"BOBTAIL MAKES GOOD"

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 89, 16 April 1927, Page 3 (Supplement)

"BOBTAIL MAKES GOOD"

Aunt Rachel and Aunt Rosa were standing at the gate watching the cab climbing slowly up the hill; they were waiting for their nephew George who was coming to live with them. George was feeling very lonely, for he had come a long way from his old home, and was wondefing whether he would be happy in the new one. Just then the cab stopped, and George got out. His aunts kissed • him and said how pleased they were to have him with them. said u Would they like Tag, Rag and Bobtail, too," and before they could say yes or no, he had lifted out three baskets. The first held Tag, a black cat; the second, Rag a rat, and the third Bobtail, a small grey fluffy puppy. At first the aunts found it difficult to have George with them, for he was a dashing, hungry hoy, with large strong boots and a very loud and shrill whistle. Bobtail grew very quickly, and when he was nothing but a ball of fluff, his sharp puppy teeth tore up books, sewing, slippers, eiderdowns, anything—everything. When he had learned manners he grew into a very fine dog. When he was bathed it took the aunts as well as George a long time to get his long coat washed and dried, and in rainy weather they were all kept busy cleaning up after his muddy paws. " I might just as well have a sheep dog romping about the house," said Miss Rachel, "But I shall only keep him until George goes to school; then I shall find another home for Bobtail. The boy will not feel so sad if he hears of it when he is away." The great day came at last when George went off to school. The house semed dull without him, and Bobtail's howls were heartrending. "We must send him away at once to the farm," said Aunt Rachel, "He will herd sheep there which is proper exercise for a dog like him; he is not fit to be a house pet." Let him have one day more," said Aunt Rosa, "I am going for a picnic to-morrow and Bobtail would Bimply love to run beside the cars. Let his last day with us be a happy one." They all set out next morning in fine spirits, and Bobtail forgot his sorrows while he was racing beside the cars or crouching safely on the running board. Though it was fine when they started, a f ° g came U P in the af ternoon, and the picnic party decided to come home. Au °* Rachel was waiting, and when the first car came home without her sister in it, she began to get anxious. The doctor came along, just then, and both of them watched the other cars drive past, but Aunt Rosa was not in any of them. Just then Bobtail came racing home, wild-looking and dirty, and he began pulling Aunt Rachel's dress ... She did not wait a minute but jumped into Dr. Carey's car and followed Bobtail as he bounded away into the again. ° He led the way to an old well, and there they found poor Aunt Rosa, wondering how she was to climb out. Her sister and the Doctor pulled her out safely, and Bobtail was the dog of the house for the rest of his days.