r way of amusing themselves. Mother came home from church one
of the earliest; she had a lift in one of the farmer's carts, and came
in at the lodge gate just as the carriage with her master and mistress
and the young ladies was driving up. They all got out at the big gate,
and let the coachman drive round to the stable the back way, and mother
came quietly walking up the drive behind them. They were talking
seriously about the sermon they had heard, and feeling rather
solemn-like, I daresay, when all at once there flew down the drive to
meet them the most fearsome-like creature that ever was seen. It was
like nothing in nature, my mother said, about the size of a large wolf,
but with a queer-shaped head and body--at least they looked queer to
them, not knowing what it was--and not a particle of hair or coat of any
kind upon it. It rushed up to my lady, that was Miss Janet's mother, and
tried to leap upon her; but she shrieked to her husband, and he up with
his stick--he always took a stick about with him--and was just on the
point of giving it a fearful blow, never thinking but what it was one of
the beasts escaped from some travelling show, when one of the young
ladies caught his arm.

"'Stop, father!' she cried. 'Don't you see who it is? It's _Caesar_.'

"'_Caesar!_' said he. 'My dear, _that's_ never Caesar.'

"But Caesar it was, as they soon saw by the way he jumped and whined, and
seemed to beg them to understand he was himself. He was frightened out
of his wits, poor doggie, for he had never felt so queer before, and
couldn't understand what had come over him."

"And what _had_ come over him?" asked the children eagerly.

"Why, Master Hugh and Miss Janet had spent the morning in cropping him!"
replied nurse. "The hair, and he had great long thick hair, was cut off
as close and as neat as if it had been shaved; it was really wonderful
how clean they had done it without cutting or wounding the poor doggie.
They had taken great pains about it, and had spent the best part of the
morning over it--the two of them, Master Hughie with the great kitchen
scissors, and Miss Janet with a wee fine pair she had found in her
mamma's workbox, the little monkey! And such a sight as the kitchen
dresser was with hair! For they told how they had made Caesar jump up on
to the dresser and lie first on one side and then on the other, till all
was cut off."

"Were they punished?" asked Floss, anxiously. And at this question
Carrots