DASH SEES A PLAY.
The same eve, when Mr. Grey came home he said in a sly way: "I see
there is a show of dogs, who dance and act a play, in town; but Hal
and May do not care to see them, I know."
"O yes! yes! we want to go!" cried both at once. "Do take us to see
them, pa-pa."
"Well, get your hats then," said Mr. Grey, "and we will go."
"Let's take Dash," said May. "He wants to see the dog-show too!"
Her pa-pa said, with a laugh, that he did not think Dash would care to
see a play; but Hal and May did beg so hard, that at last he said they
might take Dash if they chose.
So the two ran up the stair in high glee to their nurse, who put on
May's round straw hat and silk sack, and got her nice black mitts to
put on her wee hands.
May said, "I want to put on my mitts my-self, nurse;" so nurse said
she might do so, and went on to dress Hal.
But when May went to put the mitts on, she was in such haste, that she
tried to get the right mitt on the left hand. The mitt would not go
on, of course, and she cried out: "Why, nurse, this is all wrong;
it's got no thumb at all!"
How Hal and nurse did laugh when they saw what May had done! May had to
laugh too, when nurse did show her that the mitts were quite right, if
they were put on in the right way. They had great fun. But their pa-pa
came to bid them make haste; so they told nurse good-by, and ran down
the stair, hand in hand, as gay as two larks. Dash came to join them in
the court-yard, and soon they were all four on their way to the show.
But, dear me! when the man at the door of the show saw Dash, he said:
"I can't let dogs in, sir."
Here was a blow! and May, with her sweet blue eyes quite sad, cried
out: "But you will let our Dash in, Mr. Show-man, won't you? You don't
know what a good dog he is; he saved Hal's life!"
Now when the show-man heard dear May say this, and saw her sweet face
and blue eyes raised to his, he could not help a smile, and said:
"Well, for such a dear pet, I must say, yes. Dash may go in, but he
must lie still and make no noise. One bark, and out he goes!"
"Oh! he will be as still as a deaf and dumb mouse!" cried Hal and May
both at once. So, to the great joy of all, Dash went in. Hal and May
took their seats with their pa-pa on a long bench, in a large room
full of gay folks, and Dash sat on the floor close by them.
There was a stage at one end of the room; a fall of green baize hung
in front of it. In a short time a bell went "ting-a-ling!
ting-a-ling!" and up rose the baize. Then Dash saw a small house, with
a grape-vine at the side and tall trees, which he took for real ones,
but Mr. Grey said were wood and green paint. You could see a green
field at the back of the stage, and high hills, while the blue sky was
as clear as it was out of doors.
Mr. Grey had a bill with the names of the dogs that were to act on it,
and Dash heard him read it to Hal and May.
The name of the play was:
THE DEATH OF POOR JACK,
THE RUN-A-WAY.
JACK, FRISK.
COL. GRAPE-SHOT, TRIP.
THE GUARD, TRAY AND WASP.
JACK'S MAM-MA, FAN.
THE SEXTON, SNAP.
THE JUDGE, SHORT.
Dash, when he found Frisk was to act, scarce drew a breath for fear he
should lose a bit of the play, and sat so still that not a hair moved.
First, in came two dogs on their hind-legs as the guard, in red coats
and caps and blue pants. They had guns too; and they had such an odd
look with their own tails up in the air out-side their coat-tails, and
their head held as stiff as ram-rods to keep their caps on, that all
the folks burst out in a laugh.
Then the guard did peep round all the trees, and in all the holes they
could find, on a hunt for Jack; and when they did not find him, they
shook their heads as if to say: "No one here! that's a fact!"
At last one of the guard went to rap at the door of the house. He gave
such a hard knock, that he shook his cap down on one eye, and had to
hold his head on one side, as if he had the tooth-ache, so as to see
at all. It made him feel so bad, that he went off in a pet to the back
of the stage, and left the guard whose cap was all right to knock for
him-self. This one was so short, that he had to make a jump and stand
on tip-toe to do it.
Out came a dog in the dress of an old dame, who, Mr. Grey said, was
Jack's mam-ma. She wore a black gown, a white cap, and plaid shawl,
and had a work-bag on her arm, or fore-leg, and a big pair of specs
tied on her nose. When she saw the guard, she spread out her paws, and
gave each a look in turn, as if to ask what they came there for.
The short guard made signs to her, to show they were on a hunt for a
man who had left the camp with-out leave. The old dame shook her head
at this, and put a paw on her heart, as if to say _she_ hadn't heard
of such a thing; but the one-eyed guard shook _his_ head too, and did
point thro' the door, as much as to say that the man was in _there_,
he was sure. Then the old dame shook her head once more, and spread
her skirt to keep them out of the house; but the guard were too smart
for that. They aimed their guns at the wall of the house, to shoot
Jack if he was in-side; and when the old dame saw that, she moved from
the door-way, with a high squeak, and let them pass.
In they went full tilt, and the one-eyed guard, in his haste, quite
lost sight of his part, let fall his gun, and ran off on all four
legs! It pains me to tell that a sad yelp was heard in-side the house,
as if he had got a box on the ear for this fault; and Dash could not
but think that to act was not such fine fun as you might take it to be.
