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Little Dog Ready How He Lost Himself in the Big World-Mabel F. Stryker · Bully and Bawly No-Tail (the Jumping Frogs)

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  Speaker 1: Chapter one of Little Dog Ready. This is a LibriVox recording.
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  Speaker 1: All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more
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  Speaker 1: information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Little
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  Speaker 1: Dog Ready by Mabel F. Striker how Ready lost his head.
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  Speaker 1: He was a little black and white dog with a
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  Speaker 1: shaggy coat and a waggy tail. He had very polite
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  Speaker 1: eyes which were always watching people to find out what
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  Speaker 1: they would like to have him do. Whenever people were
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  Speaker 1: kind enough to tell him what they wanted, he would
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  Speaker 1: always do it for them if he possibly could, and
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  Speaker 1: that is why he was named Ready. Reddy loved his
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  Speaker 1: little master Dick more than anyone in the world, and
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  Speaker 1: Dick never wanted Ready out of his sight, and that
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  Speaker 1: is how this story came about. It was a very
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  Speaker 1: sad day for Dick and Ready when Dick fell from
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  Speaker 1: the apple tree and broke his arm. Have you ever
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  Speaker 1: broken your arm? If you have, you know how much
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  Speaker 1: it hurts and how still you have to be even
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  Speaker 1: then the pain won't go away. Of course, Dick wanted
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  Speaker 1: Ready with him every single minute of the day and night.
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  Speaker 1: But in the middle of the second night, Reddy felt
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  Speaker 1: that he really must stretch his legs. While Dick was asleep,
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  Speaker 1: he would not have thought of letting his master know
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  Speaker 1: that he was in a great need of a little run.
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  Speaker 1: But now that Dick was asleep, and he put his
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  Speaker 1: nose against Dick's good arm to be quite sure that
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  Speaker 1: he was ready, stepped out of the open window into
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  Speaker 1: the big world. I suppose all would have gone well
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  Speaker 1: if Reddy had not met Big Yellow Dog. Big yellow
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  Speaker 1: dog had always snubbed ready frightfully. But even big yellow
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  Speaker 1: dogs have their good moments, and this must have been
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  Speaker 1: one of them. Big Yellow Dog said, good evening and
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  Speaker 1: almost stopped. This turned Reddy's head. It would have turned
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  Speaker 1: any dog's head. Did you ever have your head turned?
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  Speaker 1: You will some day, And when it happens, try hard
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  Speaker 1: to look where you are going, for you are always
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  Speaker 1: going wrong. Of course, Reddy did not know this, and
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  Speaker 1: when Big yellow Dog said pleasantly, come along, Ready went
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  Speaker 1: faster and faster, ran Big Yellow Dog. Faster and faster
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  Speaker 1: ran Ready, although he felt that his legs were getting
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  Speaker 1: shorter and shorter. Suddenly Reddy lost sight of Big Yellow
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  Speaker 1: Dog altogether, and then he felt very tired. He sat
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  Speaker 1: right down on the pavement for he knew now that
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  Speaker 1: his head had been turned earn. Of course, he tried
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  Speaker 1: to turn it back again, but he was so tired
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  Speaker 1: that he only made it worse. Then he tried to
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  Speaker 1: run home, but of course he ran in the wrong direction,
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  Speaker 1: and when you run home in the wrong direction, a
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  Speaker 1: most unpleasant thing happens. You don't get there at all.
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  Speaker 1: Ready ran on and on until he came to a
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  Speaker 1: house which he thought was his. You see, he was
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  Speaker 1: quite sleepy by this time, and when you have a
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  Speaker 1: sleepy turned head, you may as well give up. He
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  Speaker 1: wondered why the windows were all closed, But even before
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  Speaker 1: he had finished saying how queer that the windows are not,
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  Speaker 1: he was fast asleep on the door mat. He did
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  Speaker 1: not wake up until he heard someone talking. Oh see
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  Speaker 1: this darling little dog, said a young lady, looking down
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  Speaker 1: at him. Then all the family came to look down
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  Speaker 1: at him and to say how cute and what a
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  Speaker 1: dear Now ready, as you remember, was a very polite
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  Speaker 1: little dog, So of course he wagged his waggy tail
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  Speaker 1: and said, in his best dog language, how do you do?
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  Speaker 1: This seemed to delight everybody, and they gave him breakfast
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  Speaker 1: at once. Reddy greatly enjoyed his breakfast, and he thought
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  Speaker 1: there would be no harm in staying a few minutes
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  Speaker 1: with such very pleasant people. But that is where he
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  Speaker 1: made his second bad mistake. As you will see, he
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  Speaker 1: really should have run away from them as fast as
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  Speaker 1: his little legs could carry him. For all at once,
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  Speaker 1: the young lady said, I'm going to keep this little
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  Speaker 1: dog forever. But you can see by his collar, said
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  Speaker 1: her mother, that he belongs to someone else. I had
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  Speaker 1: forgotten to tell you that. Ready, he wore a nice
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  Speaker 1: little silver collar, and on it was written his name
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  Speaker 1: is Ready, because he always is, so it does not
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  Speaker 1: say where he belongs, said the young lady with a pout.
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  Speaker 1: And I want him. He will not want to stay,
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  Speaker 1: said the mother. Then I will tie him up and
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  Speaker 1: make him stay, said the young lady, quite crossly. Now
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  Speaker 1: anyone could see with half an eye that the young
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  Speaker 1: lady was going to have her own way. Even Ready
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  Speaker 1: felt that, without understanding young lady language, if he had
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  Speaker 1: known what dreadful things she was saying, of course, he
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  Speaker 1: would have run right out of the door. But he
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  Speaker 1: did not know, so he only wagged his tail, hoping
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  Speaker 1: that would make her feel a little better. He thought
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  Speaker 1: that he must do something in return for his good breakfast.
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  Speaker 1: The young lady grew crosser and crosser, and finally he
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  Speaker 1: stamped her foot. This made Ready decide to leave at once,
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  Speaker 1: for there is no knowing what may happen to dogs
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  Speaker 1: or dishes when anyone begins to stamp a foot. Ready
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  Speaker 1: stood up and said his prettiest goodbye, which was three
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  Speaker 1: little barks and then one long one, with tail wagging
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  Speaker 1: all the time. Of course, in a second he would
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  Speaker 1: have been out of the house, but the young lady
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  Speaker 1: caught him by the collar and held him. Then. I
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  Speaker 1: cannot tell you how much it hurts me to say this.
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  Speaker 1: They tied him, Yes, they did. They tied him to
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  Speaker 1: an old hook and kept him there for nearly a week.
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  Speaker 1: They took him out for a breath of air for
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  Speaker 1: a few minutes each day, and then put him back
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  Speaker 1: in his stuffy prison. End of chapter one two of
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  Speaker 1: Little Dog Ready by Mabel F. Stryker. This LibriVox recording
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  Speaker 1: is in the public domain. Ready a prisoner. Of course,
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  Speaker 1: if Reddy had been a dog of the world, he
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  Speaker 1: might have found ways to escape. He might have snapped
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  Speaker 1: at people or howled all night. Then the father of
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  Speaker 1: the family would surely have let him out, for father's
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  Speaker 1: hate to be disturbed at night. But Reddy had always
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  Speaker 1: been taught that snapping and growling are very wicked, so
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  Speaker 1: he only moaned a little and shed a few dog
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  Speaker 1: tears when no one was looking. You see, it is
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  Speaker 1: a disgrace to a dog's doghood to be found in tears.
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  Speaker 1: Of course, he was not the least bit hungry. How
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  Speaker 1: could any dog be hungry? Shut up all day in
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  Speaker 1: a stuffy old room, and then nothing takes away a
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  Speaker 1: dog's appetite so quickly as Sam thoughts. At first he
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  Speaker 1: did not eat anything, and then he began to have
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  Speaker 1: a very queer feeling in his legs. They were such
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  Speaker 1: wobbly and uncertain legs that they frightened ready. He remembered
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  Speaker 1: going once to a dog lecture where the speaker had said,
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  Speaker 1: fellow dogs, beware of unreliable legs. There is nothing left
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  Speaker 1: in life for a dog if his legs go back
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  Speaker 1: on him. Reddy remembered that this great dog doctor had
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  Speaker 1: given him a number of prescriptions. This was one of
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  Speaker 1: them for rapid running legs, Eat carefully, exercise regularly, and
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  Speaker 1: don't ever be cast down. When ready thought of these words,
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  Speaker 1: he began to eat a little each day, and to
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  Speaker 1: run around the room for exercise after each meal. Then
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  Speaker 1: he tried very hard to cast out his sad thoughts.
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  Speaker 1: He would put him himself to sleep, saying over and over,
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  Speaker 1: I think tomorrow I will get out. Tomorrow, I am
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  Speaker 1: going to be free. Whenever the young lady talked to him,
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  Speaker 1: Reddy tried in all kinds of ways to tell her
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  Speaker 1: that he must get to his little master as soon
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  Speaker 1: as possible. First he would lie down at her feet
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  Speaker 1: and look up beseechingly in her eyes. After that he
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  Speaker 1: would run to the door, wagging his tail all the time.
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  Speaker 1: Then he would come back and beg oh, how hard
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  Speaker 1: he would beg her to let him go. But she
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  Speaker 1: never once understood him, never once noticed he was saying, Oh,
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  Speaker 1: dear young lady, please let me go back to my
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  Speaker 1: little master. He is very ill and needs me. Don't
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  Speaker 1: you see that I belong to him. I will do
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  Speaker 1: anything in the world for you that an honorable little
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  Speaker 1: dog can do if you will only let me go.
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  Speaker 1: Perhaps the saddest of all his prison days was the
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  Speaker 1: time he really thought she was going to release him.
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  Speaker 1: He had wagged his tail especially hard that morning. At
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  Speaker 1: the door. She had put on her hat, saying come
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  Speaker 1: on then, Oh, how happy he was, and how hard
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  Speaker 1: he tried to thank her. Then came the dreadful minute
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  Speaker 1: when she fastened a silver chain to his collar. At
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  Speaker 1: first he broke down completely and moaned and moaned. Then
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  Speaker 1: he thought, perhaps if I walked by her side very nicely,
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  Speaker 1: it will soften her heart, and then there is always
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  Speaker 1: a chance when out in the great, beautiful open world.
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  Speaker 1: So he walked quite contentedly by her side and waited
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  Speaker 1: patiently while she stopped to chat with some other young ladies.
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  Speaker 1: But when she said, boastingly, do you see my beautiful
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  Speaker 1: new dog, he simply could not stand it. Do you
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  Speaker 1: know what he did? He growled, and his growl had
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  Speaker 1: a bit of a snap in it too. This made
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  Speaker 1: the young lady very cross, and she decided to take
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  Speaker 1: Ready home at once. When they reached the door, Reddy's
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  Speaker 1: eyes would have melted a heart of stone. He knelt
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  Speaker 1: to her, He moaned to her, He begged so prettily
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  Speaker 1: on his hind legs, but the young lady would have
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  Speaker 1: none of it. She pushed him rudely into the dark
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  Speaker 1: room and slammed the door. I think that was the
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  Speaker 1: saddest moment of Reddy's prison life. But in spite of everything,
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  Speaker 1: Reddy never once gave up the hope of getting his
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  Speaker 1: chance to escape. And that is why it came. End
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  Speaker 1: of chapter two, chapter three of Little Dog Ready by
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  Speaker 1: Mabel F. Striker. This LibriVox recording is in the public
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  Speaker 1: domain freedom. It happened this way one evening. The young
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  Speaker 1: lady and her mother had gone to one of those
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  Speaker 1: long lasting parties which do not begin until nearly everyone
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  Speaker 1: in the world has gone to sleep. The maid was
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  Speaker 1: out too, probably to another party. The fat old cook
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  Speaker 1: was so sleepy that she forgot to fasten Ready to
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  Speaker 1: the hook and cord after she had opened the window.
