A Dog One Night

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 124, 19 February 1938, Page 9 (Supplement)

A Dog One Night

f JpHE dusky little dog was enjoying himselt. At last he had managed to do it. Many days he had wanaered sleepily round the little yard, where the sunlight drew fine arrows in the dust, and looked solemnly at the gate, longing always and fiercely to see beyond it, to see where the butcher with his tempting tray and the gruff, friendly milkman, and the burlcy dustman came from. Surely, he thought, if all those strange, romantic folk live on the other side,, what a fine place the world must be. He knew he was missing something, he did not know quite what it was. but the glamour of strange, heavy boots and foreign vaices made his small body quiver with a strange exultation, a secret sense of the mysterious and intriguing unknown. So that day and on many days, he had promised himself that he would go out into all that magic and enchantment he was sure the world held for him. At last, one day, the gate was open for five minutes. That was enough. He was away, free, deliciously free and unfettered, and “boo” to their calling him back. The dusky little dog was enjoying himself. He pranced gaily, finding a new j'oy in the curious tendency displayed by his shadow as it grew hugely and then shrivelled up into nothing. What fun. It was night too, and this was enormously interesting. For above him hung great balloons of light; thinking he would like one to play with, he pranced against the post, and was not even disappointed when he found that his stumpy little body was far too small for such a venture. You would not think, would you that two cats, could send the small dog home. But that is what happened. Because after a little while he began to feel tired and the night seemed very, very big. It must go on like this, he thought for miles; and that was an immense thought for a little dog. Then two cats became stridently amorous and his little ears trembled indignantly at the bold discords. He could see the black cats as they crouched on the wall, and their loving interpolations filled him with a sudden wretchedness. They made such a noise,' such a great and ugly noise, it seemed to echo in

X every corner of the dark sky. He Y listened angrily for a moment —then X putting his tail hastilly between his X togs, he fled for home. X —D.M., Wellington.