Soon out came the guard, with Jack held fast by both fore-legs, and
the old dame at their backs, who cried with all her might and main.
The run-a-way, who was Frisk to be sure, wore a coat and cap like the
guard, and made a sad noise at his hard fate. He put his paw on his
heart, and cast up his eyes as if to beg them to let him off; but they
shook their heads. Then he held out both paws to his mam-ma, and she
ran to him, put her paws round his neck, and did kiss him as well as
she could. The guard gave him a pull to make him come. Frisk did kiss
his paw and wave his cap to his mam-ma, who fell down in a swoon; and
then they all three did march off. And that was the end of Part One.
Just as the scene was to close, the old dame did lift up her head and
fore-paws and look round. When she saw it was not time, she fell down
once more; so flat, that all the folks burst out in a laugh. I fear
they would not have been so gay if they knew how the poor dog was beat
by the show-man, when the play was done, for this small fault.
Next came a horn-pipe by a dog in a Scotch dress. He did it so well,
that all the folks did clap their hands, and want him to do it once
more; but it was now time for Part Two of the play; and he ran off
with a low bow.
When the baize was drawn up once more, the small house was gone, and a
high desk was set on one side of the stage, with a bench in front for
Col. Grape-shot. And at the desk sat the judge who was to try Jack for
his life. The dog who was judge wore a fine black silk gown, with white
fur down the front; he had white bands at his neck, and a great white
wig on top of his ears, which made him look droll, I can tell you.
And now, O dear! the deep roll of a drum was heard, and in came, one
by one, a sad set in-deed!
First did march the dog who beat the drum, and next to him Col.
Grape-shot, in a grand blue and gold coat; a gold-laced hat, with red
and white plumes; white pants, with a red stripe down each leg, and a
sword by his side.
Then came the guard with Jack, and, last of all, a dog with a long
box in a hand-cart, which he drew. O dear! dear! this was to put poor
Jack in when he was dead. The dog wore a black coat and an old red
night-cap; and tied fast to one leg was a spade. He led the poor
mam-ma by the paw, and once in a while tried to cheer her up; for he
would lift his leg and give her a kind pat on the back with the end of
his spade. But I think this did more harm than good, for each time he
did so she gave a short howl, and half fell down. But now the guard,
with Jack and Col. Grape-shot, were in a row in front of the judge,
who waved his paw, and made a bow, as much as to say: "Go on."
Col. Grape-shot, on this, did first point to Jack, and then pat the
bench he sat on, as much as to say he had bid him stay in the camp.
Then he shut his eyes, and leant his head on his right paw, to show
that he went to sleep, and then he made two or three quick steps to
the back of the stage, to let them know that Jack had run off while he
slept. Then he shut his eyes once more, woke up with a start, flew to
the guard, and, with a bark and a growl and a yap! yap! yap! let them
know that Jack had cut off, and they must go and find him. Then he did
point to the guard and Jack, to tell the judge that the run-a-way was
found; and at last he made a low bow, and spread out his paws, by
which, I dare say, he meant that his part was at an end.
And now it was the turn of the judge, and he must say what was to be
done to a man who was so bad as to run out of camp in time of war.
The judge cast up his eyes, and threw up his paws, as if it was a sad
shock to him to hear that Jack had been so bad. Then he did point to
the guns of the guard and to Jack, and did nod his head as if he would
nod it off. It was too plain! Poor Jack must be shot!
His mam-ma, when she saw this, ran to the judge and fell on her knees;
that is, she sat down on her hind-legs, with her paws held out, to beg
him to let Jack off; but he shook his head "no." Then she did the same
to Col. Grape-shot; but it was all of no use. Jack put his paws round
her neck, and did kiss her good-by, at which Hal and May cried quite
hard, and then gave him-self up to the guard. They took him to the
back of the stage, put a white cloth on his eyes, and made him kneel
down. Then they stood in front of him, side by side, put up their
guns, and, flash! bang!! off went two shots; and poor Jack fell dead
on the stage!
[Illustration: "Flash!, bang! off went two shots!"--P. 118.]
Down popt his mam-ma once more in a swoon; while the guard took off
the lid of the box, and put Jack in-side, who laid as stiff as a
ram-rod. The dog who drew the hand-cart put on the lid, and went off
first; then the Col. and judge, arm in arm; then the guard, who had to
drag Jack's mam-ma by the arms, and didn't seem to like it much; and
last, the dog who beat the drum and who did bang a-way for dear life
all the time.
But just as the folks were quite in tears for the fate of poor Jack,
in came the dog with the hand-cart full tilt, and in a great scare;
for the lid of the box was half off, and you could see one of Jack's
paws stuck out of a crack on top. All at once, off flew the lid, and
out came Jack in a new dress, to dance a jig, and show that he had
come to life once more, and was just as good as new.
Oh! how the folks did laugh at this, and clap their hands! while Jack
went on to show all his queer tricks. First, he held up both his legs
on his right side, and took a walk with the two on his left side; then
he leapt thro' a ring or hoop, that was let down from the top of the
stage, and took a turn round in the air as he went; and, by way of a
wind up, he stood on his head in the ring, and let him-self be drawn
up out of sight, as the green baize came down.