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  Speaker 1: Wasn't that lucky? Ready pretended to be asleep until he
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  Speaker 1: heard her slow step on the stairs. Then quick as
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  Speaker 1: a wink, he was out of the window and in
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  Speaker 1: the yard. The shortest cut to the street was a
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  Speaker 1: dash through the flower bed, and Ready started to go
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  Speaker 1: that way. Then he remembered that really nice dogs were
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  Speaker 1: always polite to flowers. Now, the only way a dog
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  Speaker 1: can be really polite to flowers is to keep away
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  Speaker 1: from them. So ready turned and ran around the path.
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  Speaker 1: But in spite of this long way around, Reddy was
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  Speaker 1: soon on the main road. He must make no mistake now,
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  Speaker 1: he must never let his head get turned again. Which
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  Speaker 1: was the right direction. The road looked so strange, so
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  Speaker 1: dark and lonely, that it was hard for a dog
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  Speaker 1: to tell anything about it. Reddy felt that he must
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  Speaker 1: not wait a moment, so he started. But he soon
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  Speaker 1: heard an owl hooting from a tree near by. No, no, no.
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  Speaker 1: Then Reddy turned and ran in the other direction. From
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  Speaker 1: some very far away place, he heard quite right, Bob White,
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  Speaker 1: so he knew that all was well now he would
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  Speaker 1: soon come to his dear little master's house. On and
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  Speaker 1: on he ran along the cool, dark village street, until
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  Speaker 1: suddenly he saw in the distance the queer shaped old
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  Speaker 1: oak tree that stood by the gray church at the corner.
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  Speaker 1: Reddy was very happy, for he knew the way perfectly. Now.
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  Speaker 1: Many a race had he taken to this place with
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  Speaker 1: his master Dick, Many a frolic they had had together
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  Speaker 1: under that old tree. It took about three minutes more
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  Speaker 1: of hard dog running to bring him to the dear
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  Speaker 1: green house. He noticed that it looked very dark and lonely.
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  Speaker 1: Perhaps all the grown ups had gone to the party too.
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  Speaker 1: He gave three crisp little joy barks, which always meant
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  Speaker 1: to Master Dick. Ready's here. There was no answer at all,
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  Speaker 1: so Ready, with a heavy heart, decided to lie right
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  Speaker 1: down by the door and wait until more. You may
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  Speaker 1: be sure that he woke up very early. Indeed, in
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  Speaker 1: order to be up before Master Dick, he gave his
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  Speaker 1: three joy barks again and again, but no answer came.
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  Speaker 1: Just then Old Rover appeared. He was the oldest dog
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  Speaker 1: about that part of town, and he knew everything well
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  Speaker 1: well well, he said to Reddy. They have been looking
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  Speaker 1: everywhere for you, but now you are too late. Too late,
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  Speaker 1: said Reddy. Yes, too late, said Rover severely. The little
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  Speaker 1: Master was so sick that they took him to the
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  Speaker 1: seashore yesterday. Then Reddy was the saddest little dog in
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  Speaker 1: the world, and he looked. So it's your own fault,
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  Speaker 1: said Rover. Why did you run away? At this? Reddy
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  Speaker 1: broke down all together, tail and all, and sobbed out
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  Speaker 1: the whole story. Come come, said Rover. At last, be
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  Speaker 1: a dog and keep up your courage. Try wagging your
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  Speaker 1: tail a little That always helps, so Ready wagged his tail,
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  Speaker 1: and it did help a little speck. Then Rover gave
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  Speaker 1: him some breakfast, and that helped a great deal. After
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  Speaker 1: breakfast was over, Rover gave Ready letters of introduction to
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  Speaker 1: several traveling dog friends of his, in the hope that
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  Speaker 1: they might happen to know Master Dick's seashore home. But
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  Speaker 1: when night came, a very tired and discouraged Little Ready
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  Speaker 1: returned to the lonely house. You see, most of the
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  Speaker 1: traveling dogs had already left the city, and the others
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  Speaker 1: had sent down word too busy or not at home.
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  Speaker 1: It was the darkest hour of Reddy's life. Indeed, I
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  Speaker 1: do not know what would have happened next if a
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  Speaker 1: happy Robin had not been still awake singing cheer up
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  Speaker 1: when he saw sad Little Ready. As quick as a wink,
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  Speaker 1: he made this other verse to his evening song, Chance, chance, chance,
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  Speaker 1: everybody has a chance. Cheer up, be ready and wagging
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  Speaker 1: cheer up, cheer up. I cannot tell you how much
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  Speaker 1: this helped Ready. He wagged his tail at once and
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  Speaker 1: decided he would take a little run in the moonlight
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  Speaker 1: so as to be on the lookout for chances as
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  Speaker 1: he ran along, he noticed a great many dogs going by.
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  Speaker 1: Dogs he had never seen dogs, old dog's, young dogs,
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  Speaker 1: middle aged, all in a great hurry. He asked several
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  Speaker 1: of them where they were going, but few had time
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  Speaker 1: to answer him. One said, aren't you going? And several
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  Speaker 1: mumbled something that he could not make out. At last,
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  Speaker 1: one very fat and panting dog stopped to rest a minute.
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  Speaker 1: Won't you please tell me where you were going, asked
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  Speaker 1: red Day. Why don't you know? Was the answer, this
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  Speaker 1: is the twenty first of June. Just then another dog
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  Speaker 1: came along. Hurry up, you two, or you'll be late,
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  Speaker 1: he called out. Come on, said the panting fat dog.
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  Speaker 1: Now Reddy had had so much bad luck running about
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  Speaker 1: with strange dogs that he only shook his head and said,
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  Speaker 1: I don't know anything about it. Don't know anything about it.
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  Speaker 1: By my tail, you must be a stranger here, said
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  Speaker 1: the panting fat one ready afterwards called him path for short,
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  Speaker 1: P standing for panting and F for fat. You see
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  Speaker 1: at midnight on the twenty first of June, if it
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  Speaker 1: is moonlight, a wonderful thing happens. All the beasts, birds
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  Speaker 1: and flowers in this part of the world meet in
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  Speaker 1: an open space near the woods. They have music, dancing,
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  Speaker 1: and refreshments. Then the eagle, who is the king of
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  Speaker 1: the birds, grants a wish to any animal who has
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  Speaker 1: a clear record. The eagle gives the wish to the
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  Speaker 1: beasts instead of the birds and flowers, because nobody ever
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  Speaker 1: has anything against the flowers anyway, and they don't care
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  Speaker 1: for new experiences. As for the birds, they have so
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  Speaker 1: many chances to travel and do interesting things that his
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  Speaker 1: majesty the Eagle decided to go outside of his own
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  Speaker 1: family and give the wish to the four footers. You see,
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  Speaker 1: they get around very little, as they have no wings.
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  Speaker 1: The animals are not what they once were. Path went on.
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  Speaker 1: As they hurried along. Last year, no one could get it,
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  Speaker 1: and the year before only one had a chance even
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  Speaker 1: to try. Do many want to try, asked ready, not
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  Speaker 1: so many as there were in my young days, said Path.
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  Speaker 1: It's unpleasant being refused, you see, and having all the
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  Speaker 1: little things you have done and forgotten thrown in your face.
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  Speaker 1: I'd try myself tonight, but I had a bad time
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  Speaker 1: a few days ago with an old alley cat. It
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  Speaker 1: was all her fault, of course, but I know she
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  Speaker 1: will be there tonight. To complain of me if I
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  Speaker 1: should come forward. It is hard these days. Path went
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  Speaker 1: on to get a clear record. Since they allow all
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  Speaker 1: kinds of cats to vote, and even flowering vines and
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  Speaker 1: chickens can speak against us, So what is an animal
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  Speaker 1: to do? It used to be that an English sparrow's
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  Speaker 1: vote counted nothing, but now these worthless creatures have as
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  Speaker 1: much to say as we do. Why no cat has
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  Speaker 1: a chance because the mice are all invited. Times are
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  Speaker 1: sadly changed, and poor Path sighed end of chapter three,
• 20:57
  Speaker 1: chapter four of Little Dog Ready by Mabel F. Stryker.
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  Speaker 1: This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Ready at
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  Speaker 1: the Great Gathering. At last they reached the place, and
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  Speaker 1: it was a wonderful sight. All the four footed animals
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  Speaker 1: sat on the ground in front, The birds were perched
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  Speaker 1: on the trees, and the flowers masked themselves around the
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  Speaker 1: eagle's throne. Suddenly the birds all began to sing a
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  Speaker 1: beautiful song, and the flowers commenced to dance a soft,
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  Speaker 1: swaying dance. Then the thrushes sang, give place, give place
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  Speaker 1: to our noble King, whom we all do love and fear.
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  Speaker 1: BOWLO bow low, every single thing, and then set up
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  Speaker 1: a cheer. At this, the flowers bowed their heads, the
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  Speaker 1: beasts all knelt, and the birds flew out to meet
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  Speaker 1: his Royal Majesty the eagle. Then the birds made themselves
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  Speaker 1: into two lines, and the great eagle flew between them.
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  Speaker 1: He was a savage looking bird. Indeed, he wore for
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  Speaker 1: the occasion a large crown of red feathers, and carried
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  Speaker 1: in one of his claws an enormous stick covered with
• 22:18
  Speaker 1: rabbits fur, which had five large dog teeth at the
• 22:23
  Speaker 1: end of it. Everything and everybody clapped and bowed and cheered.
• 22:28
  Speaker 1: Dogs wagged tails, chickens cackled, roosters crowed, birds sang, and
• 22:34
  Speaker 1: flowers waved themselves. The eagle looked about fiercely, bowed slightly,
• 22:40
  Speaker 1: and seated himself on his throne, which was on a
• 22:44
  Speaker 1: little hill. The entertainment began with a duet given by
• 22:48
  Speaker 1: a wood thrush and a song sparrow. It was very pretty, indeed,
• 22:53
  Speaker 1: this was followed by a Virginia reel given by the
• 22:57
  Speaker 1: daisies and buttercups. Then the eagle rapped loudly with his
• 23:02
  Speaker 1: terrible rod, and said, every one may dance, and everyone did.
• 23:08
  Speaker 1: The orchestra was made up of thrushes, whipperwills, and woodpeckers.
• 23:13
  Speaker 1: The woodpeckers beat time on the bark of the trees.
• 23:16
  Speaker 1: Sometimes the robins and song sparrows joined It. All sounded
• 23:21
  Speaker 1: very well, indeed, until some blue jays and roosters started in.
• 23:26
  Speaker 1: Then an old crow commenced keeping time with his ha
• 23:30
  Speaker 1: ha ha. This was too much for the eagle, who
• 23:35
  Speaker 1: beat angrily on the oak tree with his rod and
• 23:38
  Speaker 1: stopped the dance immediately, too much like a jazz band.
• 23:42
  Speaker 1: He shrieked, we want real music here. Jays, roosters and crows,
• 23:48
  Speaker 1: be silent or leave the dance hall. No cackling and
• 23:51
  Speaker 1: cawing in my orchestra. While I am king of the birds.
• 23:56
  Speaker 1: You should have seen the dancing. The flowers kept pretty
• 24:00
  Speaker 1: much to themselves and almost always waltzed. The birds danced
• 24:05
  Speaker 1: a two step, flapping their wings to beat time, and
• 24:08
  Speaker 1: splitting their dances for a bit of a fly. Now
• 24:10
  Speaker 1: and then. Most of the four footers toddled. Some did
• 24:15
  Speaker 1: the old time polka because it used all of their
• 24:18
  Speaker 1: legs evenly beating four time. You see Reddy saw that
• 24:23
  Speaker 1: path wanted dreadfully to dance and was without a partner,
• 24:27
  Speaker 1: so he asked him. They managed somehow to get about.
