LESSON XII.
Nero.
Nero.
1. Nero was a dog that slept in a kennel in the yard to keep watch in the night, so that no thieves would come about and steal.
2. One night he followed his master up-stairs to his bedroom. The servant turned him out; but he howled and scratched at the door, and, when he was driven away, he soon came back.
3. At last his master, curious to see what hewould do, ordered the door to be opened. The dog at once rushed into the room, and, giving a little, short bark, by way of thanks, he crawled under the bed, as if he meant to stay there.
4. The master thought the dog acted rather strangely; but he soon forgot all about it, and, at the usual time, went to bed.
5. In the middle of the night a great noise in the room woke the master, and he got up to see what was the matter. There, on the floor, was a man flat on his back, while Nero stood over him growling in a way that said, “Lie still if you wish to keep a whole skin.”
6. The man was tied and taken to prison, and he proved to be a robber who had come to steal the master’s purse, and perhaps to kill him.
7. What made the dog leave his own bed and go up to the room of his master nobody knew; but he seemed to think that his master was in danger, and so he went up to help him.
8. You may be sure that Nero was well treated after this, and he could sleep where he pleased; but he went back to his kennel, as though he knew it was his place to keep watch out-of-doors.
9. He lived to be a very old dog, and he had the best of care until he died.