Clown talks with apes]
5
THE RETURN HOME
Meantime Clown was growing tired of his popularity. The fame, theapplause of the friendly public, the pleasure he felt in knowingthat Reine and her father were doing a fine business, the libertyhe enjoyed, the honors paid him daily, all these worldly vanitiesflattered his pride, but neither success nor his pleasant relationswith the members of the troupe could make him happy.
Members of the menagerie become ill]
He was always longing for his dear mistress Bertha. Often in the night,overtaken by a horrible nightmare, he would wake with a start, notknowing where he was. Like many other artists, comic on the stage, hewas silent and gloomy away from it.
After three big performances, given one after the other, withoutcounting rehearsals, some of the most important members of themenagerie became ill, owing to the heat and their hard work. It wasthe animals who suffered most. For two days Sultan, whose appetitewas usually hard to satisfy, had refused his food--a thing hithertounheard-of.
One of the white bears complained of terrible colic; the llamassneezed continually; Hercules, the giant elephant, with trunk rolledup like a snail, could hardly stand upright; a giraffe trumpeted; thehippopotamus, "Poivro," stung by mosquitoes, scratched himself tillhis cage shook. From the hyena-cage came forth dismal howls; two ofthe poor creatures, down with toothache, were rolling about in agony.Several horses, a zebra, and a rooster all felt very far from well.
The truth was the whole troupe was worn out. The manager, too, feltthat a rest was absolutely necessary for all of them. Everybody agreedthat the director should announce to the public, giving any reasonhe chose, that for the next forty-eight hours there would be noperformances.
Zebras are ill and spitting]
No one was allowed even to visit the menagerie. It was only after muchdelay and because he begged so hard that one stranger was admitted.This was a reporter from one of the important Paris newspapers, who,having heard by the many-tongued mouth of rumor of the queer tricksof Dog-Clown, was most anxious to see the dog for himself, and ifpossible to learn all about him, for he wanted his paper to be thefirst to tell the people of Paris the true story of this wonderful dog.
Clown is also ill]
At the time Clown was resting on a pile of blankets; although heseemed to be asleep he was listening to the conversation, for like apoliceman, he always slept with one eye open. As soon as he realizedwhat it was all about, he got up on his hind legs and went straight tothe reporter, understanding probably how much what the newspaper saidmight help Bertha to find him.
He was polite as he could be to this reporter and took great pains toshow off before him, and--this was really a flash of genius--succeededthree different times, using as his letters the print on a rolledplacard lying near him, in putting together the word "B-E-R-T-H-A," byplacing his foot on the letters in the right order.
Clown and a reporter]
Greatly puzzled as to what it could mean the reporter wrote down on histablet the word Clown had spelled. He could not help being surprisedby this strange sign of intelligence. He bowed respectfully to thisstrangest of all subjects for interview, and as he left him he saidgravely:
"Delighted to have met you, my dear sir."
Clown returned his bow, no less politely. He felt a trifle proud,perhaps, but he was charmed to have made himself understood by a humanbeing.
I leave you to imagine, dear friends, what a stir was caused by thisarticle which appeared on the front page of the paper. It was headed:
DOG-CLOWN, OR THE DOG WITH A BRAIN
Clown returns the bow of the reporter]
It gave details of Clown's wonderful tricks--it described them assimply beyond belief--and ended by calling upon men of science to comeand see for themselves this curious, this strangely gifted dog.
That day Bertha, who since the moment of Clown's disappearance had notceased to mourn for him and to seek him everywhere, was even sadderthan usual, having at last given up hope of ever seeing him again, nowthat all her attempts had ended in failure.
Bertha is crying]
At noon her father came home to lunch as he generally did. She ran tomeet him and was struck by his jovial manner. She guessed somethingpleasant was in the air.
"You have good news, father dear?" she said.
"Well, I think so, but don't make too sure yet. I really do thinkthough that we have found your dog."
Bertha reads the newspaper with her father]
Bertha turned pale and nearly fainted for joy. Her father read her thearticle and when he came to the part where the journalist told how thedog had spelled, without a doubt, the name "Bertha," she cried:
"There's no doubt about it! It is--it is my dog. Let's go--let's go atonce and get him!"
Two hours later the express train going at its fastest toFontainebleau, bore Bertha and her father and mother.
There was a matinee that day. When Bertha and her family took placesbeside the ring the performance had already begun. The wild animalshad been shown and the second part of the performance announced theappearance of Dog-Clown. This clever individual kept them waiting amoment or two to enhance the importance of his entry. The audiencebegan to grow impatient, cries of "Dog-Clown, Dog-Clown!" were heardrepeatedly.