• 24:32
  Speaker 1: In fact, many thought paths quite awkward. Out of time.
• 24:35
  Speaker 1: Step was something new, and several young chickens tried to
• 24:39
  Speaker 1: copy it. Then the eagle raised his rod, and immediately
• 24:44
  Speaker 1: the dancing and music stopped. Refreshments are coming next, whispered
• 24:49
  Speaker 1: Faf breathlessly. Reddy was glad to hear this, as he
• 24:53
  Speaker 1: had had nothing to eat since breakfast. But path was
• 24:56
  Speaker 1: mistaken this time. When all was quiet, the eagle said fiercely,
• 25:01
  Speaker 1: four footers asking for wishes will now come forward. We
• 25:05
  Speaker 1: may as well get this part of the program over
• 25:08
  Speaker 1: at once, for from what I hear of the beasts
• 25:11
  Speaker 1: this year, it will take a very short time. Then
• 25:15
  Speaker 1: he tapped his rod three times and said, ready, little
• 25:20
  Speaker 1: Ready started to his feet. This was certainly his great chance,
• 25:25
  Speaker 1: but he wished oh so much that refreshments had come first,
• 25:29
  Speaker 1: as his knees were weak from hunger and from pulling
• 25:32
  Speaker 1: a round path. A rather handsome black dog arose and
• 25:37
  Speaker 1: a large white cat. There was a terrible silence as
• 25:41
  Speaker 1: they walked slowly around the eagle's throne. All eyes were
• 25:45
  Speaker 1: turned upon them. The near sighted ones put on glasses
• 25:49
  Speaker 1: which they had brought for the occasion. The white cat,
• 25:53
  Speaker 1: being the only lady of the party, was called first
• 25:56
  Speaker 1: to the throne. After asking her name, age, address, and
• 26:01
  Speaker 1: telephone number, the eagle said, this cat is before you.
• 26:06
  Speaker 1: Has anyone anything against her? Immediately a dozen English sparrows
• 26:12
  Speaker 1: flew down to the throne and told a dreadful tale
• 26:16
  Speaker 1: about her. They said she had caught and eaten their mother, father,
• 26:21
  Speaker 1: and aunt all in one day. A grapevine also bent
• 26:26
  Speaker 1: forward with leaves outstretched, but the eagle waved it back,
• 26:30
  Speaker 1: saying in a terrible voice, we have had evidence enough.
• 26:35
  Speaker 1: White cat withdraw, and white cat scudded away. Then the
• 26:40
  Speaker 1: eagle called the black dog, But an old hen stepped
• 26:44
  Speaker 1: up at once and indignantly said, black dog killed my
• 26:49
  Speaker 1: fluffiest child when she was scarcely out of the shell.
• 26:54
  Speaker 1: At this the eagle took his rod and struck the
• 26:57
  Speaker 1: black dog, saying, in his great and dress full voice,
• 27:01
  Speaker 1: how did you dare to come before me? Of course,
• 27:05
  Speaker 1: that was the end of the black dog, who ran
• 27:08
  Speaker 1: away with his tail between his legs. Then reddy knew
• 27:13
  Speaker 1: that his time had come. If only his little legs
• 27:17
  Speaker 1: would not give out when the eagle said sternly. Next
• 27:21
  Speaker 1: he arose and stood before him. Your name, said the eagle,
• 27:25
  Speaker 1: pointing the dreadful rod directly at him. Ready, he answered huskily.
• 27:31
  Speaker 1: Then he heard the blue jays laughing, and the mockingbirds saying, ready,
• 27:36
  Speaker 1: quite scornfully. Of course you are ready. If you are
• 27:40
  Speaker 1: ever going to be, shrieked the eagle, give your name
• 27:44
  Speaker 1: at once, or withdraw immediately. But my name is ready.
• 27:50
  Speaker 1: You can see it on my collar, said Reddy, and
• 27:53
  Speaker 1: the excitement made his legs feel stronger. Look at his collar,
• 27:57
  Speaker 1: commanded the eagle, and everyone did. It is true, your
• 28:01
  Speaker 1: royal highness, said the owl. Extraordinary, said the eagle. Extraordinary,
• 28:06
  Speaker 1: said all of the animals, one after the other, and
• 28:10
  Speaker 1: even the hens cackled. Extraordinary. Your age, said the eagle.
• 28:15
  Speaker 1: Eleven months, your majesty, Ready answered bravely. But when it
• 28:20
  Speaker 1: came to address and telephone number, Ready gathered up all
• 28:23
  Speaker 1: his courage and plunged at once into his sad little story.
• 28:29
  Speaker 1: Everyone was much interested. Several times the eagle leaned forward
• 28:33
  Speaker 1: and said louder. Then all the hens cackled louder. Ready
• 28:39
  Speaker 1: was much excited, though it hurt his throat to pitch
• 28:43
  Speaker 1: his voice so high. You see, he was not at
• 28:46
  Speaker 1: all used to public speaking. However, if you had been there,
• 28:51
  Speaker 1: you would have known that he was making a good impression.
• 28:55
  Speaker 1: It was noticed by many of the animals that the
• 28:57
  Speaker 1: eagle once put his handkerchief to his eyes. There was
• 29:02
  Speaker 1: a great silence when ready finished speaking. Then the eagle
• 29:06
  Speaker 1: rose upon his throne, flapped his wings, and spoke in
• 29:10
  Speaker 1: a strangely gentle voice. He said, the wish of this
• 29:16
  Speaker 1: dog shall be granted. At once. Everybody cheered wildly, But
• 29:22
  Speaker 1: the owl, standing up and bowing low to the eagle, said,
• 29:25
  Speaker 1: your majesty, I beg of you not to allow your
• 29:29
  Speaker 1: feelings to carry you too far. Remember the rules of
• 29:33
  Speaker 1: our great gathering. Here. Let us see if anyone has
• 29:37
  Speaker 1: anything against this animal. Now, the eagle had always a
• 29:42
  Speaker 1: great respect for the owl. Indeed, the time he had
• 29:46
  Speaker 1: been obliged to go to Washington to have his picture
• 29:50
  Speaker 1: taken for the new American Dollar, the owl had taken
• 29:54
  Speaker 1: his place at this meeting. So the eagle said, very well,
• 29:58
  Speaker 1: ready is before you who speaks against him. It was
• 30:03
  Speaker 1: very still for a minute. Reddy's heart beat fast, as
• 30:06
  Speaker 1: he feared he might have offended a chicken, a cat
• 30:10
  Speaker 1: or something without knowing it. But no one answered, and
• 30:14
  Speaker 1: the cheering began. Then the owl stepped forward. I hate
• 30:19
  Speaker 1: to seem so particular, he apologized, But I have just
• 30:23
  Speaker 1: been re reading the rules of our great gathering. It
• 30:27
  Speaker 1: says all animals who are strangers in the neighborhood must
• 30:31
  Speaker 1: be properly introduced and vouched for before any wishes can
• 30:35
  Speaker 1: be granted them. Now Reddy was introduced by path, but
• 30:39
  Speaker 1: he must be vouched for by some one else. By that,
• 30:43
  Speaker 1: I mean, explained the owl, that some one must speak
• 30:47
  Speaker 1: a good word for him. At this Reddy's heart sank.
• 30:53
  Speaker 1: Who indeed would speak for him? Who knew him here?
• 30:57
  Speaker 1: Then he heard a voice saying, ah, I will speak
• 31:00
  Speaker 1: for him. When he jumped out of the window the
• 31:03
  Speaker 1: other night, he was in a great hurry. The shortest
• 31:07
  Speaker 1: way would have been to step upon my lame shoulder,
• 31:10
  Speaker 1: but he went the long way instead. Now Reddy knew
• 31:16
  Speaker 1: that the largest geranium in the flower bed was speaking.
• 31:20
  Speaker 1: I am an old flower, she continued, But it is
• 31:23
  Speaker 1: the first time a dog has shown me any consideration. Wonderful,
• 31:29
  Speaker 1: said the eagle, waving his rod. When he had so
• 31:33
  Speaker 1: much provocation too, so much provocation sang the birds, much
• 31:39
  Speaker 1: provocation crowed the roosters, and tackled the hens. Much provocation
• 31:44
  Speaker 1: barked the dogs. Ready wondered what the large word meant,
• 31:48
  Speaker 1: but felt it must be a friendly word because the
• 31:51
  Speaker 1: eagle looked so kindly at him. Enough commanded the king
• 31:56
  Speaker 1: of the birds, Ready, state your wish. This time Reddy's
• 32:01
  Speaker 1: legs had grown very weak. For one minute he felt
• 32:04
  Speaker 1: that he must say, I wish for food. Then he
• 32:07
  Speaker 1: remembered that this was his one great chance to get
• 32:11
  Speaker 1: back to his master Dick. I want to find my
• 32:15
  Speaker 1: master Dick's seashore home, he said, in quite a loud voice.
• 32:20
  Speaker 1: Then his little legs gave right out, and he fell
• 32:24
  Speaker 1: fainting at the eagle's feet. And of chapter four, Chapter
• 32:37
  Speaker 1: five of Little Dog Ready by Mabel F. Striker. This
• 32:42
  Speaker 1: LibriVox recording is in the public domain Bad News. When
• 32:49
  Speaker 1: Reddy opened his eyes, he found himself in the loveliest
• 32:53
  Speaker 1: little bed in the world. The animals, by digging, gnawing,
• 32:57
  Speaker 1: and scratching, had made a large hollow place in the ground,
• 33:01
  Speaker 1: and the birds had lined it with feathers. Even the
• 33:04
  Speaker 1: flowers had given some of their leaves for the pillow.
• 33:07
  Speaker 1: You have no idea how comfortable it was. The eagle's
• 33:11
  Speaker 1: trained nurse was giving Ready a tea spoonful of medicine
• 33:15
  Speaker 1: every other minute. A special dog doctor was taking his pulse,
• 33:20
  Speaker 1: and hundreds of birds were standing by waiting for orders.
• 33:24
  Speaker 1: Reddy really felt very comfortable. He is better, said the
• 33:29
  Speaker 1: dog doctor, but not yet on his feet. Of course,
• 33:33
  Speaker 1: that was quite true, was it not. Is there anything
• 33:37
  Speaker 1: you would like? Asked the trained nurse. Reddy raised his
• 33:41
  Speaker 1: head and said anxiously. May I still have my first
• 33:44
  Speaker 1: wish granted? If I ask for anything else? Certainly, said
• 33:49
  Speaker 1: the eagle. Certainly said all the others. I very much
• 33:53
  Speaker 1: want something to eat, said Reddy, falling back upon the pillows.
• 33:58
  Speaker 1: Such a commotion as there was cause then twenty bluebirds
• 34:02
  Speaker 1: at once brought in a tray of liver. A course
• 34:06
  Speaker 1: of bones followed, and a large dish of milk was
• 34:09
  Speaker 1: served for dessert. Ready was a very happy dog. Indeed,
• 34:15
  Speaker 1: then the eagle said, we will all have recess and refreshments.
• 34:21
  Speaker 1: Now there was much moving about, eating and talking. Everyone
• 34:25
  Speaker 1: came up to Ready and spoke to him. Many begged
• 34:28
  Speaker 1: him to make weekend visits. Some asked him to house parties,
• 34:33
  Speaker 1: and all the young dogs wanted his photograph. At last,
• 34:37
  Speaker 1: the eagle raised his rod, and everyone came to order.
• 34:41
  Speaker 1: We will, now, he said, in a business like manner,
• 34:44
  Speaker 1: try to find Master Dick's home at the seashore. Ready
• 34:48
  Speaker 1: then told him all he knew about it, which of
• 34:51
  Speaker 1: course was very little. It was a red house near
• 34:55
  Speaker 1: the sea, with a pine tree in front of it.
