Each animal's natural character and the lessons for humans

Each animal is distinguished by its own characteristics. The ox is steady, the donkey sluggish; the horse is hot in its desire for the female; the wolf is untamable, and the fox is cunning; the deer is timid; the ant is industrious; the dog is grateful and remembers friendship. For each was created at the same moment, and it brought along with itself the characteristic of its nature. The lion's anger was born together with it, along with its solitary way of life and its not sharing communion with its own kind. For like some tyrant among the irrational animals, because of its natural arrogance it does not accept equal honor with the many. It does not even accept yesterday's food, nor would it even go near the remains of its own hunt. Nature has placed in it such powerful organs of voice that many animals that surpass it in speed are often caught by the roar alone. The leopard is impetuous and swift in its impulses; its body has been joined to it as suitable, following the movements of its soul with suppleness and lightness. The bear's nature is sluggish, and its character is peculiar, deceitful, deeply hidden. Its body is clothed to match: heavy, compact, without joints, fitting for a creature that is actually a den-dweller, chilled. If we go through in our discussion how much untaught and natural care for their own life exists in these irrational animals, we shall either be moved toward guarding ourselves and providing for the salvation of our souls, or we shall be condemned all the more when we are found falling short even of imitating the irrational animals. A bear, often wounded with the deepest gashes, heals itself, stopping up its wounds by every means with the mullein plant, whose nature is dry. You could also see a fox healing itself with the resin of the pine tree. A tortoise, when it has gorged on viper flesh, escapes the harm of the venom through the antidote of oregano. And a snake heals the damage in its eyes by feeding on fennel. And what rational understanding do the animals' forecasts of changes in the weather not reveal? The sheep, when winter is approaching, takes in its food greedily, as if storing up provisions for the coming scarcity. Cattle that have been shut up for a long time in the winter season, when spring is already approaching, perceive the change by natural sensation and look from their stalls toward the exits, all shifting their posture at a single signal. And already some industrious people have observed that the land hedgehog makes two breathing holes in its burrow, and when the north wind is about to blow, it blocks up the one facing north; but when the south wind takes over again, it moves to the one facing south. What is being shown to us human beings through these things? Not only that the care of our Creator extends through all things, but also that among the irrational animals there is some perception of the future, so that we too should not cling to the present life, but should have all our zeal for the age to come. Will you not labor on your own behalf, O man? Will you not store up beforehand in the present age the rests of the age to come, looking to the example of the ant? It treasures up its winter food in summer, and not because the hardships of winter are not yet here does it let the time pass in idleness; but with an unrelenting eagerness it strains toward the work, until it has stored away sufficient food in its chambers. And it does not do this carelessly, but by some wise contrivance it makes the food last as long as possible.