The Project Gutenberg EBook of Rags, by Karen Niemann

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Title: Rags
(The Story Of A Dog)

Author: Karen Niemann

Release Date: September 24, 2007 [EBook #22750]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK RAGS ***

RAGS (The Story of a Dog)

By Karen Niemann

The Camas Press
North Hollywood, California

DEDICATION
to all the boys and girls
who ran over the green hills
of Edendale
and to one old black shepherd dog
"Beachy"

THE CAR stopped and a shaggy little dog named Rags was pushed into
the street. Rags' owner was very angry.

"That's the last slipper of mine that you'll chew up!" he said, and
sped away.

Rags stood in the street.

"So that was it," he thought. "But he had so many slippers in his
closet, how was I to know he'd mind if I just chewed a few?"

The street was wide and empty and Rags was frightened. What was a
small dog to do? What could he do? Of course ... he must find another
home!

Suddenly Rags grew up. He would never again chew a slipper! Up on the
sidewalk he scrambled, ready for adventure. He didn't feel sad at all
now.

"Surely," he thought, "I can soon find a nice home."

He walked down the sidewalk looking at every house. In front of one
was a lady watering her flowers. Rags walked up to her politely.

"Woof! Woof!" he said, and wagged his tail.

The lady turned.

"Oh, you dirty, ragged creature!" she cried, "Get off my lawn!" And
with that, she turned the water upon him.

Rags ran. He didn't want a home in that lady's house--or in her
neighborhood.

Cold and wet and frightened, he ran along the street. He was too
tired to run any more, when he saw a man rocking on the porch of a
very pretty house. Perhaps this man would give him a home. Rags stood
still. Did he dare go up and ask him? Timidly, he crept up, stood
very still, and wagged his tail.

The man looked over his glasses and said, "Well! Well!"

Rags looked up and said, "Woof!" which meant in dog language, "I need
a home."

Rags didn't see the cat on the arm of the man's chair. He didn't know
she was there until, arching her back, she sprang forward and landed
on his f