AUGUST 17: Friends of Animals
“Years and years and years ago,” said daddy, “there lived an emperor in India whose name was Asoka. He was the first man—in fact, the first person, I believe—to start a hospital for the cure of sick animals.
“He lived so many years ago that the way we know of much that was done in his time is by reading what the men who wrote histories have to tell us. Most of the good deeds which he did were written upon the rocks, ’way, ’way back, years and years and years ago. And upon these rocks were also written rules and directions for his people.
“Among many things which he did, in addition to building hospitals for animals, was to build hospitals for human beings and to see that they were looked after. He also had wells dug so people could drink when they were traveling through the country.
“He ordered the planting of trees so people could rest under their shade, and he spent all his time thinking how he could help others.
“But he was not the first person who tried to help others. He was the first one, though, to think of a hospital for animals and throughout the time he was emperor he saw that the hospitals for animals were kept in good condition.
“Animals with thorns in their feet were taken to the hospital. The horrid thorns would be taken out and soft, cooling liniment or ointment poured on and the animal would feel all right once more.
“Animals with sore throats, animals with colds, animals with broken bones and sprained ankles—all animals who needed attention and care were looked after in the hospitals founded by Asoka.
“If animals had written histories as well as human beings they would have written a great deal about Asoka and the wonderful things he did.
“But even though they could not write, for future people and future animals, of Asoka’s goodness, and even though they couldn’t thank him with words, they were grateful, as only animals can be grateful—very deeply, dumbly grateful.
“But the historians—the men who wrote about those times—speak of the goodness of Asoka and of how the people loved him.”