• 34:58
  Speaker 1: That is quite enough, said the eagle. I will send
• 35:01
  Speaker 1: out my messengers to find it. The eagle now called
• 35:05
  Speaker 1: together his trusty messengers. There were five of them. A
• 35:09
  Speaker 1: blue heron for watchfulness, a crow for good judgment, a
• 35:14
  Speaker 1: swift for rapid flight, a night hawk for keen eyesight,
• 35:19
  Speaker 1: and a little sparrow for running the errands. The eagle
• 35:23
  Speaker 1: talked to them all in a low tone for a
• 35:26
  Speaker 1: few minutes, giving them directions and money for the journey.
• 35:30
  Speaker 1: Then the dance began. And who do you think was
• 35:33
  Speaker 1: Reddy's partner this time? Why the eagle. Of course, It
• 35:37
  Speaker 1: is a splendid thing to dance with the king of birds,
• 35:40
  Speaker 1: and a rare thing for a dog. It seemed to
• 35:44
  Speaker 1: be dog night for the owl, who had not danced
• 35:47
  Speaker 1: for years stepped out with a dog. The owl knew
• 35:51
  Speaker 1: only one dance, an old fashioned hop waltz. The dog
• 35:55
  Speaker 1: knew no dance at all. He jostled about on his
• 35:58
  Speaker 1: hind legs. They really looked so ridiculous that some gay
• 36:04
  Speaker 1: young catbirds laughed aloud and called out, todtle, toddle, don't
• 36:08
  Speaker 1: just waddle. They were immediately cuffed by their elders for
• 36:13
  Speaker 1: such bad manners and made to sit out a whole
• 36:16
  Speaker 1: dance in the dressing room, which was curtained off from
• 36:20
  Speaker 1: the rest of the place by a row of young
• 36:22
  Speaker 1: pine trees. Suddenly, the dance was interrupted by the entrance
• 36:27
  Speaker 1: of the young sparrow, who had returned with a telegram
• 36:31
  Speaker 1: for the eagle. Everything stopped at once, and the eagle's
• 36:34
  Speaker 1: grandson immediately flew to the top of the great oak tree,
• 36:39
  Speaker 1: where his honored grandfather's spectacles had been placed in an
• 36:43
  Speaker 1: oriole's nest for safe keeping. He returned in twenty seconds
• 36:47
  Speaker 1: and found everybody waiting breathlessly. The eagle looked troubled after
• 36:53
  Speaker 1: he had read the telegram. Then he and the owl
• 36:56
  Speaker 1: whispered silently together. Bad news cawed the crows. Bad nos
• 37:02
  Speaker 1: shrieked the blue jays, bad news. Squeak the field mice.
• 37:06
  Speaker 1: The noise was terrific, and the eagle waved his rod angrily,
• 37:10
  Speaker 1: crying silence. We are having trouble with the moths, butterflies
• 37:16
  Speaker 1: and bats, he continued, sternly, hitting at a restless young pullet.
• 37:21
  Speaker 1: You remember that once we asked them to join our gathering.
• 37:24
  Speaker 1: But the bats behaved so badly by bumping into everything
• 37:28
  Speaker 1: that it broke up the dancing. The moths also were
• 37:32
  Speaker 1: too silly for words. They almost stopped the orchestra by
• 37:36
  Speaker 1: hitting them all the time. As for the butterflies, they
• 37:39
  Speaker 1: went to bed as usual, without even taking the trouble
• 37:42
  Speaker 1: to send regrets. Shameful, shameful, hissed everybody, And so continued
• 37:49
  Speaker 1: the eagle. We have never given them another invitation. Why
• 37:54
  Speaker 1: should we, sang a kingbird, shrilly? Why should we squeaked
• 37:59
  Speaker 1: and piped, barked and crowed, chirped and croaked the whole company.
• 38:04
  Speaker 1: But the eagle went on waving his rod for silence.
• 38:07
  Speaker 1: The bats did not like being left out, and now
• 38:11
  Speaker 1: they refused to carry my messages over their telegraph wires.
• 38:16
  Speaker 1: They have formed a union against us. And I can
• 38:19
  Speaker 1: get nothing through to the Sandpiper because it is over
• 38:24
  Speaker 1: a wire which they control. The telegram reads refused to
• 38:30
  Speaker 1: send Sandpiper message unless admitted to meeting to night. Of course,
• 38:35
  Speaker 1: no one understood a word of this message except the owl,
• 38:38
  Speaker 1: who kept a book of knowledge in his nest and
• 38:41
  Speaker 1: always brought it with him in case it should be needed.
• 38:45
  Speaker 1: He now explained that the message meant that they would
• 38:48
  Speaker 1: not be able to get ready back to Master Dick
• 38:51
  Speaker 1: unless the moths and bats were allowed to come to
• 38:54
  Speaker 1: the meeting that night. He also explained that this telegram
• 38:59
  Speaker 1: had been written by the oldest bat in the world,
• 39:03
  Speaker 1: who for several years had made his home in the
• 39:06
  Speaker 1: attic of one of the offices of the Western Union
• 39:09
  Speaker 1: Telegraph Company. That is where he learned all the big
• 39:13
  Speaker 1: words to put in telegrams, and also that no self
• 39:17
  Speaker 1: respecting telegram could have more than ten words in it.
• 39:22
  Speaker 1: The owl explained this very clearly to everyone. He even
• 39:26
  Speaker 1: pointed out the words in the telegram, and they all
• 39:29
  Speaker 1: counted them aloud. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven,
• 39:39
  Speaker 1: eight nine, ten, Your majesty, I think there is but
• 39:46
  Speaker 1: one thing to do, said the owl at last, in
• 39:49
  Speaker 1: a firm voice, and that is to grant them admittance.
• 39:53
  Speaker 1: Tonight we shall put it to a vote, said the eagle,
• 39:57
  Speaker 1: stepping up to his throne and rapping loudly for order.
• 40:00
  Speaker 1: Then he shouted all in favor of getting ready home
• 40:03
  Speaker 1: by admitting these bats, moths and butterflies. Say I, I
• 40:10
  Speaker 1: shouted everybody and everything ready felt that he ought not
• 40:14
  Speaker 1: to vote on such a delicate matter, but he could
• 40:18
  Speaker 1: not help wagging his tail. Contrary, no shrieked the eagle.
• 40:24
  Speaker 1: Silence from everybody, for they were quite used to public
• 40:27
  Speaker 1: meetings now, and the wiser birds and beasts always watched
• 40:31
  Speaker 1: the foolish ones and cuffed them if they made a sound.
• 40:36
  Speaker 1: The motion is carried, said the eagle. The owl will
• 40:40
  Speaker 1: now send the telegram to admit them. The message will
• 40:43
  Speaker 1: reach the sandpiper, and all will be right in ten minutes.
• 40:48
  Speaker 1: The owl, being a wise old bird, had the telegram
• 40:51
  Speaker 1: prepared beforehand. It said, accept terms, send message to sandpiper,
• 40:58
  Speaker 1: and come at once. If you will count, you will
• 41:02
  Speaker 1: see that this telegram has exactly ten words. Wasn't that
• 41:07
  Speaker 1: very clever of the owl. The ten minutes passed very quickly,
• 41:12
  Speaker 1: as everybody was talking in little groups about telegrams. Many
• 41:16
  Speaker 1: tried to write them. You could hear a group of
• 41:18
  Speaker 1: young crows counting the words A go go. Suddenly, without
• 41:25
  Speaker 1: a word of warning, the oldest bat in the world
• 41:28
  Speaker 1: appeared with four or five foolish moth millers. Of course,
• 41:33
  Speaker 1: no butterflies came. The bat flew immediately toward the eagle
• 41:37
  Speaker 1: and almost knocked off his glasses. Then, after running into
• 41:41
  Speaker 1: the owl, he batted about the dance hall. The millers followed,
• 41:46
  Speaker 1: trying hard to imitate him. The bat next sat for
• 41:50
  Speaker 1: a few moments on a rooster's back, and then hit
• 41:54
  Speaker 1: a swallow who was flying across the floor. Finally, without
• 41:58
  Speaker 1: a word of goodbye, he was off again, with the
• 42:01
  Speaker 1: millers flopping feebly after him. Everybody was much relieved to
• 42:06
  Speaker 1: have it all over. Indeed, most of the ladybirds and
• 42:10
  Speaker 1: beasts had been so frightened that they put their handkerchiefs
• 42:14
  Speaker 1: over their heads. The warblers started a song at once,
• 42:18
  Speaker 1: and soon everybody joined in z z Z happy, are
• 42:25
  Speaker 1: we gone? Are the bats? So remove your hats. The
• 42:30
  Speaker 1: eagle almost smiled as he announced, now the plans are
• 42:34
  Speaker 1: made for Reddy's departure. He did not even need to
• 42:38
  Speaker 1: rap for silence, for everybody was so interested. My trusty
• 42:43
  Speaker 1: messengers have just telephoned me that everything is all right,
• 42:48
  Speaker 1: the eagle continued. They have stopped for refreshments and rest
• 42:52
  Speaker 1: at the nighthawk's house, and will return shortly. You must
• 42:57
  Speaker 1: start at once with the chipmunks, he said, looking most
• 43:00
  Speaker 1: kindly at ready, who came and knelt before him. Good
• 43:04
  Speaker 1: running will bring you to the end of the woods
• 43:07
  Speaker 1: by dawn. I have telegraphed to have your breakfast waiting
• 43:11
  Speaker 1: for you under the last oak tree in the woods.
• 43:15
  Speaker 1: It is to be guarded by the red headed woodpecker,
• 43:18
  Speaker 1: who has kindly consented to give his services. Rest there
• 43:23
  Speaker 1: a half hour, but no longer. Then the swallows will
• 43:27
  Speaker 1: show you the way to the beach. They have promised
• 43:30
  Speaker 1: to fly low so that you will not lose them.
• 43:34
  Speaker 1: About noon, you will meet a field mouse. If she
• 43:38
  Speaker 1: says ready, you will follow her to a place where
• 43:41
  Speaker 1: your dinner will be hidden. There you will meet the sandpiper,
• 43:46
  Speaker 1: who will take you along the beach until you come
• 43:49
  Speaker 1: to an inlet. You must go the rest of the
• 43:52
  Speaker 1: way alone, as the heron who was to take you
• 43:55
  Speaker 1: has appendicitis. The road, however, is straight ahead, and will
• 44:00
  Speaker 1: take you to your master's home. Reddy bowed low before
• 44:05
  Speaker 1: the eagle, barking his thanks again and again. While the
• 44:09
  Speaker 1: chipmunks were putting on their overcoats for the journey, someone
• 44:14
  Speaker 1: called out speech speech, but the eagle put a stop
• 44:17
  Speaker 1: to that by saying that Reddy needed to save his
• 44:20
  Speaker 1: strength for the journey. Just then, an old frog hopped
• 44:25
  Speaker 1: up and gave Reddy the queerest thing. You could never
• 44:30
  Speaker 1: guess what it was, A hot water bag. She said
• 44:34
  Speaker 1: in a croaking voice. I've never really been warm in
• 44:38
  Speaker 1: my life, but a hot water bag has been a
• 44:41
  Speaker 1: great comfort to me and has kept me next door
• 44:44
  Speaker 1: to warm. There was nothing for Ready to do without
• 44:48
  Speaker 1: hurting this old frog's feelings, but to accept the bag
• 44:51
  Speaker 1: with thanks. Yet he wondered how he could ever carry
• 44:55
  Speaker 1: such an awkward thing. However, the trained nurse kindly fastened
• 45:01
  Speaker 1: it to his collar, and then he started off with
• 45:04
  Speaker 1: the chipmunks. They heard the animals cheering and calling good
• 45:08
  Speaker 1: luck to Ready long after they were out of sight.
