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Have you seen Peggy this morning? I have her breakfast ready. Mr. and Mrs. Mack were standing on the porch of a little white house. It was a pleasant summer morning. All the animals were moving about getting ready for a long, busy day on the farm. Red Rooster had crowed them awake at the first sign of dawn.
"No, I haven't seen her, laughed Mr. Mack, but I'll bet she is somewhere near and probably in some kind of mischief! She is the busiest little dog I ever saw. If she ever learns the things a farm dog must know she will be a big help around here." Just then a black and white puppy came dashing around the corner of the house. "Well, there you are, Peggy," exclaimed Mrs. Mack. "Here is your breakfast. You're such a busy little dog I don't know how we ever got along without you." She put some food in a dish and patted Peggy on the head. "You're a good little dog." "Yes, Peggy, you're a good little dog- most of the time," laughed Mr. Mack, "but you certainly are mischievous! Do try to keep out of trouble today. We have lots of work to do." He walked off toward the barn, whistling as he went." Peggy wagged her tail, " Woof-woof," she barked. "I don't mean to get into mischief. I try to help you." But Mr. and Mrs. Mack couldn't understand puppy talk. They went about their work. Peggy sighed a big puppy sigh. " When I try to help and do something wrong they call me a bad dog. Someday I'll know what to do and what not to do, then I'll always do the right thing and they will never call mebadagain." Her tail stopped wagging, it made her sad just to think of being called bad. She ate the good breakfast Mrs. Mack had put in her dish and then looked around for something to do. "I could go to the timber and bark at that sassy squirrel," she thought. "That would be fun but Mr. Mack said there is lots of work to do today so I'll help him." She ran sniffing along the path to the barn as she had seen big dogs do. She stopped to smell the flowers that grew along the fence. Glancing toward the chicken house she saw Red Hen and her chicks just starting out for their morning walk. Clucking and scratching Mother Hen led her chicks along. Peggy sat down to watch them. "Why, that foolish old hen," thought Peggy. "She is heading right for the barnyard! She shouldn't take her chicks there. The cows might step on them. I'll chase them back to the chicken house. That will help Mr. Mack!" She ran at Red Hen and the chicks. "Woof-woof," she barked. That frightened the chicks and they ran cheeping toward the chicken house. "Bow-wow," barked Peggy, "What fun it is to help!" Then she saw that Red Hen wasn't running away. Her feathers were fluffed up making her look much larger than she really was and she was running TOWARD Peggy" Peggy turned and ran but Red Hen ran faster. She caught Peggy and started beating her with her wings and pecking her with her sharp bill." "Yip-yip-o-eee," wailed Peggy, " help-help." Mrs. Mack heard her and came running " Shoo- go away, Red Hen. Peggy didn't mean to hurt your chicks, she was only playing." Then she scolded. "You are a bad dog, Peggy. You must not chase Red Hen's chicks." "Woof-woof," barked Peggy, "I wasn't playing. I was trying to help!" But Mrs. Mack couldn't under- stand puppy talk. She went back to the house. Red Hen strutted away clucking softly to her chicks, "Don't be afraid, Little Chicks, I won't let that bad puppy hurt you." Peggy crawled under the trailer and was still exactly two minutes. That is a long time for a puppy to be still. What did she see! A little pig all alone in the barn lot. He must be lost! Now she could help. She would chase him back to his mother. She bounced out at him. "Woof-woof," barked Peggy as she ran at him. "Run to your mother, Little Pig." He ran squealing to- c ward the barn. Peggy's tail wagged happily, "What fun it is to help!" But Mother Pig came charging around the corner of the barn looking very fierce. She rushed at Peggy. "Chase my little pig, will you!" she oinked, " I'll show you." How frightened Peggy was! She tucked her tail between her legs and dashed toward the house. Mother Pig ran after her but she was too fat to run far. She soon gave up the chase and went grunting back to the barn. "Come, Little Pig," she puffed. "I don't think that puppy will chase you again." She and Little Pig walked away. Mr. Mack came out of the barn. "Peggy," he scolded, "You must not chase the pigs. They are much too fat to run on a warm day like this. You are a bad dog." "Woof-woof," barked Peggy. "I wasn't just chasing them. I was trying to help." But Mr. Mack couldn't understand puppy talk. He went back to his work. Peggy lay under the maple tree and was still exactly two minutes. Then she trotted down to the barnyard fence. What did she see by the haystack! Ah, a strange cat. Now she knew what she could do to help. She had heard Mr. Mack say he didn't want any more cats around. She would chase that cat away! That would help Mr. Mack and he would call her a good dog. She bounced up to the cat. "Bow-wow," she barked in her fiercest voice. The cat didn't move. "This is queer," thought Peggy. "Cats always run when I bark at them." She ran up closer and snapped at him. Still he didn't run but he did turn around as if he were going to walk away, "You'd better run, Cat," Peggy snapped at him again. And then something happened! There was a terrible smell all around and Peggy's eyes began to hurt and her nose began to smart. The strange cat walked slowly away. Oh, how Peggy's eyes and nose hurt! She rolled on the ground and rubbed them with her paws. When she could see she ran to the house. Up on the porch she hurried and scratched on the door. Mrs. Mack would let her in the kitchen and put some medicine on her eyes and nose! She wagged her tail and waited. Mrs. Mack came to the door, but what a surprise! She didn't say, "Come in, Peggy." Instead she held her nose and said, "Go away, Peggy, go away! Little dogs that play with skunks can't come into my house. "Woof-woof," barked Peggy. "I wasn't playing. I was trying to help. But Mrs. Mack couldn't understand puppy talk. "Go away, Peggy, go away," she said again and closed the door. Poor Peggy. She crept slowly into her little house feeling very sorry for herself. She stayed there exactly two minutes and then started for the timber. "Guess I'll go bark at that squirrel after all. That won't help but it will be fun and no one will call me a bad dog." She trotted along. "This wasn't a good day," she thought. "Everything went wrong. Maybe tomorrow will be better." She saw Roan Cow and her calf eating grass in the timber. She bounced toward them. "Woof----," Then she stopped suddenly. "Why, I shouldn't chase them! Mr. Mack wouldn't like that!" She sat down and thought a minute. "I believe I'm beginning to know what to do and what not to do. I really believe I am!" Then feeling very proud of herself she trotted happily on looking for the sassy squirrel. |