LESSON 53 THE LOST PUPPIES

THE LOST PUPPIES

Ⅱ

cross-ness pat-ted rat-tling

sau-cers jin-gling pup-pies

cot-tage fol-lowed but-cher

be-have stud-ied su-et

1. In a little while there passed by Toby a widow with a very sad face.

Toby gave a sharp look to see if it was temper that made her look so sad. But no, it was not crossness—he felt sure it was something else.

2. Then he followed at a very safe distance 〔1〕 , till he saw her stop at a neat cottage, which stood in a very pretty garden all by itself.

3. The widow raised the latch of the door to walk in, and Toby, thinking it must be now or never, if he meant to make friends with the widow, set up a loud howl.

Well, if it isn't a little dog, said the lady, stooping down and laying a kindly hand on Toby as she spoke.

4. "I thought I heard a pit-a-pat behind me! And now, little doggie, where do you come from?"

Bow!

Oh! indeed; well I'm glad to see you!

Bow-wow!

And you are glad to see me too, no doubt!

Bow-wow-wow!

Dear me, what a clever little doggie! Are you hungry?

Bow-wow-wow-wow-w-w-w-w!

5. "Did ever anyone hear such a story?" said the widow, as she patted Toby again. That pat went straight to Toby's little heart 〔2〕 .

6. So, when the widow opened the cottage door, Toby slipped in, and soon you might have heard a great rattling of cups and saucers, and jingling of knives and forks, and the widow speaking kindly, and Toby "bow-wow-ing," and oh! dear me, what a really good time poor hungry little Toby must be having, to be sure!

7. A week later the two puppies met at a street corner.

Hullo! said Toby.

Hullo! said Fido, "how well you look, Toby."

8. "Oh, yes, I'm very well off, thank you," said Toby. "I live at Rose Cottage with a kind widow; I've got her, and she's got me, and we are very happy. By the way, where are you living, Fido?"

9. "Nowhere," said Fido sadly. "You saw the smart young man that I followed?"

Yes, said Toby, "the one with the cane in his paw, and the round, bright glass stuck in his eye."

10. "The very same. Well, I followed him home, and behaved myself all the way, but he played a shabby trick on me."

Really?

Yes; he opened the door—

And—?

Walked in himself.

And—?

Shut me out!

Never! said Toby.

11. "Oh, but he did though! And now I don't like smart-looking people a bit. If I had only been wise like you, brother Toby, and studied people's faces 〔3〕 instead of their clothes, I would not be a homeless puppy now."

12. "Cheer up, Fido," said Toby, "perhaps you will have better luck next time. See, there goes a friend of mine—an old butcher. He isn't much to look at outside, but I know he has a kind heart inside. Outsides are not everything, Fido, dear—insides are most.

13. "Now, follow that old butcher to his home. Try to get him to have you for his little dog. I think he will—then if he does, be gentle, behave well, be honest, do the best you can for him, and all will come right."

14. And that is what little Fido tried to do. As the butcher had no little doggie just then, he cast kind glances at Fido. And the more he saw of the puppy, the better he liked him.

THE WIDOW'S MITE.

15. Still, it takes time for a doggie to win an old butcher's smile. By-and-by, however, Fido was given a home at the butcher's.

16. And every morning, when the old man goes round for orders for beef, and mutton, and suet, he takes Fido with him. Often, very often, they call at the widow's cottage. Then out pops Toby, and up comes Fido, and oh! dear me, you never saw such games as they have at times.

I do believe that, now, they are the happiest doggies in the whole world.

—MARY BOYLE

注释

〔1〕 safe distance: So far away that no harm could come to him.

〔2〕 went to his heart: Gained his love.

〔3〕 studied their faces: Looked closely at them to find out their nature.