Richard Jacobson, age 8, of Williamsport, Penna., for his question  

Why do dogs bury bones?

There was a time long long ago, when there were no tame dogs. The ancestors of our doggie friends were wild animals. They hunted for their food and fought for it when necessary. An old wild dog would howl a hello to his sweetheart in the night. When tired, he would make himself a bed, hidden in the long grasses. He did this by turning around and around after his tail in a tight little circle., If he did not do this, his hiding place might be seen by his enemies and he might be gobbled up while he slept.

The wild dog had to know many other tricks in order to stay alive and healthy. The animals he hunted often knew his scent and ran away long before he came near them. But our wild dog was clever enough to outsmart them. He would roll in the mud and the dirt. This would hide the smells of his body so that he could get close enough to catch himself a rabbit dinner.

This trick was a good one, but it was not always good enough. He still had trouble finding himself enough food. He might catch a bunny today, then no bunnies at all for two or three days. If our dog was really smart he did something about this. When he caught a sizeable animal, say a little deer, he would eat all he could, then go back later to finish the feast. Even this did not always work, for, when he returned to his meat, he might find that some other animal had come and finished it for him.

Now our old wild dog had a really brilliant idea. When he caught more than he could eat, he hid it. He dug a hole in the ground with his front paws and buried the bones and what was left of his meat.

Later, if he remembered where he hid it, he could return and dig himself up a dinner. This is how wild dogs first came to bury bones.

Much later, the wild dog fell in love with the human family. He hung around the camp fires of early man, perhaps because he liked the smell of the cooking meat. The man, the woman or one of the children would often throw him a bone or bit of meat. The dog would eat what he could and sensibly bury the rest, in case he needed a meal tomorrow. The friendship between the dog and the human family grew and grew. The dog learned many of man's ways, but he never forgot the things he had learned through all the long ages when he was a wild animal.

Today, the dog is almost a member of the human family. lie behaves well in the home, knows when and where his meals are served, plays with us and ;goes with us for walks. He ,Tives us love and devotion and may even give his life to protect us. Certain dogs have learned to work for man. But, tame as he is, our devoted doggie still keeps some of the old habits that helped him to live in the wild. He may howl at the moon. He may roll in the mud and the dirt. He may turn around and around before lying down to rest. And one habit he seems never able to forget   he buries bones, ,just in case he may be short of food tomorrow.