Section 209. A FRIEND IN NEED (S. 3, N. 2). I.
Reading edition
Section 209. A FRIEND IN NEED (S. 3, N. 2). I.
One wet wintry night, when a gentleman was hurrying along[1] one of the crowded thoroughfares of London, his attention was arrested by a lean, hungry-looking dog which rushed past him. He observed that it had a collar[2] round its neck, to which a basket was attached. If it was (App. § 36) a dog that ran on errands[3], he thought that surely its owner would feed it better, and its ribs would not look so spare. Thinking that there was some mystery connected with the animal[4], he resolved to follow it[5]. After a[6] time it turned up a narrow lane into a stable-yard, where some coachmen and hostlers were loitering about. It then got up on its hind-legs, and began walking about in circles[7]. The bystanders, surprised at this strange proceeding, formed round in a ring and looked on. It walked five times round, standing[8] erect, and looking fixedly before it like a soldier on duty[9], evidently doing its utmost[10] to make the company laugh. After taking a short rest, it began its performance[11] again, but this time on its fore-feet, pretending to stand[12] on its (S. 43, N. 9) head. Tiring of this[13], it lay down in the middle of the ring, feigning to be dead[14], and going through all the convulsions of a dying dog, breathing heavily, panting, suffering the lower jaw to fall[15], and then turning over motionless. It did this so well, that a woman in the crowd exclaimed: “Poor beast!” and drew her hand across her eyes[16]. Having lain still a minute, with its eyes closed, it got up and shook itself, to show that the performance[17] was over. It then went round begging on its hind-legs, standing[18] a little while before each of the spectators, and earnestly watching[19] to see whether they put their hands into their pockets or not. The basket round its neck had a slit in the lid, into which the coppers might be dropped.