Children's Corner

Hutt News, Volume 2, Issue 27, 28 November 1929, Page 4

Children's Corner

THE PROUD PRIZE DOG.

He was a big mastiff and his ju.mo was Smuts, lie was wh i ie with a black ; pot about the uy ■„•«, which macie him look very fierce. Bilt he was really quite gentle, and his master often told him he was the best old dog in the world When he-heard him say this Smuths felt that his heart would burst with love and gratitude. Smuts .was friendly and polite to almost every one. But the only person besides the Master whom he really loved was "the big* policeman on patrol outsidethe, house.

\ The policeman, whose name was Pat, was big and ugly, like Smuts himself. But his heart, like Smuts 7, was kind and gentle. He oftenL took small .children by the hand and led them carefully across the road lest they Should: tumble into the river which' ran on one si<lc of it.

thie day the Master drove home in a ear, and with him was a lady who was very young and pretty.

■ "'This, is- your new mistress, Smuts^" said,-the Master: y Toa • must/lo\% an^' guard her well as^ you do me. Give a paw." Smuts ; obey ed very ' unwillingly because in the Mistress's arms he saw a,'tiny little Yorkshire terrier, so small that it could almost have been carried in he y r muff. Bnt< thotlgh so tiny it was ,very rude and stuck lip. . ' ' ''Bow! Wow! Wow!" it said, and '/by- this it meant to say: ' Your; h eacl is too thick and your I nose is "too .short. You are just , iliflyvdl^ Smuts. : i^ow I airi a : prize jclog^ and "any^ name is 'Adonis!''/ ■-'..■;■■.■■■■:-- ■'" '..Wfs> '. .;■■• ■-'. ' ..■■■. ''Woof!"Woo|!'' Siauts barked baek^ angrily and foeg&n a growl in hi^ftlxroatj,. :• Then, his -hiaster's vpiee 3 . stern for, pnce> told him •that Adonis was now a member of the family and Smut must. do him no harm. ;, ~ *'-You"did not tell me Smuts was such a savage dog," said the • Mistress, and she held the" precious Adonis very tight in her arms as she carried him inside, \ Smuts was-'iiot a house dog, and was. never allowed to enter. But now.lie put one paw across the threshold and looked at the master wistfully. "No, no, old" chap. That is against the rules," said the Master, but as though he was sorry for Smuts, too. So Smuts went back to. his kennel fay there feeling, very, jealous of the newcomer. . ' x lt froze that night, and there was a thin coat, of ice over the river. omiits ha;d. not slept very well, and/ COok, wtro^ pitied - him and' disliked the proud little Ad: onis, gave him a,big bone to^comfort him. '■ . . ■'-.' Jiist as he was gnawing it, out , I>raneed Adonis. .. Wow! Wow!" he barked, saying in doggy language: ".Your head is stpl too thick and your nose too short! I despise you, and meaii t-o have your 'hone'! "■■■■■■•■• '; . - ■• N Smuts and Cook were both so much astonished that, before' they could prevent him, the little jd<% had seized'the bone-and made joff with it.- .•'..■ • ' ■■• Even the Master would not have expected Smuts to put up with this, and he gave chase. The little dbg ran out of the gate, and across the road, and on to the frozen ice of the river. Thin cracked under his weight, as Smuts could have told him it would, and he sank almost at oiiee throtigh a big hole in it. Then his little black-and-tan .. body began to struggle. Every now. and then he could be seen at the > hole. All at once.Smuts caught sight of Pat in the distance. Boiinding- tip to him the inastifif, began to pull at his trousers. '~ ; ' . - . Cl What is it yOu want _me to do ?'' said the kind policeman. He followed Smuts at a run, and soon saw the hole in the ice,

and caught a glimpse of Adonis's almost drowned little,, head. Stretching out his big arm he dragged the tiny dog up, and put him, drenched and shivering, on the ground. • The Mistress was so grateful to; Smuts that she made almost as much fuss of him as she. did of the rescued Adonis.

In the "evening, just Smuts began to feel jealous again because iAclonis was allowed inside tiie house; and he was not, he heard a,/timid "Bowl Wow! Wow!'' from his kennel, It was Adonis, and:he was■■saying:— . ''Please, dear Smuts, may I sleep in the^kenriel wi^h you?"' Smuts saj4, . ''^oolj^Woof!'; which Taeari%-: << Yes, if you prefer it to: i-he: house."- v,;

Then Adonis snuggled down beside* him %and they slept'peacefully together, the best, friends in the world. ,