One story told about an elderly woman who had a pet canary named Bibs. At breakfast every morning, they would share a piece of toast and Bibs would take sips from whatever beverage the woman was drinking. A niece lived next door who would check on her aunt every night before she went to bed, but one night, she looked out, saw the light was on, and assumed that everything was fine. She started to prepare for bed when she heard a tapping on the window. At first she thought it was a tree branch getting blown against the glass by the wind, but when the tapping grew louder and more insistent, she pulled back the curtain and found Bibs chirping furiously. Alarmed, she and her husband ran next door and found her aunt lying unconscious on the floor in a pool of blood. She had slipped and fallen, striking her head on a table corner. They managed to get her to the hospital in time to save her life, but Bibs had exerted himself so much in trying to help her that the little bird died, sacrificing himself for his companion.

 

Another story was about a twelve-year-old boy whose parents drowned in a lake in Ontario during a camping and fishing trip. The boy tried to walk to a nearby town, but it was late in the day and he had to spend the night alone in the woods. Terrified, grieving, and cold, he slumped to the ground to spend the night. At one point, he felt a furry body press against him, which not only kept him warm, its presence also helped to ease his sorrow and pain. He assumed the animal was a dog, but when he awoke in the morning, he found three wild beavers huddled against him and across him. They had kept him from freezing to death during the night when the temperatures dropped below zero.

 

A family in Michigan had a pet raccoon named Charlie in the 1960s. One night a fire broke out in the house, awakening Charlie but none of the five family members. The raccoon rushed into the adults’ second-floor bedroom and awakened the parents, who then made their way to their two girls’ bedroom. Once they got there, the floor behind them collapsed in the fire and they had to escape through the window, unable to make it to their baby’s room in time. Their neighbors broke into the back of the house, covered in blankets soaked in water, but just as they were going to attempt to rescue the baby, the stairway caved in, making any further efforts impossible. Right at this moment, however, a small form flew down from the second floor. It was Charlie! And in his mouth he was dragging the baby, who was burned but alive.

 

Animals don’t just rescue humans. There are several stories in this book about animals helping other animals. One story that stood out for me was that of a kitten whom a gang of cruel boys were torturing. They were throwing rocks at her and every time she tried to escape, they would grab her and continue abusing her. Finally, one boy decided to drown her in a nearby pond. A dog walking by saw what was going on and leapt on each boy, one at a time, sending them running. When they were gone, he rescued the kitten from the pond and took her home where he licked her wounds and shared his own food with her. Needless to say, they remained fast friends.

 

And this is just a small sample. The book recounts documented acts of kindness by a whole panoply of critters—turtles, fish, elephants, horses, cows, etc. If you’re looking for something to brighten your day, this book will surely do it.