Figure 1.--Quite a few schools, especially boarding schools, had school dogs. Cats were less common, but we did find several schools that had cats as well. In several cases it was the cat that adopted the school. |
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And of course no review of the inviduals at prep schools would be complete without a consideration of the animals at school. There is the almost complusory school dog or cat. Often the headmaster or other senior staff members have dogs at school who take on the position of the school dog. Few animals receive such lavish attention as a school dog. And interesting the dog seem able to sense who belongs at the school. Some schools had cats, but they are less common and sometimes a kind of communal resident. The children sometimes write about the school dog or cat. More often they write about theor own pet or dogs and cats in general. Some of their pieces are quite touching.
Sleak, slim, quiet and
Nicious prowlers of the night,
Teeth like deadly swords
Eyes of burning fire, and
Dagger-like claws. With tongues of
Sandpaper, and stealth
Of lions, these night
Animals are deadly foes
To hapless wildlife.
The purring pussy
By the fire, with velvety
Paws and glossy fur.
Its just an image.
For natural wild instincts
And hidden beneath.
Simon Aitken, Great Walstead Magazine 1987.
