LINES FOR LITTLE FOLK.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXI, Issue 38, 19 January 1894, Page 29

LINES FOR LITTLE FOLK.

(From Onr Animal Friends.)

I AM a yellow and white dog, and I am going to give you my history* Just look on the nup of the United States, and if you bunt around on the western p*rt of it you will find a State called Montana. Well, in Montan* Iwu born. My mammi came over from the Duke of Rutland's kennele in England. I bad three brother* and one sister, and the day that we were born one of the cowboys put us all in a big boot and carried us into the home to show to another man. My brothers and my sister walked all over me. I made up my mind tb it when I got a chance I would walk over them. One day after my eyei were open so that I could see, I was playing around the kitchen stove, where the cook was busy preparing supper ; and while I was watcmng him some hot grease was spilled on my back. I howled, and ihe man shouted at me, " Why don't you keep your eyes open, you poor little beast I " Just as though I hadn't 1 After that 1 kepi away from the fire and amused myself fighting with my iister, but she always whipped me. One morning a man carried away my three brothers, and he never brought them back. My mother lived in a small house called a kennel. It was verj cold, to my sister and I cuddled up to her. One night a stranger came to the ranch ; he was a big man with big bands, and he took me up and said : " I think that this little chap will do." Then he grabbed me by the skin at the back of my neck, and there I hung struggling tv get dow >. The man said le wanted to find out if I had " grit." Do you think you would have grit if come one held you by your neck ? As soon as he let me down I ran away from the big mm. I heard them call him Tom, for I had crawled into a corner and listened to all that thay said. Tom told them that over at his ranch Mrs Rawson had lost her little dog, and as sha was grieving (or it be came over to get a new one. The dog that had died was called Florence Jaoe Bridget Magil. licuddy ; I woDder if the name killed the dog. 1 have a short nave )Qit four letters. 1 am called Faro, and I think that is a much prettier name than Florence Jane Bridget Magillicuddy. I feel so tired after saying that name. Very often people make a mistake and say, " Oh I be is called after Pharaoh in the Bible" ; but I am called after a game. Onoe I heard amta say, "Do you play faro ? ' I aaawered that I did when I felt like it, and then ha laughed and said that he did not mean me. I must pause for a few minutes because I am tired of thinking. My mistress is writing for me, because I get cramp in my hand if J

write much. She lays that pause is spelled p-a-u-s-e ; but lem sure that it is p-a-w-a. Now, I leave it to you, isn't paws spelled p-a-w-s ? There I I have had a nap ; let me take one good stretch, and then I shall feel all right. Tom stayed at our house that night, and next morning he brought a horse out of the stable and got on him ; then some one picked me up and handed me to Tom. I dug my nails into Tom •^because I was afraid I should fall off ; then he battoned me inside Ilia coat, and just left my head out. While my mother was hunting for my Bister, he carried me away. The horse went bo fast that my head kept bobbing up and down until I feared it would drop off. The ground was all covered with snow ; it looked very white and cold, but I was quite comfortable buttoned up in Tom's coa», only my whiskers were covered with frost. Did you ever get your wiskers covered with frost ? Once the korse stumbled and Tom was thrown off into a snow-bank. I was Betting tired then, and wished I were at home. Tom commenced to whiitle, and then I drew nay head inside his coat and went to sleep. I woke with a start when the horse stopped, and Tom, unbuttoning his coat, handed me to a little woman who held up her hands to receive me. Then she kissed me and said, " What a dear little dog 1 " Immediately I decided that sbe was a very sensible woman, and that we should be great friends. When sbe kissed me again, I kissed her. After petting me she carried me into the house and put me down on the floor, and laughed at me when I walked around. I was very hungry, and she gave me some milk iv a saucer. While I was drinking it, two big dogs came into the room— a red dog called Brownie and a black one named Dick. When they came near my milk I growled at them, and I think they were afraid of me. My miitress put a pink ribbon on my neck, and it tickled my caw. I couldn't tell her that I did not like it, but the ribbon made my akin creep. All day I sat on her lap, and when she went to bed I cried so that she took me into her bed. lam glad I cried, for I have alept in a bed ever since. When ipring came I had grown to be quite a large dog ; I weighed fifteen pounds. The people all thought me very clever because I could sit up and beg for things, and then I could speak. Brery dog cannot sit up and speak ; but I found out that when I wanted anything all I had to do was to beg for it, and then it was given to me. When the weather grew warmer my mistress went for a ride, and took ua all with her. 1 walked on some prickly pears and they atuck in my feet. When I pulled them out of my paw they stuck in my tongue. While I waa wondering if I should ever get rid of them, my mietreaa jumped off her horse and pulled them all out. If you ever go out to Montana you must be careful not to Btep on the prickly pear, for its thorns are as sharp as needles, and will go right throoeh yoar boots. I bad lots of fun running after prairie dogs, but they were such aly little fellows that I could not catch them. They live in deep holea in the ground. They -would sit upon the edge of their homes and bark at me ; but whenever I tried to sneak up to them down they would go. In the winter, while my mistress was away from the ranch for a couple of month, the cowboys taught me a lot of new tricks. I learned to roll over, and I couldn't help laughing at Brownie when he tried to do the same ; he made Buch a fuss and knocked over the chaira. Perhaps you think I cannot laugh, but indeed I can. I always smile when I see my mistress, because it pleases her. I can walk on my hind legp, but it is hard work. Sometimes when lam ■ltting up my mistress will say, " Never take anythiDg from a gquaw." It ia very hard for me to torn away my head when sha is holding toward me a tempting piece of meat. As soon as sbe tells me, '• T^ke it from a pretty girl," I turn around and eat it up quick 'y for fear I may hear her a .y, " It's from a squaw."