O dear! how much May and Hal liked all this, while Dash did not know how
in the world Frisk could do it; and when all the boys and girls were as
full as they could hold of the fun of the thing, Dash had as much as he
could do to keep in a howl of grief; for, you must know, the dog could
tell by poor Frisk's face that all this was no fun to him.
And now the show was done, and it was time to go home.
As they went, May and Hal had a nice long talk. May said: "O dear Hal!
how I wish we had a dog that knew how to dance! What fun, when Sue
and Kate Brown came, to have him show off!"
"Dear pa-pa, do buy one for us, won't you?" said Hal. "O my! buy that
queer dog--what was his name?--the one that stood on two legs, and on
the top of his head, and was shot--that one!"
When Dash heard Hal ask his pa-pa to buy Frisk, his heart went
pit-a-pat, and he gave a short, glad bark, which meant, "O yes! _do_
buy Frisk!"
"But," said pa-pa, "you know that Frisk acts 'Jack, the Run-a-way;'
and what if I should buy him, and he should trot off the next day!
You know Dash could not have a red coat on, and run on his hind-legs
to bring Frisk back; and what would you do then?"
Then Dash did wish with all his might that he could talk, "O dear!" he
said to him-self; "I would give all my ears, and half my nose, if I
could let them know that Frisk would not run off;" and then, strange
to say, his love and wish to help Frisk made him get up on his
hind-legs, and put his fore-paws up in the air; and he gave such a
droll whine, that May and Hal burst out in a laugh, and said, "Look,
pa-pa! just look at Dash! He too begs you to buy Frisk!" and then
they both went and stood one on each side of the dog, put their hands
up, and made such a queer whine just like him, that it was the best
fun in the world to see and hear them.
"But," said pa-pa, "if the show-man will sell him to me, do you not
know it would be wrong to make the poor dog keep up his tricks?"
"Wrong! why how, pa-pa?"
"Well, my dears, it seems too sad a thing to tell you, but it is too
true. The show-man has to beat his dogs, and starve them, to get them
to learn the tricks that made you laugh so much. You saw how thin they
were, and you heard them cry out, when they left the stage. If they
made the least slip or mis-take, they got a hard blow for it. In this
way they find out that they must do all their tricks quite right, or
they will have the whip laid on their poor thin sides and heads; and
so not a day goes by that the dogs are not starved and made to feel
the whip.
"Oh! oh!" cried Hal and May, "we did not know that. _We_ would not
beat or starve a dog, or a cat, or a worm. What a bad show-man! We
would like to beat _him_."
"Oh! I hope not," said pa-pa. "The show-man may not think that dogs
feel as much as we do. But I know you will be kind to all. I know you
would not strike Dash, if he, by chance, broke one of your toys or
hurt you in play."
"O no! in-deed," they both cried; and they ran up to the dog, and gave
him a good hug, and a kiss on the top of his head.
You may be sure that Dash had not lost one word of all this talk; and
he was still more sad when he knew how much poor Frisk had to bear.
He made up his mind to tell Frisk to run off, and come to him. "I will
hide him in my house till the show-man goes," he said to him-self. "I
saw a great ham-bone on the shelf to-day. I know it will fall to my
share, and, oh! won't it be good! I will give this to Frisk, and eat
bits of bread. Yes, I will save up all the nice bones for him. Was he
not a good dog?"
But a whole week went by, and no Frisk. The ham-bone got quite dry;
and Dash was sure poor Frisk must be ill or dead.
At last one day, when Dash had lost all hope, he heard the pit-a-pat
of four small feet in the yard. He had just gone in his house to take
a short nap; but, I can tell you, he made but one jump out, for there
was Frisk, on all fours, to be sure, but with his blue pants on his
hind-legs, his red coat on his fore-legs, with the coat-tails, one on
each side of his own tail, which was up in the air in an arch of joy,
for here he was a real, true run-a-way.
Dash flew to meet him. "Why, Frisk!" he cried; "make
haste--fast--come--get right in my house. Don't mind if you tear those
old coat-tails with the thorn-bush. There! that's the thing!--here you
are, all safe! Now tell me, how _did_ you get off?"
Frisk had run so fast that he could not speak; he could just pant, and
lay his head on Dash's, with a look full of love. At last he said: "O
Dash! I have run off in the midst of the play--the show-man struck me
so hard for what I could not help--for my cap fell off--and I did
think I must die with the pain. O Dash! if you knew what I have gone
thro', your heart would break, and you would say, I did right to run
a-way." The big tears ran down his nose, and his sobs did seem as if
they would choke him; and Dash gave such a long howl of woe, that it
makes me cry as I write these words, and I am quite sure you will cry
as you read them.
Then Dash got out all his best bones to feed poor Frisk, who ate as if
he had not seen a bone an inch long in a month.
When he had done, Dash said: "Now, dear Frisk, if you feel like it,
tell me all you have gone thro'."
So they sat down, and while the tears ran down Dash's nose, Frisk told
the rest of his sad tale.