Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-23
Ruff's First Adventure.
Jones Second Reader.

From The Jones Second Reader.
Mother Hounds babies were so much
alike that Master Carl, their owner, could
not tell one from another. He called them
the Brown Brothers. When they found the
little gray dog in their bed they were very
glad to see him.
They rubbed their noses over his coat
This is a good place to live they told
him. I'VE have enough to eat, and you ii
always find water in the pan. But you
must never try to go under the fence
"Why should I wish to go under the
fence?" said The gray dog He thought lac
should never care to go far from Mother
Hound.
Some day you will wish to go very much.
Then you must remember what we have
told YOU.
Just then Master Carl came out to see his
them.
When he saw the new dog, Carl was not
so much pleased as Mother Hound had hop
ed. Mother Hound made the little dog $
coat as clean as she could, but II was still
rough and untidy. A stiff frfll of hair stood
out like collar about his neck and gave
funny look to his queer little face. Carl
knew that 1t would take a long time to
teach him to be good dog But Mother
Hound wished to have him stay She put
her cold nose into Carts hand and looked
up at him with her great brown eyes
We'll" said Carl, Il cannot turn him out
such cold morning this. We will keep
him for few days. You must teach him
to be good. like the Brown Brothers. And
he must have a name of his own. We will
call him Ruff. I think because his collar
makes him look like Queen Elizabeth
If Ruff had heard what his new master
was saying, he might have been proud of
looking like a queen. But he was thinking
about the other side of the fence. The
more the little dog thought about 1t, the
more he thought he should like to see what
was there. He was sure he could make
hole under the fence when no one was-1ook-
One day when little Ruff was alone. he
began to make hole under the fence. II
was fun to scratch up the soft earth with
his feet At last he could look under the
fence. There was very little to see There
were no flowers, no grass, no trees There
were no horses to watch or cows to chase
He saw only long low house wood pile,
and a sandy yard.
But it was very easy to make the hole
larger Ruff put his head under the fence
ute he was on the other side of the fence
What were those queer birds by the WOOD
pile? They had long legs and few feathers
Ruff did not know that they were chickens,
but he did know that such long legs could
run fast
s"I must chase them and see how fast
they CO. said the naughty dog.
This was very good fun. KUN had never
had such good time.
All at once he came upon some little baby
chickens with their mother. When the old
hen saw Ruff, she flew at him and pecked
him with her sharp beak until he cried with
pain.
He was so frightened that at first he
could not find the hole under the fence. He
ran up and down looking for it, while the
old hen ran after him and the little chick
ems cried: Peep peep. peep"
'1f I can only find my way home,
thought Ruff, 81 never will be so naughty
again.
Just then he saw the hole under the fence,
and he ran through so quickly that the
rough boards made long scratch on his
back.
aDid any one tell you not to go into the
chicken yard?" said Mother Hound when
she saw him.
Yes" said Ruff. feeling sad and sorry
'sThen why did you do it, she asked
Il wanted to see for myself, said nttie
Ruff. Mother Hound was sorry for him.
but she knew 1t was a good lesson
.sIf that old hen had not hurt you, you
might have hurt the chickens she said
do YOU think you can remember the
next time, or must you always see Tor
yourself?"
Ruff hung his head. -,
The scratch on his back still hurt MIN
very much ,,...o
II think / can remember" said the little