A. Vimar

“ He wanted to make all the people admire him, to do something that would repay Reine and her father for their kindness. Perhaps, too, he hoped that by acting in this way he might get talked about and get his name into the papers. Man is vain and even a dog has his pride. His fame might perhaps reach Bertha, his dear, tender, much-regretted mistress. All this made him very serious when at last the time for the performance arrived. ”

“ But, alas, a month afterward, a cloud dimmed Bertha's happiness. Uncle Jean did not like the looks of Clown. It is true that although his coat was well brushed and curled and perfumed, the dog did look more like a little bear than a poodle. Uncle Jean was very particular about the training of dogs. He had horses and dogs of his own (he even had a monkey) and he insisted that his grooms keep all his animals, of whom he was very fond, slick and clean.
No poodle of his would have remained unshaven, with tail uncut, when all proper poodles are shaven and have their tails trimmed off. ”

“ Sometimes he tried to drive away these sad thoughts by imagining he would soon have a chance to escape from his torturer. If only they did not take him too far from Paris, his native town, he could find his way home again easily enough with his eyes shut.
After a long and painful walk through streets and avenues, the man stopped at last in front of a wretched hut. At the end of a yard, in a corner, there was a horrible kennel, with no cover, surrounded by a strong wooden fence.
Clown, although worn out in mind and body, pulled back with disgust from the door of this evil-smelling hole. ”

“ One of the white bears complained of terrible colic; the llamas sneezed continually; Hercules, the giant elephant, with trunk rolled up like a snail, could hardly stand upright; a giraffe trumpeted; the hippopotamus, "Poivro," stung by mosquitoes, scratched himself till his cage shook. ”

“ Bertha ceased to be angry with her uncle. When as she led Clown on the leash she noticed people turn [Pg 32] round and go into raptures over the looks of her dog, it made her feel very proud.
The dog grew so fast you could almost see him getting bigger. His training was undertaken carefully, Uncle Jean looking after it himself. Clown learned quickly and easily; he was naturally intelligent and had a truly wonderful memory. ”

“ It's a sad thing but true, alas, that what brings happiness to one brings sorrow to others.
Bertha was too happy and this time too anxious, to [Pg 115] leave Clown any longer, even in the midst of these kind circus people. She thanked them warmly for the good care they had taken of her dog, Mademoiselle Reine especially, whom she kissed very sweetly. She promised, too, to take Clown to see her as soon as they reached Neuilly, and giving her address, begged the young girl to come to visit her in Paris. ”

“ Immediately commotion arose; people moved about in all directions; the feeling of unrest showed more and more in the cages; the inmates turned and twisted. Clown wondered what could be the matter. The wild beasts roared, the horses whinnied; all the animals clamored at once. ”

“ There was a spring inside, and when Bertha [Pg 18] pressed this gently with her fingers, the dog barked. It was altogether so well made that you would have thought it was alive.
When he gave it to her, before the whole family, Uncle Jean made her the following speech:
"My dear niece, I give you this dog rather than a [Pg 19] doll, because the dog is the friend of man, but a doll—" here he mumbled into his big moustache a lot of long words which got so mixed up with the barking of the dog that nobody could catch them. ”

“ When the second number was called, there appeared on the scene a very handsome horse led by a groom dressed in the latest fashion. No sooner had they entered than they were followed by Clown, who, as he had seen done at the rehearsal, leaped with one bound into the saddle. They had great difficulty in coaxing him down. He could not see that this was not the place for him. Reine, beautifully dressed in a blue spangled gown, was placed with her father, in the saddle and set off at a gallop, to the sound of music and the gay cracking of the whip. ”

“ Slipping cautiously under the tents which sheltered the cages, Clown took a good look around the place.
The stables, huge affairs, contained no less than one [Pg 71] hundred and fifty horses of all kinds and colors. He saw, too, three monstrous elephants, dromedaries, giraffes, zebras, donkeys, and even pigs.
Then came the turn of the menagerie—a fine collection of lions, tigers, panthers, jaguars, foxes, hyenas, boars. What didn't he see? Boxes full of snakes, crocodiles, monkeys in cages—a chimpanzee who was walking about all alone gave him a terrible fright. ”

“ No sooner was he free than he was off like a shot, tearing along the platform, then back along the railway track, taking no notice of the calls of his master or of the laughter of the travelers, to whom the whole thing was a joke. ”

“ Love is often like that.
Bertha, who already loved the puppy she had chosen, wanted to take him home with her at once, but her [Pg 26] mother and even Miss Lewis insisted that he was too young yet. Just think, he was only just born. It would not be wise to bring him up on the bottle—such a bother—and then the risk of sickness and all that might cause his little mistress all sorts of worry.
Bertha saw that they were right, but she begged Miss Lewis to let her come every day to see him, to which her teacher willingly agreed. ”

“ Now that he no longer has anything to worry him he is getting fatter and lazier, but he is always ready for a frolic with his beloved mistress, Bertha. I am sure that very few people who meet the contented dog and his devoted mistress have any idea that this is the famous Clown.
[Pg 121]
As to the moral of this story, you have understood it, I am sure; but don't forget it, dear little readers. If you don't take the wise advice of your parents you are likely to suffer. ”

“ For a long time they clung to one another. This performance amazed the public; the circus people thought at first that this was just one of Clown's mad tricks—to which they were growing accustomed—but soon the truth was known when Reine, surprised and anxious, came forward and asked for an explanation.
"Mademoiselle," said Bertha's father, "I am extremely sorry to interrupt the performance, but, as [Pg 113] you see, the dog is ours. He was stolen from us. There is no doubt at all that he is our dog, and I demand that the manager give him back to us at once." ”

“ Each animal was served in turn according to his taste. After the first bite or two calm gradually returned, in the cages anyhow.
Clown was served apart and lunched with excellent appetite. His new mistress fairly stuffed him with dainties, feeding him out of her own hand. Her kindness made Clown love her more and more.
When the animals were all fed and the men had [Pg 77] finished their own meals, the whole circus got ready to move. By noon everything was ready, and at a given signal, the entire troupe set off. ”

“ With a policeman's helmet on his head, and a piece of sugar on his nose, looking like a soldier on parade, he would carry arms for hours at a time. What surprising things he could do! You would scarcely believe it, but he had learned to recognize certain letters of the alphabet and to put together the word, B-E-R-T-H-A.
He never made a mistake in spelling the name of his little mistress, although that was, however, the first and last word that they succeeded in teaching him.
Alas, with all his good qualities Clown had his failings. Nobody, sad to say, is faultless. He was given to stealing. ”