It was a critical moment.
The father, the mother, the daughter sat motionless, wide-open eyesglued to the door through which he would come.
Like a ball which, vigorously hurled, bounces on the pavement,Dog-Clown in a succession of wild leaps went rapidly round the arena.
It was impossible to see his face, especially as he was all dressed upand powdered.
At the matinee]
Having finished his first act, he went to the center of the stage, andthere standing on his hind legs made his bow to the audience.
One sniff and he had recognized his owners.
Clown doing a trick]
It was like a flash of lightning. Next instant he had hurled off hisclown's hat and leaped at them like a mad thing. He bounded overbenches and fell, eyes full of tears, whimpering softly, into the armsof Bertha, who held him trembling and sobbing.
Clown ran to Bertha]
For a long time they clung to one another. This performance amazed thepublic; the circus people thought at first that this was just one ofClown's mad tricks--to which they were growing accustomed--but soon thetruth was known when Reine, surprised and anxious, came forward andasked for an explanation.
"Mademoiselle," said Bertha's father, "I am extremely sorry tointerrupt the performance, but, as you see, the dog is ours. He wasstolen from us. There is no doubt at all that he is our dog, and Idemand that the manager give him back to us at once."
His decided tone convinced the young girl.
Clown and Bertha]
"As we are honest people," she said in her turn, "and so that you maynot think that we stole him, as you seem to suggest, I will tell youhow, three weeks ago, he became one of us."
Thus begun, the conversation was continued in a friendly way. True, apoliceman was called, but only to inform the audience, at the manager'srequest, of the adventures of Dog-Clown who had delighted them all.
Leaving the circus]
Reine wept for the handsome poodle who would now no longer be with heron her travels, and there was weeping and wailing in the menagerie,when his comrades heard the news, for all the animals loved Clown.
This last scene was so affecting that the audience itself, moved totears, made no complaint.
It's a sad thing but true, alas, that what brings happiness to onebrings sorrow to others.
Bertha was too happy and this time too anxious, to leave Clown anylonger, even in the midst of these kind circus people. She thankedthem warmly for the good care they had taken of her dog, MademoiselleReine especially, whom she kissed very sweetly. She promised, too, totake Clown to see her as soon as they reached Neuilly, and giving heraddress, begged the young girl to come to visi
t her in Paris.
Weeping animals]
After this Bertha departed in haste, hardly giving Clown time to saygood-bye to his best friends and comrades, all of whom wept at theparting.
Bertha and Clown leave Reine and the circus]
That evening four joyful travelers took the train for Paris. Duringthe trip, Clown, seated on the cushion between Bertha and her mother,his head against the shoulder of his dear mistress, gazed at her withmoist, affectionate eyes. Licking her hands, wagging his pompom of atail, and uttering plaintive little cries, he tried to tell her aboutall his past sufferings and his present happiness.
Who could describe Clown's joy when he reached home after his longjourney, when he saw his own part of town, his own house, his own room,where once again he would have lovely naps and dream golden dreams?
Clown and Bertha in the train]
When he caught sight of Marie, he jumped into her arms like a child.Marie burst into tears and could not utter a word of reproach. Heleaped all over the footman, and did not forget even the cook. Then,smiling to himself, he went off to see what they were to have fordinner--and seemed well satisfied.
In a word, he took up once more his happy family life, full ofdelightful things: pleasant strolls with Marie, delightful wanderingswith Bertha, caresses lovingly given and returned.
From this memorable day, Clown, who had learned his lesson, and grownwise by experience, was the first to bring his leash when it was timeto go out.
Clown and Marie]
He would carry it triumphantly in his mouth as if to say, "Don't let'sforget it!" For nothing in the world could you get him to venture aloneupon the streets.
At the present time Clown is perfectly happy. His adventures are all inthe past.
Clown in the kitchen]
Now that he no longer has anything to worry him he is getting fatterand lazier, but he is always ready for a frolic with his belovedmistress, Bertha. I am sure that very few people who meet the contenteddog and his devoted mistress have any idea that this is the famousClown.
Clown as a gentleman]
As to the moral of this story, you have understood it, I am sure; butdon't forget it, dear little readers. If you don't take the wise adviceof your parents you are likely to suffer. Just because he didn't obeyhis little mistress, Clown, in spite of all his intelligence and wit,was very nearly lost forever.
Clown with his leash]
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Transcriber's note:
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