Dr Doolittle did it all the time, apparently. But of course it’s just a book (and a film) and most people smile and write it off as fiction. Yet what if we could really talk to animals and they could talk to us? Do we always need language to communicate? Are there other ways such as ESP or telepathy? And if so can these things cross the species divide?
People with pets often say they can communicate with them. Others disagree. Fair enough, there’s no conclusive evidence either way that will satisfy everyone. Besides, there are some human beings I find it hard to communicate with, so I wouldn’t expect to be able to communicate with all animals, no matter how gifted I was in that respect.
Traditionally some animals are thought to be closer to humans than others. Horses, for instance. Also dogs, cats, and curiously, pigs. People who love pigs are always fierce in their defence. I think that it’s easier to communicate with your own pets than it is with someone else’s – unless you have a particular talent in that respect. Most of the time I don’t. Mr Penry, however, apart from getting communications from the spirit world is a dab hand at communicating with other people’s animals.
One of the funniest incidents I can remember in recent years was when we went into an antique shop up in the Welsh border country. There in the shop was a small black collie dog, quietly snoozing and minding its own business. The presence of Mr Penry however, seemed to wake it up, and soon it was bounding all over him and making a great fuss.
Presently my husband turned to the owner and said, ‘Your dog likes television, doesn’t she?’
The woman nodded uncertainly, as though she wasn’t sure she’d like the direction this conversation was taking.
‘Especially horse racing,’ said Mr Penry.
At that the woman’s eyes opened wide. ‘How did you know that? She loves the horse racing, whenever it’s on she gets really excited. Sometimes she even barks at the horses.’
‘She says that next time she barks you should put a bet on the horse. She only barks at the winners.’
Unlikely as it sounds, this was all said quite straight faced. About six months later we returned to the shop and the dog began bounding all over Mr Penry again.
‘I took your advice,’ said the owner, with a big beaming smile, ‘and you were right. Every time she barks, the horse on the screen wins its race. I’ve put a couple of bets on for her like you said, and she’s won a tidy sum now.’
Not proof that people can talk to animals, but an interesting piece of evidence all the same. Unfortunately, our dogs have no interest whatsoever in horses or greyhounds. . If they did, I’d be down the bookies straight away!
Seeking the Green by Tylluan Penry, published soon by Capall Bann. For more info please watch this space!