• 45:13
  Speaker 1: End of chapter five, Chapter six of Little Dog Ready
• 45:24
  Speaker 1: by Mabel F. Stryker. This LibriVox recording is in the
• 45:29
  Speaker 1: public domain. With the chipmunks It was a little hard
• 45:35
  Speaker 1: to follow the chipmunks at first, as they were so
• 45:39
  Speaker 1: very much smaller and could of course run like lightning
• 45:43
  Speaker 1: along the woody road. However, they would always stop and
• 45:47
  Speaker 1: wait for Reddy very politely, and several times when they
• 45:51
  Speaker 1: found some nuts under a hickory tree, he had to
• 45:54
  Speaker 1: wait for them. Everything went on pretty well until they
• 45:58
  Speaker 1: reached a funny little cabin in the wood. Here, a
• 46:01
  Speaker 1: dark little creature jumped off the roof and whispered peanut butter.
• 46:06
  Speaker 1: Then he was off again, as quick as a wink,
• 46:09
  Speaker 1: peanut butter. Peanut Butter chattered all the chipmunks and ran
• 46:13
  Speaker 1: after the darting little figure. Up they jumped on the
• 46:17
  Speaker 1: roof and in a moment were out of sight. What
• 46:21
  Speaker 1: was poor little ready to do? This delay might upset
• 46:25
  Speaker 1: all his plans. Perhaps they would forget to come back altogether.
• 46:30
  Speaker 1: He knew that chipmunks love peanut butter because he had
• 46:34
  Speaker 1: heard a chipmunk that very evening boasting between dances of
• 46:38
  Speaker 1: stealing into a boy scout's tent and prying open the
• 46:42
  Speaker 1: lid of a peanut butter jar. Ready thought and thought,
• 46:47
  Speaker 1: and finally decided to go around to the cabin door
• 46:51
  Speaker 1: and give quite politely three little barks. They would mean,
• 46:55
  Speaker 1: of course, ready, ready, ready. At first there was there's
• 47:00
  Speaker 1: no answer to his call. Then he barked again, a
• 47:03
  Speaker 1: little louder this time he said, please, please come at this.
• 47:08
  Speaker 1: Somebody in the house jumped out of bed, and, stamping
• 47:12
  Speaker 1: to the window, called out, get away, little beast of
• 47:15
  Speaker 1: a dog. Then Reddy heard the peanut butter can fall
• 47:20
  Speaker 1: to the floor with a bang, and suddenly out ran
• 47:23
  Speaker 1: the chipmunks, their coats flying behind them. So fast did
• 47:28
  Speaker 1: they run that they did not see ready at all
• 47:31
  Speaker 1: until they were about one hundred yards away from the house.
• 47:35
  Speaker 1: As soon as they really came to themselves and saw ready,
• 47:39
  Speaker 1: they cocked their little heads on one side and pointed
• 47:42
  Speaker 1: their paws towards a little figure vanishing in the distance.
• 47:47
  Speaker 1: He made us do it, they chattered. It was only
• 47:49
  Speaker 1: a few minutes. One of them apologized, you needed a
• 47:52
  Speaker 1: little rest. Another remarked Reddy did feel a little put
• 47:57
  Speaker 1: out by the delay, but he remembered that after all,
• 48:00
  Speaker 1: they had offered to be his escorts and had only
• 48:04
  Speaker 1: lost their heads for a few minutes. Had not he too,
• 48:08
  Speaker 1: once lost his head? So he only wagged politely, when
• 48:13
  Speaker 1: he might have said, if it were not for my barking,
• 48:15
  Speaker 1: you would still be eating that peanut butter. Then they
• 48:19
  Speaker 1: all started on again. To tell the truth, the chipmunks
• 48:23
  Speaker 1: really felt ashamed of themselves and thought that Reddy was
• 48:26
  Speaker 1: behaving splendidly. You would know this by the little things
• 48:30
  Speaker 1: they tried to do for him. Chippy the oldest actually
• 48:35
  Speaker 1: kept waiting for him, and once admired the spots on
• 48:39
  Speaker 1: his coat, Snippy the youngest offered to show him a
• 48:42
  Speaker 1: place where they all had some nuts stored for winter.
• 48:46
  Speaker 1: Of course, that was a foolish offer to make to
• 48:49
  Speaker 1: a dog, but ready knew it was meant to be
• 48:52
  Speaker 1: a great attention, so he said at once, I thank
• 48:55
  Speaker 1: you very much, but I think I will not stop tonight,
• 48:59
  Speaker 1: as it is growing quite late. They were getting near
• 49:03
  Speaker 1: the end of the woods now, and all was going
• 49:06
  Speaker 1: beautifully when a sudden flash of lightning was followed quickly
• 49:10
  Speaker 1: by a clap of thunder. Then came a downpour of rain,
• 49:15
  Speaker 1: drenching everybody in about two seconds. There was nothing to
• 49:19
  Speaker 1: do but take refuge in a hollow log nearby. That
• 49:23
  Speaker 1: is to say, the chipmunks went in while Reddy curled
• 49:27
  Speaker 1: up underneath a rhododendron bush, which kindly acted as an umbrella.
• 49:32
  Speaker 1: At first, the chipmunks seemed to fuss a good deal
• 49:35
  Speaker 1: and complain about being crowded. Reddy remembered how much they
• 49:39
  Speaker 1: loved to chatter, so he barked, speech, speech, Everyone make
• 49:43
  Speaker 1: a speech. These words acted like magic. Such a jabbering
• 49:48
  Speaker 1: never before was heard from a hollow log. Chippy recited
• 49:53
  Speaker 1: a poem he had written about himself. Snippy told of
• 49:57
  Speaker 1: an adventure he had had with a gray squad. And
• 50:01
  Speaker 1: as for Clippy, he just squeaked and thrashed about, saying
• 50:04
  Speaker 1: here here, nuts nuts. It was all rather mixed up,
• 50:09
  Speaker 1: as you can guess, and it sounded something like this,
• 50:13
  Speaker 1: I am great, big Chippy. Ye, my brother's name is Snippy.
• 50:17
  Speaker 1: Here here nuts nuts, And the old gray squirrel put
• 50:20
  Speaker 1: his tail in my face. When something is the matter,
• 50:23
  Speaker 1: I'm always sure to chatter nuts, nuts here here. Then
• 50:28
  Speaker 1: I jumped on the gray squirrel's back, giving him a
• 50:31
  Speaker 1: tremendous whack. By this time, the rain had stopped and
• 50:36
  Speaker 1: a tiny streak of light was coming in the east.
• 50:39
  Speaker 1: The chipmunks suddenly ceased chattering. Ready pricked up his ears.
• 50:44
  Speaker 1: Everything in the world was very still. Far far away
• 50:48
  Speaker 1: in the distance, you could hear the birds beginning to
• 50:50
  Speaker 1: wake up. Dawn is coming, whispered Chippy, and we are
• 50:54
  Speaker 1: not yet out of the woods. Without another word, they
• 50:58
  Speaker 1: were all scampering along the road. Reddy had never gone
• 51:02
  Speaker 1: so fast in his life. On and on they went.
• 51:06
  Speaker 1: It was a race with the coming dawn. Five minutes
• 51:09
  Speaker 1: of wonderful animal running brought Ready to the edge of
• 51:13
  Speaker 1: the wood, And just as they reached the last oak tree,
• 51:17
  Speaker 1: the beautiful rose colored light had come behind the purple hills.
• 51:22
  Speaker 1: Reddy whispered a thank you to the chipmunks and an
• 51:25
  Speaker 1: invitation to visit him for a weekend. As soon as
• 51:29
  Speaker 1: he found his master's home, the chipmunks put their little
• 51:32
  Speaker 1: heads to one side and then curtsied. They were really
• 51:36
  Speaker 1: quite polite little creatures. When they remembered to be they
• 51:40
  Speaker 1: were gone before you could say Jack Robinson, and Reddy
• 51:43
  Speaker 1: was left alone waiting for his breakfast under the last
• 51:47
  Speaker 1: oak tree in the forest. End of chapter six, Chapter seven,
• 52:00
  Speaker 1: Little Dog Ready by Mabel F. Striker. This LibriVox recording
• 52:05
  Speaker 1: is in the public domain. A Journey with the Swallows.
• 52:11
  Speaker 1: Reddy had scarcely been there. A moment before a red
• 52:15
  Speaker 1: headed woodpecker came out of his hole and rather sleepily
• 52:19
  Speaker 1: rang a breakfast bell. It sounded like this, punk pink pink,
• 52:24
  Speaker 1: and it meant come to breakfast. Ready, answered at once
• 52:28
  Speaker 1: with three of his most cheerful barks, Ready, ready, Ready.
• 52:32
  Speaker 1: Then the woodpecker saluted him and flew down to a
• 52:35
  Speaker 1: little mound covered with fresh leaves. Under this was a
• 52:39
  Speaker 1: delicious dog breakfast. After a pleasant little chat, the woodpecker
• 52:44
  Speaker 1: told Reddy that he would have time for a fifteen
• 52:47
  Speaker 1: minute nap and promised to call him. You remember, the
• 52:51
  Speaker 1: eagle had told him that he might be able to
• 52:54
  Speaker 1: manage a half hour's rest at this place. So after
• 52:58
  Speaker 1: his good breakfast, Reddy was very glad to stretch himself
• 53:02
  Speaker 1: out on the ground. He was sound asleep in three seconds,
• 53:07
  Speaker 1: and oh how he did hate to get up. When
• 53:10
  Speaker 1: the woodpecker first tapped, he was very tired and his
• 53:14
  Speaker 1: feet ached dreadfully. But after the third punk pink pink,
• 53:19
  Speaker 1: Reddy remembered what it was all about and was on
• 53:22
  Speaker 1: his feet at once. The swallows should be here by
• 53:26
  Speaker 1: this time, said the woodpecker in a troubled voice, I
• 53:29
  Speaker 1: think I must telephone to find out what is the matter.
• 53:34
  Speaker 1: After he had hung up the receiver, which was hidden
• 53:37
  Speaker 1: in a curled up oak leaf, the woodpecker said, bad news. Indeed,
• 53:42
  Speaker 1: one of the mother swallows has a frightful pain and
• 53:46
  Speaker 1: cannot be left alone. Then Reddy knew why he had
• 53:50
  Speaker 1: carried the frog's hot water bag all this time. He
• 53:54
  Speaker 1: had wanted very much to drop it on the way,
• 53:57
  Speaker 1: as it had been so warm and heavy. Moreover, some
• 54:01
  Speaker 1: large bats had called out as he passed, what is it?
• 54:04
  Speaker 1: What is it? He now went at once to mother
• 54:08
  Speaker 1: Swallow's house, which was in the hollow of a tree
• 54:12
  Speaker 1: near by, and put the hot water bag on her pain.
• 54:16
  Speaker 1: You have no idea of the relief it gave her.
• 54:20
  Speaker 1: Wasn't it good that Reddy had not thrown it away?
• 54:23
  Speaker 1: Mother Swallow was then quite willing to have Father Swallow
• 54:27
  Speaker 1: and the children go on with Reddy. Even Fluffy forked Tail,
• 54:32
  Speaker 1: the youngest in the family, went along. Reddy and the
• 54:36
  Speaker 1: swallows soon made up for lost time. The swallows were
• 54:40
  Speaker 1: very polite, always waiting for Reddy and flying low to
• 54:43
  Speaker 1: show him the way. Everything seemed to be going very
• 54:47
  Speaker 1: well indeed, and Reddy's heart was full of hope. The
• 54:51
  Speaker 1: sun was getting higher and higher, and he knew that
• 54:55
  Speaker 1: it would soon be noon. The swallows had stopped for
• 54:58
  Speaker 1: a few minutes to rest on a telephone wire, and
• 55:01
  Speaker 1: Reddy was panting a little on the ground below, when
• 55:04
  Speaker 1: suddenly a splash was heard in a pond near by.
