Arthur Scott Bailey

“ If a goose hissed at little, toddling Johnnie Green, old Spot would drive the goose away, barking in a loud voice, "Don't you frighten this child!" If Johnnie went into the stable and wandered within reach of the horses' heels Spot would take hold of his clothes and draw him gently back out of danger. And if Johnnie strayed to the duck pond the old dog wouldn't leave him even to chase the cat, but stayed right there by the pond, ready to pull his young charge out of the water in case he happened to fall in. ”

“ Old dog Spot couldn't help sniffing.
"I never snatch any food when Mrs. Green's back is turned," he told Miss Kitty Cat severely. "She feeds me all she thinks I ought to eat. And if I want more, I hunt for it in the woods and fields."
"Don't I hunt?" Miss Kitty Cat hissed. "I keep the house free of rats and mice. Mrs. Green could well spare me a bit of that mutton in return for all I do for her.... I'll thank you, sir, to move away from that table!"
Old Spot began to look somewhat anxious. He had once felt Miss Kitty's sharp claws on his nose. ”

“ Henrietta Hen, who was one of the busiest busybodies on the farm, came along and stood and watched old dog Spot while he dug and scratched and howled about the woodpile.
"What on earth is the matter with you?" she asked him. "I don't make half that fuss when I've just laid an egg and really have something to cackle about."
"I've no time to talk with you now," Spot told Henrietta Hen. "Can't you see that Johnnie Green and I are moving the woodpile?" ”

“ Early in the morning he saw Farmer Green run the carryall into the yard and harness the bays to it. Then the rest of the family came out of the house.
Spot, from his hiding place behind a tree, was pleased to see that Johnnie Green did not forget to bring a big lunch basket with him.
At last everybody was ready to start. And then, to Spot's dismay, Farmer Green caught sight of his nose, sticking out from behind a tree.
"That dog means to follow us," he cried. "I'll have to shut him up in the barn." ”

“ Old dog Spot walked away from her, to the barn.
"Miss Kitty Cat doesn't know what real hunting is," he told the old horse Ebenezer. "She creeps up on small birds after dark, when they are asleep."
"And you creep up on big birds in the daytime," said old Ebenezer, "so Johnnie Green can shoot them." ”

“ Old dog Spot was trotting down the road with the bundle of clothes in his mouth—the clothes which belonged to Johnnie Green's friend Red, who was one of the swimming party in the mill pond.
Somewhat to Spot's surprise the boys had not come tearing down the road after him.
"It's queer," he said to himself. "I wonder why they don't follow me. This would be fun if they'd only chase me." ”

“ Miss Kitty Cat's tail was growing bigger every moment. And the fur on her back was beginning to stand on end. Still she managed to speak in her very softest voice.
"Did you know—" she inquired—"did you know that Johnnie Green had gone swimming in the mill pond?"
"No!" said Spot. "Has he? I hope he'll have a good time. I had a fine swim yesterday in Black Creek. And I almost caught a muskrat there."
As he spoke he rose and walked across the big, square kitchen and stretched himself out on the floor right in front of the table where the leg of mutton lay. ”

“ Great circus posters had covered one side of Farmer Green's barn for weeks. Ever since some men came and pasted them on the barn Johnnie Green had studied them carefully. He had practiced bareback riding on his pony, Twinkleheels. He had tried a high dive into the mill pond from the top of the dam. And much to old dog Spot's disgust Johnnie had tried to make him jump through a hoop covered with paper. ”

“ And since some one must soon drive over the bridge, which crossed right above the dam, Red scurried back again and dived into the pond, into which Johnnie Green and the others had already plunged.
Red rose to the surface spluttering. And finding that he could touch bottom with his feet, he stood with his carroty head out of water, watching for the wagon.
It soon came into view, out of the woods, and the horse that drew it thundered upon the bridge. The horse was old Ebenezer; and Farmer Green was driving him.
"Hi!" Red shouted. "Stop! Wait a minute!" ”

“ Spot wagged his tail. He acted very, very friendly. Nobody would have supposed, from his looks, that he had stolen anyone's clothes.
"This is no joke," Johnnie Green declared. "I haven't anything to wear. Get those clothes and bring them back here!"
"I don't know what's the matter with Johnnie," Spot thought. "I didn't touch his things. I don't see why he's so angry."
"Good old Spot!" Johnnie coaxed. "Find the clothes! There's a good fellow!"
He waded toward the bank and snapped his fingers at Spot.
The old dog edged away. Johnnie talked pleasantly enough. But he had a queer look in his eye. ”

“ When he showed it to Spot the old dog actually began teasing him to go hunting.
The next day they set out together for the woods. And Johnnie knocked down the very first grouse that Spot found for him.
Spot brought the bird to Johnnie and laid it proudly at his feet.
"Did Johnnie Green ever give you any of the birds that you find for him?" Miss Kitty Cat inquired when Spot was boasting a bit about the sport he and Johnnie had in the woods. "No!" she said, answering her own question. "You're silly to hunt for him. I prefer to do my hunting alone. Then nobody can take the game away from me." ”

