B. F. Skinner (like)

 

In an effort to better understand why animals play, I rolled a ball of yarn towards his nose.  Sally immediately announced that it needed to be a kitten and not an alligator, but an alligator was all I had to work with at the time. 

When nothing happened, I naturally assumed the fault was in the yarn.  It was either the wrong color or I had not left enough of a trailing straggle of yarn to simulate a tail.  That, I was sure, was important.

I had heard that crows play.  I know they have the ability to recognize people and remember events, but other than playing with another crow, could I get one to play with me?  This, of course, would call for something other than yarn.  That would be too much like nest building material, even though I have never seen a crow with knitting needles, neither have I seen a person constructing a cardigan using their mouth and feet.

This was turning out to be more difficult than I had first thought.