A Dark Brown Dog

by Stephen Crane

A Child was standing on a street-corner. He leaned with one shoulder against

a high board-fence and swayed the other to and fro, the while kicking
carelessly at the gravel.
Sunshine beat upon the cobbles, and a lazy summer wind raised yellow dust
which trailed in clouds down the avenue. Clattering trucks moved with
indistinctness through it. The child stood dreamily gazing.
After a time, a little dark-brown dog came trotting with an intent air down the
sidewalk. A short rope was dragging from his neck. Occasionally he trod upon
the end of it and stumbled.
He stopped opposite the child, and the two regarded each other. The dog
hesitated for a moment, but presently he made some little advances with his
tail. The child put out his hand and called him. In an apologetic manner the
dog came close, and the two had an interchange of friendly pattings and
waggles. The dog became more enthusiastic with each moment of the
interview, until with his gleeful caperings he threatened to overturn the child.
Whereupon the child lifted his hand and struck the dog a blow upon the head.
This thing seemed to overpower and astonish the little dark-brown dog, and
wounded him to the heart. He sank down in despair at the child's feet. When
the blow was repeated, together with an admonition in childish sentences, he
turned over upon his back, and held his paws in a peculiar manner. At the
same time with his ears and his eyes he offered a small prayer to the child.

He looked so comical on his back, and holding his paws peculiarly, that the
child was greatly amused and gave him little taps repeatedly, to keep him so.
But the little dark-brown dog took this chastisement in the most serious way,
and no doubt considered that he had committed some grave crime, for he
wriggled contritely and showed his repentance in every way that was in his
power. He pleaded with the child and petitioned him, and offered more
prayers.
At last the child grew weary of this amusement and turned toward home. The
dog was praying at the time. He lay on his back and turned his eyes upon the
retreating form.
Presently he struggled to his feet and started after the child. The latter
wandered in a perfunctory way toward his home, stopping at times to
investigate various matters. During one of these pauses he discovered the
little dark-brown dog who was following him with the air of a footpad.
The child beat his pursuer with a small stick he had found. The dog lay down
and prayed until the child had finished, and resumed his journey. Then he
scrambled erect and took up the pursuit again.
On the way to his home the child turned many times and beat the dog,
proclaiming with childish gestures that he held him in contempt as an
unimportant dog, with no value save for a moment. For being this quality of
animal the dog apologized and eloquently expressed regret, but he continued
stealthily to follow the child. His manner grew so very guilty that he slunk like
an assassin.
When the child reached his door-step, the dog was industriously ambling a few
yards in the rear. He became so agitated with shame when he again
confronted the child that he forgot the dragging rope. He tripped upon it and
fell forward.

The child sat down on the step and the two had another interview. During it
the dog greatly exerted himself to please the child. He performed a few
gambols with such abandon that the child suddenly saw him to be a valuable
thing. He made a swift, avaricious charge and seized the rope.
He dragged his captive into a hall and up many long stairways in a dark
tenement. The dog made willing efforts, but he could not hobble very skillfully
up the stairs because he was very small and soft, and at last the pace of the
engrossed child grew so energetic that the dog became panic-stricken. In his
mind he was being dragged toward a grim unknown. His eyes grew wild with
the terror of it. He began to wiggle his head frantically and to brace his legs.
The child redoubled his exertions. They had a battle on the stairs. The child
was victorious because he was completely absorbed in his purpose, and
because the dog was very small. He dragged his acquirement to the door of
his home, and finally with triumph across the threshold.
No one was in. The child sat down on the floor and made overtures to the dog.
These the dog instantly accepted. He beamed with affection upon his new
friend. In a short time they were firm and abiding comrades.
When the child's family appeared, they made a great row. The dog was
examined and commented upon and called names. Scorn was leveled at him
from all eyes, so that he became much embarrassed and drooped like a
scorched plant. But the child went sturdily to the center of the floor, and, at the
top of his voice, championed the dog. It happened that he was roaring
protestations, with his arms clasped about the dog's neck, when the father of
the family came in from work.
The parent demanded to know what the blazes they were making the kid howl
for. It was explained in many words that the infernal kid wanted to introduce a
disreputable dog into the family.

A family council was held. On this depended the dog's fate, but he in no way
heeded, being busily engaged in chewing the end of the child's dress.
The affair was quickly ended. The father of the family, it appears, was in a
particularly savage temper that evening, and when he perceived that it would
amaze and anger everybody if such a dog were allowed to remain, he decided
that it should be so. The child, crying softly, took his friend off to a retired part
of the room to hobnob with him, while the father quelled a fierce rebellion of
his wife. So it came to pass that the dog was a member of the household.
He and the child were associated together at all times save when the child
slept. The child became a guardian and a friend. If the large folk kicked the
dog and threw things at him, the child made loud and violent objections. Once
when the child had run, protesting loudly, with tears raining down his face and
his arms outstretched, to protect his friend, he had been struck in the head
with a very large saucepan from the hand of his father, enraged at some
seeming lack of courtesy in the dog. Ever after, the family were careful how
they threw things at the dog. Moreover, the latter grew very skilful in avoiding
missiles and feet. In a small room containing a stove, a table, a bureau and
some chairs, he would display strategic ability of a high order, dodging,
feinting and scuttling about among the furniture. He could force three or four
people armed with brooms, sticks and handfuls of coal, to use all their
ingenuity to get in a blow. And even when they did, it was seldom that they
could do him a serious injury or leave any imprint.
But when the child was present, these scenes did not occur. It came to be
recognized that if the dog was molested, the child would burst into sobs, and
as the child, when started, was very riotous and practically unquenchable, the
dog had therein a safeguard.

