The truffle and the Norwich Terrier.

    A few days before Christmas, as a sacrifice to the traditional stuffed goose, I made the magnificent purchase of a small share of truffles.
    A while before, in a newspaper, I have read an article on the "cavage", a little known canine practice.
    Resolving to show Bibi, my young Norwich Terrier, then five months old, that digging up tulips and narcissus is not the only interest of "cavage", I made him taste a little bit of truffle, and buried the remainder, without his knowing it, in a garden nook.

    I called on my young student and with a lot mimicking I showed him that I expected him to do. Perplexed, but not convinced, his burial grounds being commonly at the other side of the garden, he condescended to come near and to scrape a little. 
    I incited him so that Zezette, his mother, came near to see that was happening, and by imitation began scraping. 
    By a miracle, the truffle appeared: the two terriers soon wrangled about it, and each getting his part, they swallowed it, to my great despair. 
     I had forgotten this trial when, coming back from our usual walk, I was perplexed by the demeanour of my two Norwich Terriers which were sniffing, scratching and squabbling at the foot of a  bush. 

     I came nearer and, after I had with difficulty managed to push them away, I found a small truffle down in the excavation.
    A few days later, the same adventure occured again, pratically under the wheels of our car parked at the usual place for the weekly walk and at a place greatly frequented by people and by dogs.
    To estimate the value of this aptitude newly revealed, I decided to do some field work. A colleague who is a hunter, to whom I told this story, being amused and curious to see my little beasts at work, agreed to lead us to the natural truffle-grounds he knows.
    At a fine february afternoon, we set off for a trial run. After a long walk through rocky, bushy and wooded paths, we reached a "brulis", indicative of truffles.
    I incited my two candidates to manifest their talent. Bibi, the first, immediately understood what I wanted: he put his nose on the ground, snuffled at several times, and started on a rabbit trail where he soon found some delicious dung to eat.

   Zezette, more calmely, went on an exploratory walk, and began to scratch and to puff. I arrested her ardour and Mr. Ricard the hunter, on enlarging the hole found a wonderful black truffle. 
    But, during all the next half hour, despite our encouragement, there was no manifestestation on the part of the two terriers: no truffles nor any rabbits. 
    Faced of this poor harvest we made another trial on another "brulis". Utter defeat. 
    Confronted with incipient doubt, we decided to strike hard: the cultivated truffle-ground. 

    Mr Ricard led us to a space about two thousand yards square in size, enclosed by a double line of barbed wire and guarded on the side by placards threatening intruders or invaders with various legal thunderbolts.
    Disinclined to continue, but resolved to pursue our test, we began to walk around the enclosure when Zezette, who cannot read yet, decided to go under the barbed wire entanglement. A few steps inside she marked a place, then an another nearby and a third...
    At this point, the "truffle  madness" took possession of our guide. After a rapid glance around, he jumped over the wretched enclosure, knelt down and excavated the three places indicated. Then catching Zezette under his left arm, smiling like a buccaneer, he came back, to show me the treasure of the four splended truffles clutched in his hands.

   The test was estimated to be proof enough, and not wanting to stay longer in the site of the exploit, we came back, proofs in pocket, to convince the last unbelievers. 
    Since that time there is never a week, in the course of our woody walks, when Zezette does not leave the path and, tail frisking, show me where to find truffles, which when distributed to our friends improve our relationships and the fragrance of their omelets. 
    Of course, if rabbits, foxes, boars, squirrels, butterflies...leave him some spare time, Bibi helps his mother as best he can and tries to rob her of her finds.     In view of this skill, we are thinking of challenging the great specialists -german sheeper dogs and other truffle findind dogs- next year, in a sport we have commenced naturally and passionately and not for a single moment do we doubt the success of the Norwich terriers "truffling". 

    As proof. We have entered several competitions, and if we have not yet won, we have all time achieved honorable placings.
 

                    PASTOR-CESARETTI
Lexicon:
    Zezette and Bibi are the affectionate nickname of our first two Norwich Terriers, who can also answer to other names, such as Nini-Belle, Zouzouille, Zigounette, Pipistron or Zigounet.
    "Brulis": a place appearing burnt-off, surrounding an oak, juniper or olive tree, and indicative of the presence of truffles.
 

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