The Wichita daily eagle., 1894-01-13
FRiSKY 6ALDER.
Story Of . Pet Who Was Much Given to
Practical Jokes.

Story Of a Pet who Was Much Given to
Practical Jokes
A certain big dog. whose acGuaint-
ance made two or three years ago had
a very lively sense of humor. and not
only liked to play joke himself, but
could appreciate joke turned on him
His mistress was of slight figure
weighing less than one hundred
pounds In one of his clumsy rushes of
delight in being allowed TO go to walk
with her he bounced against her and
fairly knocked her down. lie seemed
to consider it a very charming joke,
and had no doubt that she enjoyed it
as well as he did. for from that day he
was always trying to repeat the per-
formance.
If she started for walk and wanted
his escort through the woods he was
more than ready to go He came
bouncing and froliclSing about her as
though he were puppy, always plain
" aiming to dash against her. She had
to dodge him. and finally she did not
dare to leave the steps till he had
calmed himself little All the while
he would stand wagging his tail and
looking at her with mischievous ex-
preston in his eyes, knowing just as
well as she did that she was afraid of
him.
When he saw that she would not go
while he behaved so he quieted down
and trotted gravely along beside OF her
with all the dignity his position of pro-
tector called for. But the very next
time she made ready for walk the
same performance was repeated, and
more than a year later the dog remem-
bered the joke and tried to play it upon
her again. On others of the family of
whom he was equally fond. but who
happened to be of larger size he never
tried this particular prank. He would
bound and frisk about to be sure, but
he did not throw himself against them
as he did against his little mistress.
Sometimes, however, the tables were
turned upon him in a droll way. He
was very fond of hunting, and greatly
excited over every woodchuck hole he
found, always believing that some day
he would succeed in digging one out,
though he never accomplished that
feat. In his daily walks through the
woods with his mistress there were
certain well-known retreats of the
willy foe that he never passed without
a call. One of these was at the further
side of pasture that bordered the
woods, where grazed a herd of cows
Whenever the, walk led that way
Balder slipped under the fence, crossed
the field, and made his visit To the
woodchuck, shifting eagerly at the
hole, and throwing out peck or so of
earth every time.
There were forty or fifty cows in the
field who evidently had their opinion
of dogs, and one afternoon when he
passed through they all stopped graz
ing and fixed their eyes upon him He
spent his usual FIVE minutes there and
started back. The cattle meanwhile
had plainly been cons dering his case.
and when he came along on his usual
trot. paying no attention to them, they
arrived at decision. One of them, who
had not a vestige of horn with
which to fight, took the lead,
lowered her head. anl started direct
ly for him J. " the whole
drove, with one lowered their
heads and started Oh a run in the same
direction.
The dog understood, though he did
not seem to look at them. He dis
dained to run, but he quickened his
trot little, and just little more, un-
til an instant before they we're upon
him he slipped under the fence where
he had gone in Once outside he
stopped and looked back at them in
silence, then glanced at his mistress
with an expressive wag of his tail,
which said as plain as words: Wasn't
that joke"
This passion for hunting was such
that he would attack any animal he
met, from mouse to grizzly bear. and
one unlucky day he found in the edge
Of the woods a porcupine and without
hesitation flew at him. In few mo-
ments the household, which was not
far off. was startled by fearful cries,
with barking and sounds of warfare,
and man was dispatched to see what
was the matter. He rescued the wild
beast (whom he had sense enough to
know was friend of the farmcrl and
.he dog came limping home, with not
,nly his forepaws but his mouth full (
IF sharp quilts. His tongue and the /
-oof of his mouth were completely COW
red and they hung from his lips like a
ringe. OF course, he was nearly wild, /
paving his mouth and rolling on the
,round in his pa in. Sunny Home.