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Updated: May 31, 2025
It would have badly frightened me, had I not known what it was; but I recognised it at once as one of the most inoffensive creatures in the world the `aard-vark. "His appearance accounted for the retreat of the bull, and also explained why the ants had been crawling about on my first reaching their hill.
And, so saying, Swartboy out knife, and set to work upon the carcass. Now this singular-looking animal which Hans called an "aard-vark," and Swartboy a "goup," was neither more or less than the African ant-eater. Although the colonists term it "aard-vark," which is the Dutch for "ground-hog," the animal has but little in common with the hog kind.
What has happened to you? You're all safe and sound? Not hurt, I hope?" These and a few others were asked in a breath. "I'm sound as a bell," said Hans; "and for the rest of your inquiries I'll answer them all as soon as Swartboy has skinned this `aard-vark, and Totty has cooked a piece of it for supper; but I'm too hungry to talk now, so pray excuse me."
I did not reflect only that I liked aard-vark flesh and the blow was given. Poor fellow! It did the job for him. With scarce a kick he dropped dead in the opening he had scraped with his own claws. Well my day's adventures were not yet ended. They seemed as though they were never to end.
But the "aard-vark" is just as good an ant-eater as he, can "crack" as thick-walled a house, can rake up and devour as many termites as any "ant-bear" in the length and breadth of the Amazon Valley. He has got, moreover, as "tall" a tail as the tamanoir, very nearly as long a snout, a mouth equally small, and a tongue as extensive and extensile.
Hans pointed to the "aard-vark." "And dress him so that he don't spoil," he continued; "for you know, Swartboy, that he's a tit-bit a regular bonne bouche and it would be a pity to let him go to waste in this hot weather. An aard-vark's not to be bagged every day." "You spreichen true, Mynheer Hans, Swartboy know all dat. Him skin an' dress da goup."
On second thoughts, I remembered the story of the husbandman and the frozen snake, which quite changed my intention. "I next thought of killing him for venison; but having no bullet, I did not like to beat him to death with my gun. Besides the aard-vark was my load to camp, and I knew that the jackals would eat the bull up before we could go back for him.
We've a couple of peacocks here, and Totty will get one of them ready sooner than the aard-vark." "As for that," rejoined Hans, "I don't care which. I'm just in the condition to eat anything even a steak of tough old quagga, if I had it; but I think it would be no harm if Swartboy that is, if you're not too tired, old Swart would just peel the skin off this gentleman."
But, beside these, insects for swallows, swifts, martins, shrikes, thrushes, orioles, sparrows, the beautiful trogans and jacamars, moles, shrews, hedgehogs, and a multitude of others, too numerous to mention, but not too numerous to eat. Ants, also, for the ant-eaters of America, the aard-vark of Africa, and the pangolin of Asia.
In Africa the ant-eaters are represented by several kinds of animals, differing essentially from each other in outward appearance, though all agreeing in their habits, or rather in the nature of their food. The Aard-vark, or Earth-hog, of the Cape colonists, is the most noted kind.
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