THE STORY OF A LITTLE DOG'S TAIL.
Reading edition
BY HELEN MARVIN.
Flash was the name of the little dog whose tail I am going to tell you about. Flash's master was a great actor, whose name was David Garrick. Flash and his master lived more than a hundred years ago.
One evening the family and a number of their friends were at a theatre in the great city of London. Flash's master was on the stage, playing his part, while Flash was in the audience, lying on his mistress's lap.
The play was almost over, when a big countryman, whom nobody knew, came out on the stage, and spoke a piece that was called the epilogue. Everybody asked, "Who is he?"
"I don't know," said Sir Joshua Reynolds, who was a great artist, and painted beautiful portraits, to Miss Angelica Kauffman, a lovely young lady, who was also very famous as an artist.
"I don't know," said Dr. Burney to his daughter, Miss Fanny, who had written a charming story-book.
"I don't know," said Dr. Samuel Johnson to his friend Mr. Boswell, who had taken the liberty to nudge the great man's elbow.
"Can you tell me who that actor is?" asked Mrs. Thrale, the wife of a very wealthy brewer.
"No, I can not tell you who he is," replied Mrs. Garrick.
At this the little dog in Mrs. Garrick's lap jumped to his feet, pricked up his ears, looked toward the stage at the big countryman, and began to wag his tail.
Wig-wag, wig-wag, wig-wag went Flash's tail, and Mrs. Garrick said, "Why, it is my husband; Flash knows his master better than his own wife does."
"Sure enough, it is Mr. Garrick!" they all exclaimed.
"We might have known it," said Miss Kauffman.
"Yes, yes: yes, yes," replied Sir Joshua Reynolds. "You see, my dear young lady, the little dog knew more than all of us put together."
This is how Flash Garrick recognized his master, and told everybody in the theatre by the wagging of his little tail.
This is a true story, and it happened, as I told you, more than a hundred years ago.