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The following extracts from Helen's diary illustrate what she has learned about familiar animals: --

Rats.

Jan. 16th, 1888. -- Rats are small animals. They are made of flesh, and blood and bone. They have four feet and a tail. They have one head and two ears and two eyes and one nose.

They have one mouth and sharp teeth. They gnaw holes in wood with their teeth. They do walk softly.

Rats killed little pigeons. Cats do catch rats and eat them.

March 8th, 1888. -- We had fish for breakfast. Fish live in the deep water. There are many hundreds of fish swimming about in the water. Men catch fish with poles and hooks and lines. They put a little tiny fish on the hook and throw it in the water and fish does bite the little fish and sharp hook does stick in poor fish's mouth and hurt him much. I am very sad for the poor fish. Fish did not know that very sharp hook was in tiny fish. Men must not kill poor fish. Men do pull fish out and take them home and cooks do clean them very nice and fry them and then they are very good to eat for breakfast.

Description of a Horse.

March, 1888. -- I will write about horse. The horse is a large animal. He can run very swiftly. He has four feet and a tail, he has a mouth and large teeth. He is covered with short hairs.

He is very strong and can pull buggy and carry ladies and gentlemen on his back. We will not go near their heels because they run and throw them up in the air. Horses like to play as well as boys and girls.

One day Polly did jump and kick and throw teacher and me on the ground. I did hurt my side. Polly was very wrong to hurt us so. Hardee is gentle and will not make us fall.

July 14th, 1888. -- Some horses are very mild and gentle, and some are wild and very cross. I like to give gentle horse nice fresh grass to eat because they will not bite my hand, and I like to pat their soft noses. I think mild horses like to have little girls very kind to them. Horses neigh, and lions roar, and wolves howl, and cows mow, and pigs grunt, and ducks quack, and hens cackle, and roosters crow, and birds sing, and crows caw, and chickens say peep, and babies cry, and people talk and laugh and sing and groan, and men whistle and bells ring. Who made many noises?

The following anecdote is given as another illustration of the vivid impression which word pictures make upon her mind. Monkeys had been described to her minutely, and she had read several stories about them; but she had never touched one until she was taken to the library of the Perkins Institution, where there is a collection of stuffed birds and animals. She put her hand upon a monkey and instantly recognized it, spelling, with delight, "it is a monkey." She was shown a snake; but when her hand was placed upon it, she jumped back excitedly, spelling rapidly, "I am afraid, for it is an ugly snake." The word ugly had been used in connection with descriptions of a snake, but she had never been taught that it was an object of fear. Whence came the antipathy and terror which she manifested at the first contact with this creature? Did it arise from her perception, through the muscular sense, of our own aversion to this reptile?

It always affords her great delight to be taken to the woods, where she can examine the leaves and the bark of the trees. In a letter to Mr. Anagnos she expresses her pleasure in such an excursion.

Tuscumbia, Ala. May 3rd 1888.

Dear Mr. Anagnos. -- I am glad to write to you this morning, because I love you very much. I was very happy to receive pretty book and nice candy and two letters from you. I will come to see you soon and I will ask you many questions about countries and you will love good child.

Mother is making me pretty new dresses to wear in Boston and I will look lovely to see little girls and boys and you. Friday teacher and I went to a picnic with little children. We played games and ate dinner under the trees, and we found ferns and wild flowers. I walked in the woods and learned names of many trees. There are poplar and cedar and pine and oak and ash and hickory and maple trees. They make a pleasant shade and the little birds love to swing to and fro and sing sweetly up in the trees. Rabbits hop and squirrels run and ugly snakes do crawl in the woods. Geraniums and roses jasamines and japonicas are cultivated flowers. I help mother and teacher water them every night before supper.

Cousin Arthur made me a swing in the ash tree. Aunt Ev. has gone to Memphis. Uncle Frank is here. He is picking strawberries for dinner. Nancy is sick again, new teeth do make her ill. Adeline is well and she can go to Cincinnati Monday with me. Aunt Ev. will send me a boy doll, Harry will be Nancy's and Adeline's brother. Wee sister is a good girl. I am tired now and I do want to go down stairs. I send many kisses and hugs with letter.

Your darling child

Helen Keller.

She was very much interested in the process of cutting lumber, and she was astonished when I told her that the wood used in building houses once grew in the forest. While a new house was in process of erection near her home, I took her every day to see it, and she was allowed to follow the motions of the carpenter as he sawed the boards, shaped and planed them, and drove the nails. She watched the masons, painters, and paper-hangers at work; and I venture to say that she learned more of tools and their uses, and the amount and variety of labor required in building a house, than is known by most women.