail and comes to see me whenever I go to his house.
Anyway, don't you think dogs are wise amimals? They can tell which people like dogs or not, for my mother who dislikes dogs very much is always barked and growled at by dogs that are usually calm. Is this by accident?
Hiroko Shioda :: May 15, 2003 07:36 PM
I didn't know why the swallows made their nest to live in. So your father also taught me about that.
I have never had a pet such as a dog or cat because my parents don't permit me to have an animal.