However, the child could not always be near. At night, when he was asleep,
his dark-brown friend would raise from some black corner a wild, wailful cry, a
song of infinite lowliness and despair, that would go shuddering and sobbing
among the buildings of the block and cause people to swear. At these times
the singer would often be chased all over the kitchen and hit with a great
variety of articles.
Sometimes, too, the child himself used to beat the dog, although it is not
known that he ever had what could be truly called a just cause. The dog
always accepted these thrashings with an air of admitted guilt. He was too
much of a dog to try to look to be a martyr or to plot revenge. He received the
blows with deep humility, and furthermore he forgave his friend the moment
the child had finished, and was ready to caress the child's hand with his little
red tongue.
When misfortune came upon the child, and his troubles overwhelmed him, he
would often crawl under the table and lay his small distressed head on the
dog's back. The dog was ever sympathetic. It is not to be supposed that at
such times he took occasion to refer to the unjust beatings his friend, when
provoked, had administered to him.
He did not achieve any notable degree of intimacy with the other members of
the family. He had no confidence in them, and the fear that he would express
at their casual approach often exasperated them exceedingly. They used to
gain a certain satisfaction in underfeeding him, but finally his friend the child
grew to watch the matter with some care, and when he forgot it, the dog was
often successful in secret for himself.
So the dog prospered. He developed a large bark, which came wondrously
from such a small rug of a dog. He ceased to howl persistently at night.
Sometimes, indeed, in his sleep, he would utter little yells, as from pain, but

that occurred, no doubt, when in his dreams he encountered huge flaming

dogs who threatened him direfully.
His devotion to the child grew until it was a sublime thing. He wagged at his
approach; he sank down in despair at his departure. He could detect the
sound of the child's step among all the noises of the neighborhood. It was like
a calling voice to him.
The scene of their companionship was a kingdom governed by this terrible
potentate, the child; but neither criticism nor rebellion ever lived for an instant
in the heart of the one subject. Down in the mystic, hidden fields of his little
dog-soul bloomed flowers of love and fidelity and perfect faith.
The child was in the habit of going on many expeditions to observe strange
things in the vicinity. On these occasions his friend usually jogged aimfully
along behind. Perhaps, though, he went ahead. This necessitated his turning
around every quarter-minute to make sure the child was coming. He was filled
with a large idea of the importance of these journeys. He would carry himself
with such an air! He was proud to be the retainer of so great a monarch.
One day, however, the father of the family got quite exceptionally drunk. He
came home and held carnival with the cooking utensils, the furniture and his
wife. He was in the midst of this recreation when the child, followed by the
dark-brown dog, entered the room. They were returning from their voyages.
The child's practised eye instantly noted his father's state. He dived under the
table, where experience had taught him was a rather safe place. The dog,
lacking skill in such matters, was, of course, unaware of the true condition of
affairs. He looked with interested eyes at his friend's sudden dive. He
interpreted it to mean: Joyous gambol. He started to patter across the floor to
join him. He was the picture of a little dark-brown dog en route to a friend.

The head of the family saw him at this moment. He gave a huge howl of joy,
and knocked the dog down with a heavy coffee-pot. The dog, yelling in
supreme astonishment and fear, writhed to his feet and ran for cover. The man
kicked out with a ponderous foot. It caused the dog to swerve as if caught in a
tide. A second blow of the coffee-pot laid him upon the floor.
Here the child, uttering loud cries, came valiantly forth like a knight. The father
of the family paid no attention to these calls of the child, but advanced with
glee upon the dog. Upon being knocked down twice in swift succession, the
latter apparently gave up all hope of escape. He rolled over on his back and
held his paws in a peculiar manner. At the same time with his eyes and his
ears he offered up a small prayer.
But the father was in a mood for having fun, and it occurred to him that it
would be a fine thing to throw the dog out of the window. So he reached down
and grabbing the animal by a leg, lifted him, squirming, up. He swung him two
or three times hilariously about his head, and then flung him with great
accuracy through the window.
The soaring dog created a surprise in the block. A woman watering plants in
an opposite window gave an involuntary shout and dropped a flower-pot. A
man in another window leaned perilously out to watch the flight of the dog. A
woman, who had been hanging out clothes in a yard, began to caper wildly.
Her mouth was filled with clothes-pins, but her arms gave vent to a sort of
exclamation. In appearance she was like a gagged prisoner. Children ran
whooping.
The dark-brown body crashed in a heap on the roof of a shed five stories
below. From thence it rolled to the pavement of an alleyway.
The child in the room far above burst into a long, dirgelike cry, and toddled
hastily out of the room. It took him a long time to reach the alley, because his

size compelled him to go downstairs backward, one step at a time, and

holding with both hands to the step above.
When they came for him later, they found him seated by the body of his darkbrown friend.