A Short Story by Stephen Crane
A Child was standing on a street-corner. He leaned with one
shoulder against a high board-fence and swayed the other to and fro, the while
kicking carelessly at the gravel.
Sunshine beat upon
the cobbles, and a lazy summer wind raised yellow dust which trailed in clouds
down the avenue. Clattering trucks moved with indistinctness through it. The
child stood dreamily gazing.
After a time, a
little dark-brown dog came trotting with an intent air down the sidewalk. A
short rope was dragging from his neck. Occasionally he trod upon the end of it
and stumbled.
He stopped opposite
the child, and the two regarded each other. The dog hesitated for a moment, but
presently he made some little advances with his tail. The child put out his
hand and called him. In an apologetic manner the dog came close, and the two
had an interchange of friendly pattings and waggles. The dog became more
enthusiastic with each moment of the interview, until with his gleeful
caperings he threatened to overturn the child. Whereupon the child lifted his
hand and struck the dog a blow upon the head.
This thing seemed to
overpower and astonish the little dark-brown dog, and wounded him to the heart.
He sank down in despair at the child's feet. When the blow was repeated,
together with an admonition in childish sentences, he turned over upon his
back, and held his paws in a peculiar manner. At the same time with his ears
and his eyes he offered a small prayer to the child.
He looked so comical
on his back, and holding his paws peculiarly, that the child was greatly amused
and gave him little taps repeatedly, to keep him so. But the little dark-brown
dog took this chastisement in the most serious way, and no doubt considered
that he had committed some grave crime, for he wriggled contritely and showed
his repentance in every way that was in his power. He pleaded with the child
and petitioned him, and offered more prayers.
At last the child
grew weary of this amusement and turned toward home. The dog was praying at the
time. He lay on his back and turned his eyes upon the retreating form.
Presently he
struggled to his feet and started after the child. The latter wandered in a
perfunctory way toward his home, stopping at times to investigate various
matters. During one of these pauses he discovered the little dark-brown dog who
was following him with the air of a footpad.
The child beat his
pursuer with a small stick he had found. The dog lay down and prayed until the
child had finished, and resumed his journey. Then he scrambled erect and took
up the pursuit again.
On the way to his
home the child turned many times and beat the dog, proclaiming with childish
gestures that he held him in contempt as an unimportant dog, with no value save
for a moment. For being this quality of animal the dog apologized and
eloquently expressed regret, but he continued stealthily to follow the child.
His manner grew so very guilty that he slunk like an assassin.
When the child
reached his door-step, the dog was industriously ambling a few yards in the
rear. He became so agitated with shame when he again confronted the child that
he forgot the dragging rope. He tripped upon it and fell forward.
The child sat down on
the step and the two had another interview. During it the dog greatly exerted
himself to please the child. He performed a few gambols with such abandon that
the child suddenly saw him to be a valuable thing. He made a swift, avaricious
charge and seized the rope.
He dragged his
captive into a hall and up many long stairways in a dark tenement. The dog made
willing efforts, but he could not hobble very skilfully up the stairs because
he was very small and soft, and at last the pace of the engrossed child grew so
energetic that the dog became panic-stricken. In his mind he was being dragged
toward a grim unknown. His eyes grew wild with the terror of it. He began to
wiggle his head frantically and to brace his legs.
The child redoubled
his exertions. They had a battle on the stairs. The child was victorious
because he was completely absorbed in his purpose, and because the dog was very
small. He dragged his acquirement to the door of his home, and finally with
triumph across the threshold.
No one was in. The child
sat down on the floor and made overtures to the dog. These the dog instantly
accepted. He beamed with affection upon his new friend. In a short time they
were firm and abiding comrades.
When the child's
family appeared, they made a great row. The dog was examined and commented upon
and called names. Scorn was leveled at him from all eyes, so that he became
much embarrassed and drooped like a scorched plant. But the child went sturdily
to the center of the floor, and, at the top of his voice, championed the dog.
It happened that he was roaring protestations, with his arms clasped about the
dog's neck, when the father of the family came in from work.
The parent demanded
to know what the blazes they were making the kid howl for. It was explained in
many words that the infernal kid wanted to introduce a disreputable dog into
the family.
A family council was
held. On this depended the dog's fate, but he in no way heeded, being busily
engaged in chewing the end of the child's dress.
The affair was quickly
ended. The father of the family, it appears, was in a particularly savage
temper that evening, and when he perceived that it would amaze and anger
everybody if such a dog were allowed to remain, he decided that it should be
so. The child, crying softly, took his friend off to a retired part of the room
to hobnob with him, while the father quelled a fierce rebellion of his wife. So
it came to pass that the dog was a member of the household.
He and the child were
associated together at all times save when the child slept. The child became a
guardian and a friend. If the large folk kicked the dog and threw things at
him, the child made loud and violent objections. Once when the child had run,
protesting loudly, with tears raining down his face and his arms outstretched,
to protect his friend, he had been struck in the head with a very large
saucepan from the hand of his father, enraged at some seeming lack of courtesy
in the dog. Ever after, the family were careful how they threw things at the
dog. Moreover, the latter grew very skilful in avoiding missiles and feet. In a
small room containing a stove, a table, a bureau and some chairs, he would
display strategic ability of a high order, dodging, feinting and scuttling
about among the furniture. He could force three or four people armed with
brooms, sticks and handfuls of coal, to use all their ingenuity to get in a
blow. And even when they did, it was seldom that they could do him a serious
injury or leave any imprint.
