ENG211 The Tale of the Man Who Became a Dog

A poor man used to watch the lazy dogs of his rich master. The dogs did no work, and lay by the warm fire when it was cold, and always ate the best of meats from off the master’s table. “Oh, bother!” said the poor man. “Why should I have to work all day, from dawn until after dark, for my miserable moldy potato and bit of rancid meat? If I were only as lucky as a dog, everything would be all right.” The next day when he awoke, he found he had turned into a basset hound. He went immediately to join the other dogs, and ate the best of meats from off the master’s table, and spent many happy hours dreaming by the warm fire. Then one winter day the master died, and new owners came and chased the dogs from the house. “Be off!” said the new master, “I have no use for lazy dogs!” At first the dogs didn’t believe he meant it, but when he pulled out his shotgun, the dogs all yelped and ran off into the snowy woods. Then they organized themselves and hunted in a pack, and lay together at night for warmth. The basset hound—who used to be a servant—tried to snuggle in with the pack, but they chased him off. The basset hound tried to eat some of the kill from the hunt, but the pack chased him off and laughed at him. “I am a dog like you!” said the basset hound. “You are a dog,” they agreed, “but not like us.” And the basset hound went off by himself and eventually died of cold and hunger.