In doing so, he learns a different set of skills that will eventually bring himself down on the great chain of being since animals are directly below humans. He tries to communicate with the dogs as he would with any other human being. Hornung says, “Romochka was trying to make the puppies listen to a story. He had become bored with puppy play, with the repetition of stalk, chase, wrestle, growl, maul, and sleep. […] ‘Stupid dogs!’ he shouted, but words had lost their spell” (Hornung 24). What Romochka does not realize at first, is that that is the way dogs communicate with each other. Their capacity of language does not function through words like humans, but through a variety of noises and movements. He soon learns these symbolic actions that imply certain meanings. Hornung says, “Everything was ritual. He began to emulate the greeting, in which every absence was healed. He made his body joyous too, his head low, mouth small; he yelped in delight and licked the mouth corners of the elder dogs as they entered. The greeting was also the moment of all confessions. Body joyous or body contrite, pure of spirit, or guilt ridden, waiting for punishment” (Hornung 27). Although Romochka was frustrated with the dogs at first because they would not listen to him speak, he learns to imitate their way of speaking in order to adapt to their system of