I went near the stable where he lived and shouted to
him in my old manner; he showed no joy, but instantly followed me out
walking, and obeyed me exactly as if I had parted with him only half an
hour before. A train of old associations, dormant during five years, had
thus been instantaneously awakened in his mind. Even ants, as P. Huber
has clearly shown, recognised their fellow-ants belonging to the same
community after a separation of four months. Animals can certainly by
some means judge of the intervals of time between recurrent events.
The _Imagination_ is one of the highest prerogatives of man. By this
faculty he may unite former images and ideas, independently of the will,
and thus create brilliant and novel results. A poet, as Jean Paul
Richter remarks, "who must reflect whether he shall make a character say
yes or no--to the devil with him; he is only a stupid corpse." The value
of the products of our imagination depends of course on the number,
accuracy, and clearness of our impressions, on our judgment and taste in
selecting or rejecting the involuntary combinations, and to a certain
extent on our power of voluntarily combining them.
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