• 55:09
  Speaker 1: This was followed by a great sputtering and twittering, and
• 55:12
  Speaker 1: a call for help. Father Swallow looked quickly about and
• 55:16
  Speaker 1: saw that his youngest child was missing. Oh why did
• 55:21
  Speaker 1: I ever let him come? Moaned Father Swallow as he
• 55:24
  Speaker 1: flew to the rescue. He has only just learned to fly,
• 55:29
  Speaker 1: and I fear his wings have given out. In a moment,
• 55:33
  Speaker 1: they were all around the pond, and sure enough there
• 55:36
  Speaker 1: was Fluffy forked tail in the water. Fortunately he had
• 55:40
  Speaker 1: managed to climb up on a big lily leaf, or
• 55:43
  Speaker 1: he would have drowned before any help arrived. Ready swam
• 55:48
  Speaker 1: in at once and let poor Fluffy get on his back.
• 55:51
  Speaker 1: In a few moments, both were safe on the shore,
• 55:54
  Speaker 1: and all the other swallows twittered about them. There was
• 55:59
  Speaker 1: a family consultation at once, and then father Swallow said
• 56:02
  Speaker 1: to Reddy, my child is suffering from nervous exhaustion, and
• 56:06
  Speaker 1: I fear we must consult a physician at once. I
• 56:10
  Speaker 1: have heard that there is a good doctor among the
• 56:12
  Speaker 1: barn swallows about half a mile from here. I am
• 56:16
  Speaker 1: sending my two oldest sons over there to try to
• 56:20
  Speaker 1: find him. The other two children are making up bed
• 56:24
  Speaker 1: for poor little Fluffy, and I must stay by his
• 56:27
  Speaker 1: side and fan him until the doctor comes. This is
• 56:31
  Speaker 1: a most unfortunate delay for you, ready, but I fear
• 56:35
  Speaker 1: that it would be impossible for you to find your
• 56:37
  Speaker 1: way alone. Reddy felt very much disheartened, for this delay
• 56:42
  Speaker 1: might spoil everything. The field mouse might grow tired of waiting,
• 56:47
  Speaker 1: the sandpiper might fly home again, and then how could
• 56:51
  Speaker 1: he ever get to his dear master's home. Indeed, he
• 56:56
  Speaker 1: almost broke down, so great was his disappointment. But as
• 57:00
  Speaker 1: he looked into father Swallow's worried and anxious face, he
• 57:04
  Speaker 1: decided that he was quite selfish to be so full
• 57:07
  Speaker 1: of his own affairs. He arose, and, pulling himself together, said,
• 57:12
  Speaker 1: surely there must be something that I can do to help.
• 57:16
  Speaker 1: Indeed there was much to do, and Reddy soon found
• 57:19
  Speaker 1: his heart getting lighter as he helped the swallows carry
• 57:23
  Speaker 1: feathers and twigs to make the little bed by the pond.
• 57:27
  Speaker 1: Of course, this carrying of twigs and feathers was not
• 57:30
  Speaker 1: a dog's work, and once a little spaniel from a
• 57:34
  Speaker 1: field near by barked, baby Baby. It was hard, indeed,
• 57:39
  Speaker 1: not to run after him and give him a good whipping.
• 57:43
  Speaker 1: But this time Reddy kept his head by saying to
• 57:46
  Speaker 1: himself in a low tone, over and over again, my
• 57:51
  Speaker 1: master Dick is waiting, waiting, my dear, dear master Dick.
• 57:56
  Speaker 1: This helped wonderfully. In a few minutes, the little bed
• 57:59
  Speaker 1: was mad. It was a lovely soft one, beautifully lined
• 58:03
  Speaker 1: with feathers, brought from a chicken yard near by. Fluffy
• 58:07
  Speaker 1: forked tail felt better immediately, and when two of the
• 58:10
  Speaker 1: swallows who had been watching on the telephone wire twittered
• 58:14
  Speaker 1: excitedly they are coming, he roused himself and chirped. Good.
• 58:18
  Speaker 1: Good Doctor Barnswallow, who looked very handsome in his beautiful
• 58:23
  Speaker 1: buff vest, turned out to be a very good physician.
• 58:27
  Speaker 1: He took Fluffy's pulse and gave him a tablet at once.
• 58:31
  Speaker 1: Then he said he will be better in a few hours,
• 58:34
  Speaker 1: but must have a good sleep now. After that he
• 58:38
  Speaker 1: must go home and remain in bed the rest of
• 58:41
  Speaker 1: the day. Reddy's heart sank at these words, but he
• 58:45
  Speaker 1: again pulled himself together. Father Swallow told the doctor about Reddy,
• 58:50
  Speaker 1: and the doctor listened with great interest, saying every now
• 58:53
  Speaker 1: and then, certainly, and of course, when father Swallow had finished,
• 58:59
  Speaker 1: the doctor grew away the cigar he had been smoking,
• 59:02
  Speaker 1: and was silent for a moment. Then he said, I
• 59:06
  Speaker 1: think it will be quite safe for you to go
• 59:08
  Speaker 1: on with Ready and leave the children here to take
• 59:10
  Speaker 1: care of the patient. He must sleep anyway and only
• 59:14
  Speaker 1: needs someone about to see that he is not disturbed.
• 59:18
  Speaker 1: You will be back in time to take him home.
• 59:21
  Speaker 1: Oh how Ready loved doctor Barnswallow for those words. Even
• 59:25
  Speaker 1: to this day he never passes a barn Swallow without
• 59:29
  Speaker 1: saluting most politely and asking if he can be of
• 59:33
  Speaker 1: any service. And so it was all settled. Soon the
• 59:37
  Speaker 1: good byes and thank yous were said, that doctor's fee
• 59:41
  Speaker 1: was paid, and Ready and father Swallow were speeding along
• 59:45
  Speaker 1: the meadow road. Reddy was afraid that it was too
• 59:48
  Speaker 1: late for the field mouse to appear. He felt that
• 59:52
  Speaker 1: it must be long past noon, so he was greatly
• 59:56
  Speaker 1: excited when he saw one scudding along the road, and
• 59:59
  Speaker 1: was about to run after it and say, I am ready.
• 1:00:02
  Speaker 1: Are you waiting for me? But Father Swallow laid a
• 1:00:06
  Speaker 1: detaining wing on his shoulder, saying, the eagle's directions are
• 1:00:10
  Speaker 1: to wait until the field mouse says ready. There are
• 1:00:14
  Speaker 1: some bad little fellows about here that might lead you
• 1:00:17
  Speaker 1: astray and then pick your pockets. So Reddy had to
• 1:00:22
  Speaker 1: content himself with going quietly along, but his eyes were
• 1:00:26
  Speaker 1: eagerly watching both sides of the road. Several field mice
• 1:00:30
  Speaker 1: passed him and stared quite rudely, but none of them
• 1:00:34
  Speaker 1: said a word to him. Just as they came to
• 1:00:37
  Speaker 1: a turn in the road, ready stopped short, for there,
• 1:00:41
  Speaker 1: lying under a toadstool was a field mouse fast asleep.
• 1:00:46
  Speaker 1: Reddy gave a tiny bark. At least he thought there
• 1:00:50
  Speaker 1: would be no harm in that. The field mouse awakened,
• 1:00:53
  Speaker 1: immediately blinked, and then squeaked. Ready, Oh, how happy our
• 1:00:59
  Speaker 1: little felt. His heart grew so light that he did
• 1:01:03
  Speaker 1: not feel it at all. Father Swallow patted him on
• 1:01:07
  Speaker 1: the back and said good bye at once, promising to
• 1:01:10
  Speaker 1: send him a postal as soon as his son was better.
• 1:01:15
  Speaker 1: The field mouse apologized for having fallen asleep and guided
• 1:01:19
  Speaker 1: ready to a dinner of nice meaty bones in an
• 1:01:22
  Speaker 1: old pan near a barn. You were so late coming,
• 1:01:27
  Speaker 1: she said, and the sun was so warm that I
• 1:01:30
  Speaker 1: somehow lost myself for a few moments. It is just
• 1:01:33
  Speaker 1: as well you are late, as the sandpiper telephoned that
• 1:01:36
  Speaker 1: his wife had a seamstress this morning, and so he
• 1:01:40
  Speaker 1: could not get here on time. You must wait here
• 1:01:44
  Speaker 1: until you hear him calling you from the beach. With
• 1:01:47
  Speaker 1: these words, the field mouse said good bye, and scud
• 1:01:51
  Speaker 1: it off through the long grass. End of chapter seven
• 1:02:03
  Speaker 1: chapter eight of Little Dog Ready by Mabel F. Striker.
• 1:02:09
  Speaker 1: This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. A dreadful visitor, Reddy,
• 1:02:17
  Speaker 1: finished his dinner, slowly stretched himself out in the grass
• 1:02:21
  Speaker 1: and waited for the sandpiper to appear. He was quite
• 1:02:25
  Speaker 1: near the beach now, and knew, of course, that the
• 1:02:28
  Speaker 1: sandpiper would take him along the water's edge. How he
• 1:02:32
  Speaker 1: hoped he would not have a long wait. Life lately
• 1:02:36
  Speaker 1: had been so full of waiting, waiting, nothing but waiting.
• 1:02:42
  Speaker 1: He began to feel very sleepy, And then suddenly he
• 1:02:45
  Speaker 1: heard something laugh. It was not a pleasant laugh. It
• 1:02:49
  Speaker 1: was low and harsh and disagreeable. Ready started up and
• 1:02:54
  Speaker 1: found the queerest creature gazing down at him. It looked
• 1:02:59
  Speaker 1: something like a bird, something like a bat, and not
• 1:03:03
  Speaker 1: unlike a rooster. It had dreadful colors on it, reds
• 1:03:07
  Speaker 1: and greens and queer purples that somehow reminded you of
• 1:03:12
  Speaker 1: all the unpleasant things you had ever seen. When the
• 1:03:16
  Speaker 1: creature laughed, it reminded you of all the unpleasant things
• 1:03:19
  Speaker 1: you had ever heard. The sandpiper won't come, it said hoarsely.
• 1:03:25
  Speaker 1: The bats never sent him the message. I'm a relative,
• 1:03:29
  Speaker 1: and I guess I know. But he promised, said Reddy. Nonsense,
• 1:03:34
  Speaker 1: snarled the creature. What's a bat's promise worth? The sandpiper
• 1:03:39
  Speaker 1: will never come, And as for you, you will go on
• 1:03:43
  Speaker 1: and on and never get anywhere. Oh oh oh, said Ready,
• 1:03:49
  Speaker 1: And then something went crack, whack phack. He jumped up
• 1:03:54
  Speaker 1: and looked about. Not a thing was there. His bones ached,
• 1:03:59
  Speaker 1: his tail felt bent and queer, and his eyes were heavy.
• 1:04:04
  Speaker 1: Why I do believe I have been asleep, he said.
• 1:04:07
  Speaker 1: It's all a dream, a kind of nightmare. Although the
• 1:04:12
  Speaker 1: sun is shining so brightly, I suppose it should be
• 1:04:15
  Speaker 1: called a day mayor. He arose, blinked, stretched his legs,
• 1:04:21
  Speaker 1: and shook himself to keep his heart from getting too heavy.
• 1:04:25
  Speaker 1: The Sandpiper will come, The Sandpiper will come, he said.
• 1:04:30
  Speaker 1: Then he looked down the beach and away off in
• 1:04:33
  Speaker 1: the distance, he saw a little, dark moving object. Then
• 1:04:37
  Speaker 1: he heard a low, sweet call, peet tweet, pete tweet,
• 1:04:43
  Speaker 1: that said, Reddy, with a joyful bark, is the sandpiper.
