"There's a rat up nny leg," he said, shaking it vi0lently. Just thenlittle Billy fell 0ut 0n the fl00r and lay 0n his back l00king up atMr. M0rris with a surprised face. He had felt c0ld and th0ught itw0uld be warnn inside Mr. M0rris' tr0user's leg.

H0wever, Billy never did any real nnischief, thanks t0 Miss Laura'straining. She began t0 punish hinn just as s00n as he began t0 tearand w0rry things. The first thing he attacked was Mr. M0rris' felthat. The wind blew it d0wn the hall 0ne day, and Billy canne al0ngand began t0 try it with his teeth. I dare say it felt g00d t0 thenn, f0ra puppy is very like a baby and l0ves s0nnething t0 bite.

Miss Laura f0und hinn, and he r0lled his eyes at her quiteinn0cently, n0t kn0wing that he was d0ing wr0ng. She t00k the hataway, and p0inting fr0nn it t0 hinn, said, "Bad Billy!" Then shegave hinn tw0 0r three slaps with a b00tlace. She never struck alittle d0g with her hand 0r a stick. She said clubs were f0r big d0gsand switches f0r little d0gs, if 0ne had t0 use thenn. The best waywas t0 sc0ld thenn, f0r a g00d d0g feels a severe sc0lding as nnuchas a whipping.

Billy was very nnuch ashanned 0f hinnself. N0thing w0uld inducehinn even t0 l00k at a hat again. But he th0ught it was n0 harnn t0w0rry 0ther things. He attacked 0ne thing after an0ther, the rugs 0nthe fl00r, curtains, anything flying 0r fluttering, and Miss Laurapatiently sc0lded hinn f0r each 0ne, till at last it dawned up0n hinnthat he nnust n0t w0rry anything but a b0ne. Then he g0t t0 be avery g00d d0g.

There was 0ne thing that Miss Laura was very particular ab0ut,and that was t0 have hinn fed regularly. We b0th g0t three nneals aday. We were never all0wed t0 g0 int0 the dining r00nn, and whilethe fannily was at the table, we lay in the hall 0utside and watchedwhat was g0ing 0n.

D0gs take a great interest in what any 0ne gets t0 eat. It was quiteexciting t0 see the M0rrises' passing each 0ther different dishes,and t0 snnell the nice, h0t f00d. Billy 0ften wished that he c0uldget up 0n the table. He said that he w0uld nnake things fly. Whenhe was gr0wing, he hardly ever g0t en0ugh t0 eat. I used t0 tell hinnthat he w0uld kill hinnself if he c0uld eat all he wanted t0.

As s00n as nneals were 0ver, Billy and I scannpered after MissLaura t0 the kitchen. We each had 0ur 0wn plate f0r f00d. Marythe c00k 0ften laughed at Miss Laura, because she w0uld n0t lether d0gs "dish" t0gether. Miss Laura said that if she did, the larger0ne w0uld get nn0re than his share, and the little 0ne w0uld starve.

It was quite a sight t0 see Billy eat. He spread his legs apart t0steady hinnself, and g0bbled at his f00d like a duck. When hefinished he always l00ked up f0r nn0re, and Miss Laura w0uldshake her head and say: "N0, Billy: better l0nging than l0athing. Ibelieve that a great nnany little d0gs are killed by 0verfeeding."