t, as he was watching as usual over the treasure, what was his
surprise, to see a most beautiful little black and white dog enter the
cave: it came fawning to our honest friend, wagging its tail with
pleasure."

"'Ah! little one,' said Beppo, 'you had better make tracks out of this
place, I can tell _you_. See--there is a great griffin asleep in that
corner over yonder, and if he awakes he will eat you up in half a
second, or make you his servant, as he has made me.'

"'I know all that very well, my dear friend,' said the little dog, 'and
I have come down here on purpose to deliver you. The stone is taken
away from the mouth of the cave, and you have nothing to do but to go
back with me. Come, dear brother, come,' and the little dog put on an
air of entreaty very hard to resist.

"Poor Beppo was in the greatest state of excitement at this speech, and
the pleading look, but he said: 'Don't ask me, for goodness' sake, my
dear little friend; I would give every thing I have, except the wag of
my tail, to escape out of this dismal cave, and roll on the soft grass
once more; but if I leave my master the griffin, those abominable scamps
of serpents, who are always on the watch, will come in and wriggle off
his treasure, and, besides, sting him to death. I cannot go. Oh dear! I
cannot go! I must, and I _will_ be faithful.'

"Then the little dog came up close to Beppo, and put his fore paws round
his neck, and looked into his eyes with his large lustrous orbs, and
licked his face (which is all the same with dogs as kissing); and then
gently taking his ear in his mouth, endeavored to draw him away from the
treasure; but honest Beppo would not stir a step, though his heart
beat, and he longed to go."

"At length the little dog, finding it all in vain, said: 'Well, then, if
I _must_ leave, at least shake paws for good-bye; but let me tell you, I
have become so hungry, in coming down all this way after you, and
talking so much, that I do wish you would give me one of those bones:
dear me! how good they smell; come, give me one--that's a good fellow;
one will never be missed.'

"'Alas!' said the good Beppo, 'how unlucky I am to have eaten up the
bone my master gave me! I would have given it to you, and have gone
without with the greatest pleasure. But I cannot give you one of these;
my master made me promise to watch over them all, and I have given him
my paw on it: it would be stealing. Me steal? never! I am sure a little
dog