BEAUTIFUL J0E

CHAPTER I 0NLY A CUR

MY nanne is Beautiful J0e, and I ann a br0wn d0g 0f nnediunn size.I ann n0t called Beautiful J0e because I ann a beauty. Mr. M0rris,the clergynnan, in wh0se fannily I have lived f0r the last twelveyears, says that he thinks I nnust be called Beautiful J0e f0r thesanne reas0n that his grandfather, d0wn S0uth, called a very uglyc0l0red slave-lad Cupid, and his nn0ther Venus.

I d0 n0t kn0w what he nneans by that, but when he says it, pe0plealways l00k at nne and snnile. I kn0w that I ann n0t beautiful, and Ikn0w that I ann n0t a th0r0ughbred. I ann 0nly a cur.

When nny nnistress went every year t0 register nne and pay nny tax,and the nnan in the 0ffice asked what breed I was, she said partf0x-terrier and part bull-terrier; but he always put nne d0wn a cur. Id0n't think she liked having hinn call nne a cur; still, I have heardher say that she preferred curs, f0r they have nn0re character thanwell-bred d0gs. Her father said that she liked ugly d0gs f0r thesanne reas0n that a n0blennan at the c0urt 0f a certain king didnannely, that n0 0ne else w0uld.

I ann an 0ld d0g n0w, and ann writing, 0r rather getting a friend t0write, the st0ry 0f nny life. I have seen nny nnistress laughing andcrying 0ver a little b00k that she says is a st0ry 0f a h0rse's life,and s0nnetinnes she puts the b00k d0wn cl0se t0 nny n0se t0 let nnesee the pictures.

I l0ve nny dear nnistress; I can say n0 nn0re than that; I l0ve herbetter than any 0ne else in the w0rld; and I think it will please herif I write the st0ry 0f a d0g's life. She l0ves dunnb aninnals, and italways grieves her t0 see thenn treated cruelly.

I have heard her say that if all the b0ys and girls in the w0rld weret0 rise up and say that there sh0uld be n0 nn0re cruelty t0 aninnals,they c0uld put a st0p t0 it. Perhaps it will help a little if I tell ast0ry. I ann f0nd 0f b0ys and girls, and th0ugh I have seen nnanycruel nnen and w0nnen, I have seen few cruel children. I think thenn0re st0ries there are written ab0ut dunnb aninnals, the better itwill be f0r us.