But when the child
was present, these scenes did not occur. It came to be recognized that if the
dog was molested, the child would burst into sobs, and as the child, when
started, was very riotous and practically unquenchable, the dog had therein a
safeguard.
However, the child
could not always be near. At night, when he was asleep, his dark-brown friend
would raise from some black corner a wild, wailful cry, a song of infinite
lowliness and despair, that would go shuddering and sobbing among the buildings
of the block and cause people to swear. At these times the singer would often
be chased all over the kitchen and hit with a great variety of articles.
Sometimes, too, the
child himself used to beat the dog, although it is not known that he ever had
what could be truly called a just cause. The dog always accepted these
thrashings with an air of admitted guilt. He was too much of a dog to try to
look to be a martyr or to plot revenge. He received the blows with deep
humility, and furthermore he forgave his friend the moment the child had finished,
and was ready to caress the child's hand with his little red tongue.
When misfortune came
upon the child, and his troubles overwhelmed him, he would often crawl under
the table and lay his small distressed head on the dog's back. The dog was ever
sympathetic. It is not to be supposed that at such times he took occasion to
refer to the unjust beatings his friend, when provoked, had administered to
him.
He did not achieve
any notable degree of intimacy with the other members of the family. He had no
confidence in them, and the fear that he would express at their casual approach
often exasperated them exceedingly. They used to gain a certain satisfaction in
underfeeding him, but finally his friend the child grew to watch the matter
with some care, and when he forgot it, the dog was often successful in secret
for himself.
So the dog prospered.
He developed a large bark, which came wondrously from such a small rug of a
dog. He ceased to howl persistently at night. Sometimes, indeed, in his sleep,
he would utter little yells, as from pain, but that occurred, no doubt, when in
his dreams he encountered huge flaming dogs who threatened him direfully.
His devotion to the
child grew until it was a sublime thing. He wagged at his approach; he sank
down in despair at his departure. He could detect the sound of the child's step
among all the noises of the neighborhood. It was like a calling voice to him.
The scene of their
companionship was a kingdom governed by this terrible potentate, the child; but
neither criticism nor rebellion ever lived for an instant in the heart of the
one subject. Down in the mystic, hidden fields of his little dog-soul bloomed
flowers of love and fidelity and perfect faith.
The child was in the
habit of going on many expeditions to observe strange things in the vicinity.
On these occasions his friend usually jogged aimfully along behind. Perhaps,
though, he went ahead. This necessitated his turning around every
quarter-minute to make sure the child was coming. He was filled with a large
idea of the importance of these journeys. He would carry himself with such an
air! He was proud to be the retainer of so great a monarch.
One day, however, the father of the family got quite
exceptionally drunk. He came home and held carnival with the cooking utensils,
the furniture and his wife. He was in the midst of this recreation when the
child, followed by the dark-brown dog, entered the room. They were returning
from their voyages.
The child's practised
eye instantly noted his father's state. He dived under the table, where
experience had taught him was a rather safe place. The dog, lacking skill in
such matters, was, of course, unaware of the true condition of affairs. He
looked with interested eyes at his friend's sudden dive. He interpreted it to
mean: Joyous gambol. He started to patter across the floor to join him. He was
the picture of a little dark-brown dog en route to a friend.
The head of the
family saw him at this moment. He gave a huge howl of joy, and knocked the dog
down with a heavy coffee-pot. The dog, yelling in supreme astonishment and
fear, writhed to his feet and ran for cover. The man kicked out with a
ponderous foot. It caused the dog to swerve as if caught in a tide. A second
blow of the coffee-pot laid him upon the floor.
Here the child,
uttering loud cries, came valiantly forth like a knight. The father of the
family paid no attention to these calls of the child, but advanced with glee
upon the dog. Upon being knocked down twice in swift succession, the latter
apparently gave up all hope of escape. He rolled over on his back and held his
paws in a peculiar manner. At the same time with his eyes and his ears he
offered up a small prayer.
But the father was in
a mood for having fun, and it occurred to him that it would be a fine thing to
throw the dog out of the window. So he reached down and grabbing the animal by
a leg, lifted him, squirming, up. He swung him two or three times hilariously
about his head, and then flung him with great accuracy through the window.
The soaring dog
created a surprise in the block. A woman watering plants in an opposite window
gave an involuntary shout and dropped a flower-pot. A man in another window
leaned perilously out to watch the flight of the dog. A woman, who had been
hanging out clothes in a yard, began to caper wildly. Her mouth was filled with
clothes-pins, but her arms gave vent to a sort of exclamation. In appearance
she was like a gagged prisoner. Children ran whooping.
The dark-brown body
crashed in a heap on the roof of a shed five stories below. From thence it
rolled to the pavement of an alleyway.
The child in the room
far above burst into a long, dirgelike cry, and toddled hastily out of the
room. It took him a long time to reach the alley, because his size compelled
him to go downstairs backward, one step at a time, and holding with both hands
to the step above.
When they came for
him later, they found him seated by the body of his dark-brown friend.
