The National tribune., 1888-07-19
A LUCKY DOG.
Forced to Eat More than he Wanted Under Mis-
apprehension.
NJ, IL


A lady in Harlem was puzzled recently over
peculiar indispositiOn of her pet dog, a pug OF
noble lineage and great rotundity. He appar-
emily lost his appetite, refusing 20 eat with the
family in the dining-roOm as he had been in
the habit of doing. He refused TO eat the dain-
tiest dishes his mistress could cOncoet, yet his
girth seemed to be increasing as il he got as
much nutriment from plain atmosphere as the
chameleon.
The lady decided that Buff THAT was the
Pug's name) should be made to eat To effect
this result she called into use a funny little
mechanical frog she had bought IN Paris The
household humorist had Christened this frog
Daniel Webster, after Mark Twain's famous
jumping frog Of Calaveras. Daniel, when
wound up, could make six surprising and life
like leaps Buff had often seen the acrobatic
Daniel entertaining visitors, and the obseryant
humOrist had remarked that Bug was Jealous
of the green Partisan. He made q Falstatiian
spring at Daniel one day just as the frog started
on his second jump. Butt evidently supposed
that Daniel was made Of a velYety, yielding
substance like mouse, and he opened his
mouth to receive the jumper. Daniel came
down with dull, sickening thud on Buff s
head, and Buff hOwled and ran under the table,
where he sat for 10 minutes musing on the de-
ceitfulness of appearances in this world
But Bluffs courage was not broken by this
incident 1t served merely to make him eau
.tiOus. He attacked Daniel from the rear few
days later and tumbled him ANONYMOUSLY on
his back. His jumping apparatus went of
with series of clicks, amid the delighted
barks Of the pug. Thereafter Buff was re-
strained whenever Daniel was put on exhibit
ton. Buff never got over thinking that Daniel
was dangerous little animal to tackle in
front.
One day when Buff showed an unusual dis
inclination to eat, his mistress took Daniel
down from its place on the mantle and wound
it up. Then she set Bluffs food in corner of
the room and placed Daniel diagonally opposite
in another corner.
Now. Buff" she said, shaking her fore
finger at him, if you don't go and eat your
food I'll make Daniel Webster go and eat it for
you" She let Daniel go, and he leaped in the
direction of the plate containing the food. Buff
praBCed across the room ahead of Daniel and
planted his nose in the plate, growing omi-
nously as Daniel jumped toward him. The
last click brought Daniel within foot of the
plate, and started Buff eating as if ne had been
half starved His mistress took Daniel away,
enjoining Buff that if he didn't eat every bit OF
his food she would let Daniel have it sure She
repeated this experiment three times on sue
ceeding days. 1t had very pereeptibe effect
on Buff He became blear-eyed, sleepy and
mOrOse and acted generally as if ne had bad
case of ennui.
His mistress called on veterinary surgeon
and asked him for sdiagnosis of Buff g malady.
He picked up the dog, examined his mouth, and
remarked that he thought Buff was oyerfed.
Buff S mistress said that could hardly be, as he
had eaten very little, except what he had been
forced to eat for several weeks. The veter-
mary suggested that Buff might have obtained
food unknown to his mistress. This prompted the
lady TO interview the cook. She reported back
that that domestic, whose relations with Buff
were confidential had been surreptitiOusly feed
ing him for a month, and did not think it
necessary to mention it. Buff has not been
permitted to enter the kitchen since. When
ever he shows failing appetite his mistress
gets Daniel Webster down, and Buff begins
eating right away.