A Dog's Tale

Mark Twain's story, told from the standpoint of a courageous and loving she-dog, was first published in 1903. The story, by turns both funny and heartbreaking, begins with a description of her life as a puppy. As she grows, she is sold, then takes a mate and has a puppy, and her master and mistress have their first child. Her motives are misunderstood when she saves their baby from a fire and she is cruelly beaten. The truth is soon discovered, however, and she becomes an adored and loved heroine to all those around her. But her master is a scientist and her puppy dies cruelly in a biological experiment. The ending is deeply moving and sad.