All Snapper’s doggy nature expanded. He had now a name, at the sound of
which he rushed headlong from the green depths of the garden; he
belonged to people, and could serve them. What more did a dog need to
make him happy!
Being accustomed to the moderation induced by years of a vagrant,
hungry life, he ate but little, but that little changed him out of
recognition. His long coat, which formerly had hung in foxy dry tufts
on his back and on his belly, which had been covered eternally with
dried mud, now became clean, and grew black, and became as glossy as
velvet. And when he, having nothing better to do, would run to the
gates and stand on the threshold, looking up and down the street with a
dignified air, no one ever took it into his head to tease him or throw
stones at him.
But such pride and independence he could enjoy only to himself. Fear
had not as yet been wholly evaporated from his heart by the fire of
caresses, and so every time people appeared, or approached him, he hid
himself expecting a beating. And still for a long time every caress
came to him as a surprise, and a wonder, which he could neither
understand, nor respond to. He did not know how to receive caresses.
Other dogs could stand and walk about on their hind legs and even
smile, and thus express their feelings, but he did not know how.
The one only thing that Snapper was able to do was to roll on his back,
shut his eyes, and whimper gently. But this was insufficient, it could
not express his delight, his thankfulness and love. By a sudden
inspiration, however, Snapper began to do something, which maybe he had
seen done by other dogs, but had long since forgotten. He turned absurd
somersaults, leapt awkwardly, and ran after his tail; and his body,
which had been always so supple and active, became stiff, ridiculous,
and pitiful.
“Mamma! children! look, Snapper is performing,” cried Lelya, and
choking with laughter, said: “Once more, Snapper, once more. That’s
right!”
And they gathered together and laughed, and Snapper kept on twisting
round, and turning somersaults and falling, and no one saw the strange
entreating look in his eyes. And as formerly they used to howl and
shout at the dog to see his despairing fear, so now they caressed him
on purpose to excite in him an ebullition of love, so infinitely
laughable in its awkward, absurd manifestations. Hardly an hour passed
but some one of the half-grown-ups or the children would cry:
“Now then, Snapper dear, perform!”
And Snapper would twist about, turn somersaults, and fall, amid merry,
irrepressible laughter. They praised him to his face and behind his
back, and lamented only one thing, viz., that he would not show off his
tricks before strangers, who came to visit, but would run away into the
garden, or hide himself under the verandah.
Gradually Snapper became accustomed to not being obliged to trouble
himself about his food, since at the appointed hour the cook would give
him scraps and bones, while he confidently and quietly lay in his place
under the verandah, and even sought and asked for caresses. And he grew
heavy: he seldom ran away from the bungalow, and when the little
children called him to go with them to the forest, he would wag an
evasive tail, and disappear unseen. But all the same at night his bark
would be loud and wakeful as ever.