AUGUST 31: The Lost Dog
“You know I got lost,” said Collie. “It was a dreadful experience. I really didn’t know what to do. I had gone off for a trip and hadn’t realized how far I had gone. And you know I’m very young.
“Of course, I would have found my way home in the long run, I know that. But it was everything to be helped as I was!
“I found myself in another small town where there was a very fashionable Inn. An Inn is a fashionable boarding-house, I believe, and is like a smart hotel, only smaller. Now, in this Inn, they didn’t allow dogs.
“There were many elderly ladies there, and many of them were fussy.
“I came upon this place, and I was so tired. I thought to myself that the people might be friendly, and so I wagged my tail, although they didn’t look the friendly sort.
“None of them had spoken to me, or anything like that.
“But when I wagged my tail and looked at some of them politely, they said to each other:
“‘What a lovely dog.’
“I thought that they might help me, and so I wagged my tail again and gave a low, friendly bark, and one of the ladies said:
“‘That dog must be lost.’
“Very gently I walked up near her, so I wouldn’t frighten her, and I found that she wasn’t frightened.
“Then I put my head in her lap and she patted me. And one of the other women said to her:
“‘Why, I never saw you pat a dog before. How do you know that he won’t bite?’
“Of course that was enough to make me furious. As if dogs were all going to bite!
“But I kept my temper and the lady said:
“‘Oh, he is a beautiful dog and you can tell he is used to being petted. I am not afraid of him.’
“And then the lady called out the one who owned the Inn, and she asked to have me fed and a drink of water given to me.
“Then one of the very stylish and superior waiters brought me out a dainty meal and served me as though I were a fine paying guest, and called my meal ‘luncheon.’
“Then they telephoned about to the neighbors and others, and asked questions about any missing dogs that had been reported, and they found out I belonged to my master, and they helped me to come home.
“In fact, I should say they brought me home, and it would have been a hard job by myself. But, oh dogs! It’s good to be home!”