Numerous poets have written about animals to praise virtues and condemn vices which, as typical of some species as they may be, can be of relevance to the other animal named Man. For Esopus, Fedro, La Fontaine, Trilussa and others, the wolf is synonymous with aggressiveness, the fox with cunning, the lamb with purity, an innocent victim of others' misdeed. Even after 2000 years, we still compare animals to traits of character, even with today's touch. The lamb is still associated with tenderness, but if it is a sheep it becomes a sign of cowardice and second-ratedness, and the bad wolf, the protagonist of so many fables, was suppressed in honour of the ecological spirit.
In publicity, an animal as a protagonist increases sales and a successful commercial spot a while ago with a tiger conveyed a sense of strength. In every day life, animals are present and sometimes essential, if we think of the dogs used by the police or for mountain rescuing, or those used by blind persons, or the horses for hippotherapy, and the list goes on.
In many hospitals, small animals are being introduced and
not only in pediatrics or geriatrics. These successful initiatives are
bound to increase. Is there not a Saint only for them? Up to the time when
we were a predominantly agricultural population with the shed next to our
house (not so many generations ago!), on January 17, day dedicated to St.
Antonio Abate, we would bring animals in church to have them blessed
because, that day, animals did not work (or were not killed which was even
more important to them!).
Is comparing someone to an animal a
compliment or not? If we are told that we are "as agile as a gazelle or as
graceful as a butterfly" that's fine, but when we hear that we "drink like
a camel" or that "this child is like a donkey" or "clean like a little
swine", it means that the compliment meter is going down. An animal can
therefore represent a quality or a shortcoming. Which one is more
representative of what we are?
Test: What animal is hiding in you?
1) You wake up and you are
expecting:
a) tiredness
b) activities
c) beautiful
things
2) Your idea is good but they don't want to
recognize it:
a) you discuss with animosity
b) you find
another way to dominate
c) you give up
3) What is your favourite
day:
a) Tuesday
b) Thursday
c) Sunday
4) Your friends:
a) respect you
b)
appreciate you
c) imitate you
5) You imagine a hen, you think:
a) a
clutch of chicks
b) a farm
c) a good lunch
6) Your relatives say that you are
too:
a) altruistic
b) selfish
c) sensitive
7) You more easily lose:
a) your
keys
b) the right opportunity
c) your patience
8) You experience dislike for a
colleague:
a) you openly tell him
b) you avoid him
c)
you try to smooth out the situation
9) A couple has been married for 40 years, you
think:
a) more pleasure than sacrifices
b) so much pleasure
and so many sacrifices
c) more sacrifices than pleasure
10) If you could do it again, you would
change:
a) a lot
b) a little
c) nothing
11) Two brothers are playing, you
think:
a) they are having a good time
b) they will soon
have a fight
c) they will soon stop
12) You are agitated and you have a
pencil:
a) you break it
b) you gnaw it off
c) you turn
it with your fingers
13) You are wronged by a colleague, your reaction
is one of:
a) disappointment
b) revenge
c) anger
14) Your favourite blanket is:
a) a
down bedcover
b) a traditional blanket
c) a thermoelectric
blanket
15) To protect yourself from robbers in your home,
you have:
a) armoured frames
b) an alarm system
c) guard
dogs
SCORE
Question A B
C
| A | B | C | |
| 1) | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| 2) | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 3) | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 4) | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| 5) | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 6) | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 7) | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| 8) | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| 9) | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| 10) | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 11) | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| 12) | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 13) | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 14) | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 15) | 1 | 2 | 3 |
EXPLANATIONS
FROM 45 TO 35
POINTS:
TIGRE
Hunting and dominating the territory
are truly strong instincts in you, which rarely abate. If you set yourself
an objective, you will not stop until you reach it. It is however useful
to recall that though it is true that the tigre is the chief of its herd,
without the herd, the tiger's worth is diminished.
FROM 34
TO 26 POINTS:
CAT
A bit calculating, a bit
spontaneous. Your behaviour adapts to people and circumstances that you
meet because you know how to combine astuteness, courage and patience.
Even if you can change yourself into a sweet stuffed animal, don't forget
to also be a good hunter.
FROM 25 TO 15
POINTS:
CHICK
Love of habits, peace of mind and a
bit of sentimentalism. These characteristics are present in you, sometimes
you can be thought of as a little chick; however even those newly hatched
birds have claws. Open your wings and remember that not all chicks become
roosters, but that every rooster was one day a chick.
