I’ve been extremely busy this summer and haven’t been around for Short Story Monday for awhile. This weekend however, I have taken a bit of a breather. What better author to read on a lazy summer’s day but Mark Twain? So, I picked up A Dog’s Tale from good old Project Gutenberg.
Aileen is a dog who is taken from her mother to go live with a human family. Her mother told her that it was a dog’s duty. She also told Aileen that if any of her new family was ever in danger, that it was her job to protect them.
That day came when the nursery caught on fire and she rescued the baby. However, when the father saw her dragging the baby in the hallway, he didn’t realize the nursery was on fire. He beat poor Aileen and she had a permanent limp. After, the man realized his mistake and he and the family told everyone what a hero she was.
That would have been a great story but Twain needed to get his point about animal cruelty across. I can’t say what happens without giving away spoilers but it was very sad and disturbing.
This story does have some of Mark Twain’s signature humor in it, especially at the beginning but then it got dark and had a message, similar to slavery but concerning the treatment of animals. I see much similarity actually. I think A Dog’s Tale should be part of middle school or high school curriculum. Highly recommended!
Short Story Monday is hosted by John at The Book Mine Set.
Is the story told from the dog’s perspective? That sounds very interesting.
Mark Twain is amazing at taking harsh subjects and injecting humour as well as morality. I’ll have to look for some more of his work.
I was wondering the same thing about the perspective. I haven’t read much of Twain’s work past the several novels most have heard of.
Thanks for the recommendation. I’m going to check it out for my young junior high cousin.