• 1:04:47
  Speaker 1: And it was end of chapter eight, chapter nine of
• 1:04:59
  Speaker 1: Little Dog Ready by Mabel F. Striker. This LibriVox recording
• 1:05:04
  Speaker 1: is in the public domain The Journey with the Sandpiper.
• 1:05:11
  Speaker 1: The sand Piper arrived in about one more minute. He
• 1:05:14
  Speaker 1: made many apologies for being late. You see, my wife
• 1:05:19
  Speaker 1: has a seamstress to day, he said. They have been
• 1:05:22
  Speaker 1: very busy making over the children's summer suits, and I
• 1:05:26
  Speaker 1: have had to do all the housework. The children play
• 1:05:30
  Speaker 1: so much in the little pool that they wear out
• 1:05:32
  Speaker 1: their clothes very quickly. Mister Sandpiper was a very pleasant
• 1:05:38
  Speaker 1: traveling companion, although it must be said that he had
• 1:05:41
  Speaker 1: some queer habits. He would run along the beach very rapidly,
• 1:05:46
  Speaker 1: and then stop for a few minutes and teeter while
• 1:05:49
  Speaker 1: talking to Reddy. His voice was very sweet and low.
• 1:05:53
  Speaker 1: Ready greatly admired his neat and slender body, his very
• 1:05:58
  Speaker 1: neat and slender legs, and his particularly neat and long
• 1:06:02
  Speaker 1: slender bill. By this time, Reddy, having had so much
• 1:06:07
  Speaker 1: experience with so many different birds and beasts, knew very
• 1:06:11
  Speaker 1: well how to entertain them. He asked mister Sandpiper quite
• 1:06:15
  Speaker 1: naturally if he had a comfortable home this year. Very comfortable, indeed,
• 1:06:20
  Speaker 1: thank you, was the reply. It has the best lining
• 1:06:24
  Speaker 1: we have ever had. And then mister Sandpiper was off
• 1:06:28
  Speaker 1: for a drink in a pool near by. He flew
• 1:06:31
  Speaker 1: above ready in a rather jerky fashion, and at last
• 1:06:35
  Speaker 1: alighted on a little rock and commenced teetering again. Our
• 1:06:40
  Speaker 1: nest is a little farther from the water than usual,
• 1:06:43
  Speaker 1: he continued, and then was off again for another drink. Indeed,
• 1:06:47
  Speaker 1: it was quite difficult to follow him, either in movements
• 1:06:51
  Speaker 1: or conversation. Things were going along pretty well, however, when
• 1:06:56
  Speaker 1: mister Sandpiper stopped short, right in the middle of a
• 1:06:59
  Speaker 1: sentence and a teeter. What's that? He said? Anxiously, Reddy
• 1:07:04
  Speaker 1: listened but heard nothing. There's trouble at home. That's my
• 1:07:08
  Speaker 1: wife's danger call, mister Sandpiper exclaimed, and then ready did
• 1:07:13
  Speaker 1: hear a low, frightened, far away little peep Away flew
• 1:07:18
  Speaker 1: mister Sandpiper in his queer jerky fashion, while Reddy followed
• 1:07:22
  Speaker 1: him as rapidly as he could. And then quite suddenly
• 1:07:25
  Speaker 1: there appeared the strangest sight that Reddy had ever seen.
• 1:07:30
  Speaker 1: Two boys were walking along the beach, and in front
• 1:07:33
  Speaker 1: of them on the sand lay missus Sandpiper, flopping about
• 1:07:38
  Speaker 1: on one wing in a very pitiful way. She would
• 1:07:42
  Speaker 1: wait until the boys had almost caught her before she
• 1:07:45
  Speaker 1: would raise herself and fly a little further away from them.
• 1:07:49
  Speaker 1: Then she would flop again. She is not really hurt,
• 1:07:53
  Speaker 1: you know, whispered mister Sandpiper, But those dreadful boys want
• 1:07:56
  Speaker 1: to rob us of our home, and she is trying
• 1:07:59
  Speaker 1: to leave them away from it. I must fly over
• 1:08:02
  Speaker 1: and look after the children, who have probably been told
• 1:08:05
  Speaker 1: to hide under some leaves. He was off without another
• 1:08:09
  Speaker 1: word and disappeared behind a tall rock. At first, the
• 1:08:14
  Speaker 1: boys thought it was great fun to try to catch
• 1:08:17
  Speaker 1: the sandpiper, but after failing to do it several times,
• 1:08:21
  Speaker 1: they began to grow tired. Oh, let's go away, said one.
• 1:08:25
  Speaker 1: I believe she is just trying to fool us. I
• 1:08:28
  Speaker 1: have heard that they do that sometimes. I am sure
• 1:08:31
  Speaker 1: the nest is near by, said the other boy. I
• 1:08:34
  Speaker 1: heard something over there. So the boys turned away from
• 1:08:38
  Speaker 1: Missus Sandpiper and went over toward the little rock. Ready
• 1:08:42
  Speaker 1: knew that something must be done or they would surely
• 1:08:46
  Speaker 1: find the nest. Missus Sandpiper gave a frightened little peep
• 1:08:50
  Speaker 1: which said, oh, please, please, somebody do something to save
• 1:08:54
  Speaker 1: my home and children. It took Already's courage, but it
• 1:08:59
  Speaker 1: must be done. It was against his bringing up, against
• 1:09:03
  Speaker 1: his highest principles, against good taste in dog circles, but
• 1:09:07
  Speaker 1: it must be done. He ran, barking at the two boys.
• 1:09:12
  Speaker 1: He did not wait for them to protect themselves with
• 1:09:15
  Speaker 1: sticks and stones, but growling and showing his teeth, he
• 1:09:19
  Speaker 1: made a spring towards them. The boys ran off, with
• 1:09:23
  Speaker 1: Ready close upon them. He must finish up the work
• 1:09:26
  Speaker 1: now and get them really out of the way. On
• 1:09:31
  Speaker 1: and on ran the boys, on and on went Ready,
• 1:09:35
  Speaker 1: growling and barking savagely all the time. You would have
• 1:09:40
  Speaker 1: thought he was the most snappy, vicious little dog in
• 1:09:44
  Speaker 1: the world. If you had heard and seen him then,
• 1:09:47
  Speaker 1: But all the time he was running, his heart was
• 1:09:50
  Speaker 1: growing heavier and heavier. Something seemed to be saying to him,
• 1:09:55
  Speaker 1: you will lose the way. Go back, go back, and
• 1:09:59
  Speaker 1: something else seemed to be answering, but every dog must
• 1:10:02
  Speaker 1: do his duty. At last, they came to a rather
• 1:10:07
  Speaker 1: rocky part of the beach. There was one very high,
• 1:10:10
  Speaker 1: queerly shaped rock, and the boys quickly climbed over it
• 1:10:14
  Speaker 1: and tried to hide behind it. Here's a good place
• 1:10:17
  Speaker 1: to turn around. Ready decided, I'll pretend to have lost
• 1:10:21
  Speaker 1: them and run back now. But just as he turned
• 1:10:24
  Speaker 1: and started on the backward stretch, he felt a sharp,
• 1:10:28
  Speaker 1: stinging pain in one of his legs. A horrid little
• 1:10:31
  Speaker 1: sharp stone had hit him, and then came another, almost
• 1:10:35
  Speaker 1: touching him. The boys were now taking their revenge. In
• 1:10:40
  Speaker 1: spite of the sharp pain, Ready knew that he must
• 1:10:43
  Speaker 1: not linger here or let them see that he had
• 1:10:46
  Speaker 1: been hurt. So he ran bravely along, holding his head proudly,
• 1:10:50
  Speaker 1: never once letting those mean, cowardly boys know that anything
• 1:10:55
  Speaker 1: was the matter. The pain began to grow very bad,
• 1:10:59
  Speaker 1: and Ready he felt that he must stop somewhere soon,
• 1:11:02
  Speaker 1: But there was no sheltered spot in sight. The sunny
• 1:11:06
  Speaker 1: beach stretched out before him for miles and miles. At
• 1:11:10
  Speaker 1: last he saw another sandpiper taking a drink in a
• 1:11:14
  Speaker 1: tiny pool in one of the rocks. Reddy limped up
• 1:11:17
  Speaker 1: to him and asked him if he knew any shady
• 1:11:20
  Speaker 1: spot where he could rest for a few minutes. You see,
• 1:11:23
  Speaker 1: he knew sandpiper language very well by this time. The sandpiper,
• 1:11:28
  Speaker 1: after jerking himself about, remembered a nice little place behind
• 1:11:33
  Speaker 1: a rock about a quarter of a mile away. He
• 1:11:36
  Speaker 1: guided poor limping ready to it, and then Reddy told
• 1:11:40
  Speaker 1: him all about his difficulties. The sandpiper was very much interested.
• 1:11:46
  Speaker 1: I think I know your guide quite well, he said,
• 1:11:49
  Speaker 1: and I will fly back and tell him where you are.
• 1:11:53
  Speaker 1: He is a neighbor of mine. Hasn't he a particularly
• 1:11:56
  Speaker 1: large black spot right in the middle of his white
• 1:11:59
  Speaker 1: shit shirt front? Wasn't it splendid that Reddy remembered this
• 1:12:03
  Speaker 1: very spot He had noticed it during mister Sandpiper's first teeter.
• 1:12:08
  Speaker 1: As you see, Reddy was really a very observant little dog.
• 1:12:14
  Speaker 1: After the sandpiper had gone and Reddy was left all
• 1:12:17
  Speaker 1: alone with the pain, it felt very bad. Indeed, life
• 1:12:22
  Speaker 1: seemed pretty hard. There was always something unpleasant happening to him.
• 1:12:27
  Speaker 1: He wondered if he would ever really reach his journey's end,
• 1:12:32
  Speaker 1: perhaps his leg would grow worse and worse. He had
• 1:12:36
  Speaker 1: heard of legs that did do that. Perhaps, But just then,
• 1:12:40
  Speaker 1: from right around the corner, a big, shaggy brown dog appeared.
• 1:12:46
  Speaker 1: Reddy was a great judge of dogs, indeed, he had
• 1:12:49
  Speaker 1: been brought up with them, and one look in this
• 1:12:52
  Speaker 1: dog's face told him he had found a friend. He
• 1:12:56
  Speaker 1: was such a kind eyed dog with understanding ears and tail.
• 1:13:01
  Speaker 1: Ready knew at once that this dog was years older
• 1:13:03
  Speaker 1: than he, and that he would know all about lame legs.
• 1:13:08
  Speaker 1: You are suffering, gently, barked shaggy dog. At this ready
• 1:13:13
  Speaker 1: gave up and moaned out his story. Shaggy Dog's eyes
• 1:13:17
  Speaker 1: grew kinder and kinder in a moment. He had looked
• 1:13:21
  Speaker 1: at the poor leg and had made it much more
• 1:13:24
  Speaker 1: comfortable by a little licking. Then he had ready bathed
• 1:13:28
  Speaker 1: in a pool near by and gave him the best
• 1:13:31
  Speaker 1: medicine in the world. Do you know what it was?
• 1:13:35
  Speaker 1: He gave him back his courage. Your leg will feel
• 1:13:40
  Speaker 1: much better in a half hour, he said, and you
• 1:13:44
  Speaker 1: will be able to go along easily. Your sandpiper friend
• 1:13:48
  Speaker 1: will soon be here, and I will stay with you
• 1:13:51
  Speaker 1: until he does come. You have made a wonderful journey,
• 1:13:55
  Speaker 1: and from what you tell me, I know you must
• 1:13:59
  Speaker 1: be nearly there. Be thankful that the very last part
• 1:14:02
  Speaker 1: of your journey you can take alone, for then you
• 1:14:06
  Speaker 1: need have no interruptions. Reddy was much comforted, and his
• 1:14:11
  Speaker 1: leg began to feel a great deal better. Shaggy Dog
• 1:14:15
  Speaker 1: told Reddy that he would gladly go with him to
• 1:14:18
  Speaker 1: the end of his journey. But his business as the
• 1:14:21
  Speaker 1: oldest dog in the neighborhood was to carry dog messages
• 1:14:24
  Speaker 1: and to look after things generally, all along the beach.
