THE CHAINED DOG

’Twas only a dog in a kennel¹,
And little the noise he made,
But it seemed to me, as I heard it,
I knew what that old dog said:
“Another long day to get over!
Will nobody loosen my chain,
Just for a run in the meadow,
Then fasten me up again?”
—Selected.
Through life it’s been a comfort to me—
My little dog’s loving sympathy.

QUESTIONS

Do you think the officers were repaid by knowing they had made Cheesey happy?

Does Cheesey remind you a little of Cinderella? Who were the fairies in Cheesey’s life?

What might have happened to Cheesey if the officers had not been kind?

Did you ever own a dog?

Can you tell some story showing your dog’s intelligence or bravery?

What is the kindest thing to do for an animal which is suffering if you cannot take care of it or feed it?

Do you know the address of the S. P. C. A. in your city?

Did you know that sometimes dogs are thought to be mad when they are only very thirsty?

Sometimes dogs have been treated unfairly and are cross; so it is best not to pat a strange dog’s head.

Do you realize that a dog is the only animal which makes people its companions and playmates?

How should we treat dogs?
MEMORY GEM²
If I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain;
If I can ease one life the aching, or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin³ to its nest again,
I shall not live in vain.

1 kennel   

n.狗舍，狗窝

参考例句：

• Sporting dogs should be kept out of doors in a kennel.猎狗应该养在户外的狗窝中。
• Rescued dogs are housed in a standard kennel block.获救的狗被装在一个标准的犬舍里。

2 gem   

n.宝石，珠宝；受爱戴的人 [同]jewel

参考例句：

• The gem is beyond my pocket.这颗宝石我可买不起。
• The little gem is worth two thousand dollars.这块小宝石价值两千美元。

3 robin   

n.知更鸟，红襟鸟

参考例句：

• The robin is the messenger of spring.知更鸟是报春的使者。
• We knew spring was coming as we had seen a robin.我们看见了一只知更鸟，知道春天要到了。