The Tale of Old Dog Spot   By: Arthur Scott Bailey (1877-1949)

SLUMBER TOWN TALES (Trademark Registered)

BY ARTHUR SCOTT BAILEY

AUTHOR OF SLEEPY TIME TALES (Trademark Registered)

TUCK ME IN TALES (Trademark Registered)

THE TALE OF THE MULEY COW THE TALE OF OLD DOG SPOT THE TALE OF GRUNTY PIG THE TALE OF HENRIETTA HEN THE TALE OF TURKEY PROUDFOOT THE TALE OF PONY TWINKLEHEELS THE TALE OF MISS KITTY CAT

SLUMBER TOWN TALES (Trademark Registered)

[Illustration: Old Dog Spot Teases Miss Kitty Cat.

Frontispiece (Page 8) ]

THE TALE OF OLD DOG SPOT

BY

ARTHUR SCOTT BAILEY

Author of "SLEEPY TIME TALES" (Trademark Registered)

AND

"TUCK ME IN TALES" (Trademark Registered)

ILLUSTRATED BY HARRY L. SMITH

NEW YORK GROSSET & DUNLAP PUBLISHERS

Made in the United States of America

COPYRIGHT, 1921, BY GROSSET & DUNLAP

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

I ALMOST TWINS 1

II TEASING THE CAT 7

III A WILD DOG 12

IV THE WOODPILE 18

V A DEEP SECRET 22

VI BURIED TREASURE 27

VII SWIMMING 32

VIII WHAT RED DID 37

IX A BUNDLE OF CLOTHES 42

X DROPPING HINTS 48

XI MRS. GREEN'S MISTAKE 52

XII RIGHTING A WRONG 56

XIII HUNTING 60

XIV MISSING HIS MASTER 65

XV A BASKETFUL OF FUN 70

XVI MRS. WOODCHUCK RUNS 75

XVII THE DANGER SIGNAL 80

XVIII A CROWDED HOUSE 85

XIX OFF FOR THE CIRCUS 91

XX SPOT GOES TO TOWN 96

XXI THE CIRCUS PARADE 101

XXII THE CIRCUS GROUNDS 106

XXIII SPOT SEES THE SHOW 111

XXIV HOME AGAIN 115

ILLUSTRATIONS PAGE

OLD DOG SPOT TEASES MISS KITTY CAT Frontispiece

SPOT BOLTED THROUGH THE BARN DOOR 16

SPOT STARTED AFTER FRISKY SQUIRREL 44

SOMETIMES THE PUPPY WOULD BITE SPOT'S TAIL 72

THE TALE OF OLD DOG SPOT

I

ALMOST TWINS

Nobody ever spoke of old Spot's master as "old Johnnie Green." Yet the two boy and dog were almost exactly the same age. Somehow Spot grew up faster than Johnnie. He had stopped being a puppy by the time his young master learned to walk. And when Johnnie was big enough to play around the farm buildings his parents felt sure that he was safe so long as "old Spot," as they called the dog, was with him.

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

Spot seemed to enjoy his task of taking care of Johnnie Green. It wasn't all work. A great deal of pleasure went with his duties, for Johnnie Green never wanted to do anything but play. And Spot wasn't so grown up that he couldn't enjoy a lively romp. For that matter, he never did get over his liking for boisterous fun.