• 1:14:29
  Speaker 1: This afternoon he was taking a special delivery to a
• 1:14:32
  Speaker 1: young collie some distance away. It was a message from
• 1:14:36
  Speaker 1: his grandfather to say that he was coming that night
• 1:14:39
  Speaker 1: to spend the weekend. The young collie must know about
• 1:14:43
  Speaker 1: it this afternoon in order to get some special food
• 1:14:46
  Speaker 1: ready for his grandfather, whose teeth and digestion were very poor.
• 1:14:52
  Speaker 1: Then Shaggy Dog, seeing that Reddy was still a little nervous,
• 1:14:56
  Speaker 1: recited some dog poetry he had made. It went something
• 1:15:00
  Speaker 1: like this, If you have a lame leg, you won't
• 1:15:05
  Speaker 1: have to beg forget the old stone and think of
• 1:15:09
  Speaker 1: a bone instead of a moan. Say soon I'll be home.
• 1:15:15
  Speaker 1: Do you know what happened? Reddy was asleep in a
• 1:15:18
  Speaker 1: few minutes. When he awakened, Shaggy Dog was smiling down
• 1:15:23
  Speaker 1: at him, and mister and Missus Sandpiper with three of
• 1:15:26
  Speaker 1: the children, were twittering above his head. As soon as
• 1:15:30
  Speaker 1: they saw that Reddy was awake, they flew toward him.
• 1:15:34
  Speaker 1: Then Mother Sandpiper, in a pretty little song, thanked him
• 1:15:37
  Speaker 1: for saving all the family from destruction. Father Sandpiper joined
• 1:15:42
  Speaker 1: in the last two lines and add a signal from
• 1:15:45
  Speaker 1: their mother. The little Sandpipers joined in the chorus. It
• 1:15:49
  Speaker 1: sounded to Reddy something like this, peet tweet, pete tweet,
• 1:15:54
  Speaker 1: you deserve much meat. Pete tweet, pete tweet. Soon you'll
• 1:15:59
  Speaker 1: be on your feet. After all the hands shaking and
• 1:16:03
  Speaker 1: good byes were over, ready found out that his leg
• 1:16:07
  Speaker 1: was about well, and mister Sandpiper and he started off again.
• 1:16:12
  Speaker 1: He hated to leave old Shaggy Dog, but had to
• 1:16:15
  Speaker 1: be satisfied with the promise of a visit from him
• 1:16:18
  Speaker 1: on the very first day of his vacation. As they
• 1:16:22
  Speaker 1: went along. Mister Sandpiper explained that he would have followed
• 1:16:26
  Speaker 1: Ready immediately if he had not found missus Sandpiper in hysterics,
• 1:16:31
  Speaker 1: and it had taken some time to quiet her. He
• 1:16:34
  Speaker 1: said he was quite proud of the children who had
• 1:16:37
  Speaker 1: stood motionless under some tall weeds during the terrible danger.
• 1:16:42
  Speaker 1: At last, Reddy and mister Sandpiper came to a place
• 1:16:46
  Speaker 1: where a long straight road lay before them. This was
• 1:16:49
  Speaker 1: the place where the Sandpiper had to leave him. He
• 1:16:53
  Speaker 1: carefully explained how easy it was to follow the road.
• 1:16:57
  Speaker 1: He said, you remember that the heron was to go
• 1:17:01
  Speaker 1: with you and show you a short cut through the marshes.
• 1:17:04
  Speaker 1: Perhaps it is just as well for you that he
• 1:17:07
  Speaker 1: had appendicitis, as he always stops a long time to
• 1:17:11
  Speaker 1: get his evening meal. Then if he is startled, he
• 1:17:15
  Speaker 1: flies at once to a tree. Moreover, he is rather
• 1:17:18
  Speaker 1: apt to pick a quarrel. It is thought by some
• 1:17:22
  Speaker 1: of the best authorities in Birdland that his appendicitis came
• 1:17:26
  Speaker 1: from eating too heartily one night and quarreling violently afterwards.
• 1:17:32
  Speaker 1: It was after twilight when the Sandpiper finally said goodbye
• 1:17:36
  Speaker 1: and left Ready alone on the long dark road. End
• 1:17:41
  Speaker 1: of chapter nine, Chapter ten of Little Dog Ready by
• 1:17:52
  Speaker 1: Mabel F. Striker. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain.
• 1:17:59
  Speaker 1: The end of the Lonely Road there had been no
• 1:18:04
  Speaker 1: arrangement made for Reddy's supper, as the eagle had expected
• 1:18:07
  Speaker 1: him to be home by dark. At first, Reddy was
• 1:18:11
  Speaker 1: so relieved to be alone and have no one to
• 1:18:13
  Speaker 1: delay him, that he gave no thought at all to supper.
• 1:18:18
  Speaker 1: It was wonderful to be free, to have no animal
• 1:18:21
  Speaker 1: or bird to entertain, to be able to go on
• 1:18:24
  Speaker 1: and on rapidly along a straight road. But after a time,
• 1:18:28
  Speaker 1: this going on and on grew a little difficult. Thoughts
• 1:18:32
  Speaker 1: of supper would keep coming. Little side roads kept beckoning
• 1:18:36
  Speaker 1: to him and whispering this way for food. Then he
• 1:18:40
  Speaker 1: commenced to feel the pain in his leg, but did
• 1:18:43
  Speaker 1: not dare to stop and rest, for fear he would
• 1:18:46
  Speaker 1: be too lame to get up again. So on through
• 1:18:50
  Speaker 1: the darkness Little Ready ran, keeping his eyes straight before him,
• 1:18:54
  Speaker 1: never stopping a moment, So great was his fear of
• 1:18:58
  Speaker 1: losing his head or falling sleep. I must try to
• 1:19:02
  Speaker 1: keep the courage that dear old shaggy dog has given me,
• 1:19:05
  Speaker 1: he said to himself. Then there came to him these lines.
• 1:19:10
  Speaker 1: Instead of a moan, say soon, I'll be home. Much
• 1:19:14
  Speaker 1: to his surprise, he found himself adding I shall keep
• 1:19:19
  Speaker 1: on the run till the journey is done. I shall
• 1:19:22
  Speaker 1: not once stop until I just drop on Master Dick's
• 1:19:26
  Speaker 1: bed in the small cottage. Red Reddy felt wonderfully proud
• 1:19:32
  Speaker 1: of himself to have made up this verse, and decided
• 1:19:35
  Speaker 1: to have it published some day in the Dog Biscuit Weekly,
• 1:19:39
  Speaker 1: which was considered the very best dog magazine. Suddenly there
• 1:19:45
  Speaker 1: was a rustle in the bushes, and an enormous black
• 1:19:48
  Speaker 1: dog appeared. He was not a pleasant dog to look
• 1:19:52
  Speaker 1: at or talk to. Any dog of good standing could
• 1:19:55
  Speaker 1: feel that. At once he went up to Reddy and said,
• 1:19:59
  Speaker 1: come with me, and your fortune is made. Reddy did
• 1:20:03
  Speaker 1: not even slow up, as he answered coldly, I have
• 1:20:06
  Speaker 1: no time to make my fortune. I must get to
• 1:20:09
  Speaker 1: my Master Dick. Tonight. The black dog came nearer. Don't
• 1:20:13
  Speaker 1: let such a chance go by, he whispered. It means
• 1:20:16
  Speaker 1: bones for months and liver as long as you live.
• 1:20:20
  Speaker 1: Oh why did he mention liver? Thought Reddy. He was
• 1:20:23
  Speaker 1: so hungry, and it was his favorite food. But something
• 1:20:28
  Speaker 1: sang to ready I shall keep on the run till
• 1:20:31
  Speaker 1: my journey is done. So he turned sharply toward the
• 1:20:35
  Speaker 1: black dog, saying, as he ran go away at once?
• 1:20:38
  Speaker 1: Do you suppose I would let you keep me from
• 1:20:41
  Speaker 1: seeing my master tonight? Suppose I make you come, said
• 1:20:45
  Speaker 1: black dog in an ugly voice. Reddy looked at the
• 1:20:49
  Speaker 1: black dog. He looked at him from head to foot,
• 1:20:52
  Speaker 1: and then with a growl, he made a step towards him.
• 1:20:57
  Speaker 1: Do you know what happened? The black dog turned and
• 1:21:00
  Speaker 1: ran away as fast as he could. You see that,
• 1:21:04
  Speaker 1: in spite of his large size and big voice, he
• 1:21:07
  Speaker 1: was a coward. Many large sized, big voiced things are.
• 1:21:12
  Speaker 1: It was growing late now, even the stars were getting sleepy.
• 1:21:16
  Speaker 1: And ready was the weariest little dog in all the world.
• 1:21:21
  Speaker 1: He had come now to a village, and he began
• 1:21:23
  Speaker 1: to look anxiously for the red cottage with the pine
• 1:21:27
  Speaker 1: tree in front of it. On and on he went
• 1:21:30
  Speaker 1: past brown houses, white houses, greenhouses, past everything. Oh where
• 1:21:37
  Speaker 1: was it? Now? There were no houses left. Reddy felt
• 1:21:41
  Speaker 1: the tears coming to his eyes. He had been looking
• 1:21:44
  Speaker 1: so long and so eagerly. His legs ached terribly. How
• 1:21:49
  Speaker 1: could he keep on? Then something sang to him instead
• 1:21:53
  Speaker 1: of a moan bark. Soon I'll be home. There was
• 1:21:57
  Speaker 1: a sudden turn in the road, and right before him
• 1:22:01
  Speaker 1: it stood the red house and the big pine tree.
• 1:22:06
  Speaker 1: And yes, oh, yes, there was a light in the window.
• 1:22:10
  Speaker 1: He had reached his journey's end. They were home. Ready.
• 1:22:14
  Speaker 1: Suddenly felt very strong and happy and not at all tired.
• 1:22:19
  Speaker 1: He came softly up to the lighted window. There sat
• 1:22:23
  Speaker 1: Master Dick's father and mother. The father was saying, how's
• 1:22:27
  Speaker 1: the little fellow tonight? The mother answered, He's trying very
• 1:22:32
  Speaker 1: hard to be brave, but he can't forget little ready.
• 1:22:35
  Speaker 1: Do you know he insists upon having the window nearest
• 1:22:39
  Speaker 1: the bed always open. Poor little fellow. I fear that
• 1:22:43
  Speaker 1: he cries himself to sleep after I leave the room.
• 1:22:47
  Speaker 1: Reddy didn't wait to hear another word, but ran at
• 1:22:50
  Speaker 1: once to that open window. In the dark room lay
• 1:22:54
  Speaker 1: a little boy with wet eyes. I'm not being a soldier,
• 1:22:58
  Speaker 1: he was whispering to him. But I can't help it.
• 1:23:02
  Speaker 1: Oh ready, ready, if I could just have you for
• 1:23:05
  Speaker 1: a minute. Then there were three little barks, and a
• 1:23:09
  Speaker 1: waggy tail was on Master Dick's nose. There was a
• 1:23:14
  Speaker 1: cry of joy from a little boy, and a bark
• 1:23:17
  Speaker 1: of delight from a little dog. Then a happy child's
• 1:23:20
  Speaker 1: voice was heard all over the house, calling mother, father,
• 1:23:25
  Speaker 1: everybody ready's come back. End of chapter ten, end of
• 1:23:35
  Speaker 1: Little Dog Ready by Mabel F. Striker