“What makes the trees wiggle so?” asked Prince, who was one of Don’s brothers.
“The wind blows them,” said the mother dog. “And when you go outside the kennel, and the wind blows, you must be careful not to get dust in your eyes. For your eyes are open now, you know, and if you don’t take care you’ll get things in them. So watch out when you leave the kennel.”
“Why!” exclaimed Don. “Is there anything outside of our kennel? I thought this was the only place there was.”
“Oh, indeed there are many more places than this,” said Mrs. Gurr, with sort of a barking laugh. “This is only a very small part of the world. You will find it very large when you start out. I hope you do not get lost.”
“Going so far away you cannot find your way back to the kennel,” said the mother dog. “When you children are a little older, I shall give you some lessons in how to find your way home when you go away from it.”
So the days went on, the sun shone warmer and warmer, and the leaves grew larger on the trees, for summer was coming. And as the tree leaves grew, so the little puppy dogs grew, until they were large enough to run outside the kennel, and play about on the ground.
They were not very strong on their legs as yet, and often Don and his brothers and sisters would tumble and fall, as they raced about, playing a game something like your game of tag.
“Come on, let’s have a race, Prince,” said Don one day.
“All right, I will,” answered the other little puppy dog, and off they started down the gravel path that led from their kennel.
On they went, faster and faster, turning around the corner by the house, until, all of a sudden, they saw a queer little animal in front of them.
“What’s that?” asked Don, stopping short.
“I don’t know,” answered Prince, speaking in dog language.
“It looks like a puppy,” went on Don, “but it doesn’t belong to our family. See how big its tail is, and its back is all humped up. And listen to what a funny noise it’s making.”
The other animal, on the gravel path, was hissing like a steam radiator on a cold and frosty morning.
“Let’s go closer and see what it is,” suggested Don.
Together he and Prince went up, walking sort of sideways on their funny, wobbling legs. Then the queer animal suddenly jumped up in the air, and Don and Prince felt something sharp scratch their little black noses.