“ But Spot hadn't taken a single one of them.
"You're a meddlesome old dog," she scolded. "I've a good mind to drag my claws across your nose."
Spot grinned at her.
"If you do," he warned her, "I shall yelp. Then Mrs. Green will hurry back here to see what's going on. And you certainly won't get any mutton while she's in the kitchen. I happen to know that the family's going to have that leg of mutton for dinner to-morrow."
"There ought to be enough of it for everybody," Miss Kitty Cat grumbled. ”

“ For the moment he didn't move any more than the iron dog did, that stood in a yard on the outskirts of the village and never so much as wagged his tail from one year's end to another.
Somehow Spot's queer behavior gave Miss Kitty Cat an odd, creepy feeling along her back. Her fur rose on end. She glared at Spot and spat at him in a most unladylike fashion.
Spot found it very hard to stand still and never let out a single yelp. Once he almost whined. But he managed to stifle the sound.
"If she swells up much more she's likely to burst," he thought. ”

“ Turkey Proudfoot gobbled at Spot and bade him be still. Turkey Proudfoot was very pompous, for he had an idea that he ruled the farmyard.
Old dog Spot felt so meek, after the scolding that Mrs. Green gave him, that he couldn't find a word to say to anybody that spoke to him.
"I've expected this for some time," the Rooster told Henrietta Hen. "Mrs. Green has put old Spot out of the farmhouse. And Farmer Green intends to put him off the farm. Everyone agrees that he's a nuisance. It's a wonder the folks in the Green family have kept him all these years." ”

“ Just then he happened to spy a squirrel on a stone wall. Spot promptly made for this gentleman. Keeping a firm hold on his bundle, he plunged through a tangle of blackberry bushes that grew beside the road.
The thorny brambles caught at Spot's bundle and held it fast.
"G-r-r-r!" he growled. "I don't want to lose sight of that fat fellow. Unless I'm mistaken, it was Frisky Squirrel. And I've had an eye out for him for a longtime." ”

“ Old dog Spot never once guessed that there was a back door to the Woodchuck family's home in the pasture. He had chased Mrs. Woodchuck into her house. He had likewise hunted her son Billy into the same front door through which his mother had scrambled only a short time before.
"There must be more of these fat folks about the pasture," Spot thought. ”

“ Old dog Spot never moved from the place where he was lying in front of the kitchen table. Although Miss Kitty Cat had told him angrily that he thought she was going to enjoy a luncheon on the leg of mutton that was on the kitchen table, he didn't lose his temper. ”

“ And he knew that his father, with a few cronies, was enjoying a feast in Farmer Green's clover patch.
"I'll hurry over to Aunt Polly's first," he decided, "and tell Mother to beware the Dog."
So Billy Woodchuck scampered off toward the hill where Aunt Polly Woodchuck made her home. When he knocked at Aunt Polly's door and learned that Mrs. Woodchuck had left some time before Billy was much upset.
"Perhaps she went to the clover patch," Aunt Polly suggested. "You know your father sometimes forgets to go home unless somebody goes for him." ”

“ There were many other teams on the road, and almost nobody to be seen working in the fields. It seemed to Johnnie Green as if everybody had made up his mind to go to the circus. The only thing that troubled him was that his father didn't drive fast enough to suit him.
Half way from the farm to the village Farmer Green stopped the bays at a watering trough. Johnnie jumped out of the carryall to uncheck them, so they could drink. And there, beneath the carriage, was old dog Spot! ”

“ Yes! Spot actually growled at the little newcomer. For the moment he forgot that he had been wishing, for days, that there was a puppy about the place. To tell the truth, he couldn't help feeling the least bit jealous of Johnnie Green's new pet.
In a day or two, however, old Spot liked the puppy as much as anybody else did. He proved to be a playful little chap. And the older he grew the more fun-loving he became.
Sometimes the Puppy Would Bite Spot's Tail.
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There were no more dull days for old dog Spot. ”

“ There were grown-up things that he liked to do—things in which a toddler like Johnnie Green couldn't take part. Around the farmhouse there were always the cat to be teased and squirrels to be chased into trees. ”

“ Miss Kitty Cat wanted to know.
"I'd chase him."
"He can run faster than I can," said Miss Kitty.
"When he's pointing at you, jump at him before he can turn around. If you drag your claws across his nose just once he'll be careful after that to look the other way when he sees you."
"Your plan sounds as if it might be worth trying," said Miss Kitty thoughtfully.
III
A WILD DOG
Old dog Spot felt greatly pleased with himself. He had told everybody that would listen to him how he could make Miss Kitty Cat angry just by standing still and pointing at her. ”

“ Ebenezer said. "Well, to-day it rained cats."
IV
THE WOODPILE
Farmer Green always had a woodpile in the back yard. Sometimes it was big. Sometimes it was little. Sometimes it was mostly made up of four-foot logs. Sometimes the logs were all split and sawed, ready to burn.
When Farmer Green and the hired man had nothing more pressing to do they set to work on the woodpile. It was surprising how fast the big sticks grew into firewood under their axes and saws.
One day they started sawing and splitting when Johnnie Green and old dog Spot were roaming through the woods. ”

“ But when she stopped, he stopped too, digging his own claws into the dirt in order to leave a safe distance between Miss Kitty and his nose.
He quickly discovered that there were ways in which he could tease Miss Kitty Cat that annoyed her greatly, while keeping his nose out of harm's way. Growling always made her tail grow big. ”