Animal Prayers

ANIMAL PRAYERS by Margaret Roberts. New Africa Books, Cape Town, 2003. R79,95

Reviewed by Cyril Mack

There is an old saying that goes something like this:

Some people are good at praying
Some people are good at talking about prayer.
Few people are good at both.

Margaret Roberts has succeeded in writing prayers for animals where the animal questions its idiosyncrasies and asks for more understanding from us humans. The animals concerned range from ants to glow worms, and from owls to tortoises.

In her introduction Roberts – an author on many books on subjects such as herbs, health and gardening – writes that since her childhood she has included “those who cannot speak for themselves” in her prayers. She credits her grandmother for teaching her at the age of seven to pray for animals.

Roberts recalls a moving incident of coming across a horse being soundly thrashed by its owner, while out walking with her grandmother. Her gran said a prayer for the horse and the person carrying out the thrashing. The owner moved off in embarrassment, while the horse proceeded to open the gate, limp across the road and stand in front of the grandmother, with lowered head. She continued to pray whilst stroking the animal’s head.

This incident, says Roberts, sparked off a need to write prayers for animals, a collection of which now appear in Animal Prayers.

The index lists 51 prayers, apart from a very poignant prayer in the introduction, by an animal to its owner on the occasion of its having to be put down. This six-stanza prayer is certain to bring a tear to the eye of many an animal lover.

My personal favourite is the prayer of the cricket, which begins:

Dear Loving Father
Is it only You who love us?
Did you have to make us so
chirpingly noisy, Lord?
Does all this clever chirping have to infuriate them so?

This is a unique collection of prayers that will undoubtedly touch the hearts of animal lovers. The book itself is well presented in an A5, hard cover format, with a bright cover.

According to the publishers, Roberts will donate all royalties to animal welfare.