ONCE upon a time there came to the town where all the little dogs live
a strange little dog, whose tail was of a most beautiful bright green
color,—so bright that it shone like an emerald. Now, when all the other
little dogs saw this, they were filled with admiration and envy, and
they ran to the strange little dog and said,—
“Oh, little dog! what makes your tail so beautifully green? Pray tell
us, that we may make ours green too, for we never saw anything so
lovely in all our lives.”
But the strange little dog laughed and said, “There are many things
greener than my tail. There is the grass down in the meadow; go and ask
that what makes it green, and perhaps it will tell you.”
So all the little dogs ran down into the meadow where the grass was
growing, and they said, “Oh, grass, grass! what makes you so green?
Pray tell us, that we may all get green tails, like the tail of the
strange little dog.”
But all the little blades of grass shook their heads, and said, “We can
tell you nothing about that. All we know is that we were down under the
ground last winter, and that when we came up this spring, we were all
green. You might try that, and perhaps it would make you green, too.”
So all the little dogs went to work as fast as they could, and dug
holes in the ground; and then they got into them and covered themselves
up with earth. But they very soon found they could not breathe; so
they were all obliged to come up again. And when they looked at each
other, they saw to their sorrow that they were not green at all, but
just the same colours that they were before,—some black, some brown,
and some spotted. Then they all went again to the little dog, and said,—
“Oh, little dog, little dog! we have been to the grass, and it has
not helped us at all. Now, do please tell us what makes your tail so
beautifully green, for we never can be happy till ours are like it.”
But the strange little dog only laughed again and answered, “My tail
is not the only green thing in the world. There are the leaves on the
great oak-tree; they are very green indeed. Go ask them what makes them
so, and perhaps they will tell you.”
So all the little dogs ran as fast as they could to the great oak-tree,
and called out to the little leaves, “Oh, little leaves! what makes you
so beautifully green? Do tell us, that we may all get green tails, like
the tail of the strange little dog.”
But the leaves all shook their heads, and said, “We know nothing about
that. We came out of our buds last spring, and then we were very pale.
But we danced about, and the more we danced the greener we grew.
Perhaps if you come up here and dance, you will grow green, too.”
So all the little dogs climbed up the tree as fast as they could, and
tried to dance about on the branches. But they were not fastened on
like the little leaves, so they fell down and hurt themselves very
much; and when they got up and looked at each other, they were not any
greener than before. So then they all cried bitterly, and they ran once
more to the strange little dog, and said, “Oh, little dog, little dog!
we have tried the way that the leaves told us, and we have only hurt
ourselves dreadfully, and have not got green at all. And now, if you
do not tell us, we shall die of grief, for we never can rest again
till our tails are green.”
[Illustration]
But the strange little dog only laughed more than ever, and said, “What
stupid creatures you are, to think that there is nothing green in the
world except my tail. There is the Sea; he is twenty times as green as
my tail. Go and ask him, and he will surely tell you all about it, for
he is very wise and knows everything.”
So all the little dogs ran as fast as they could down to the shore;
and there was the great hungry Sea, prowling up and down, twirling his
white moustaches and tossing his white hair, and looking very green and
very fierce. The little dogs were very much frightened, but they took
courage when they thought of the beautiful green tail, and they said,
trembling,—
“Oh, great Sea! the strange little dog told us that you were wise and
knew everything, and that you would tell us how to make our tails green
like his.”
The great Sea smiled, wickedly, and answered, “Oh, yes, my children,
I can tell you! I am green myself, and I make everything green that
touches me. So let me take you in my arms a moment, and you will become
beautifully green, just like me.”
So the great hungry Sea held out his long, green arms, and beckoned to
them with his white hands; and the poor little dogs all shut their eyes
and jumped in, and in less than a minute the Sea gobbled them all up,
so that not one was left. And there was an end of all the little dogs.
And the strange little dog went back to the place he came from, with
his green tail curled up behind him; and he was never seen or heard of
again.