A Dark Brown Dog

A short story 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 skilfully

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 dark-

brown friend.

Seorang anak berdiri di sudut jalan. Dia bersandar dengan satu bahu ke pagar

papan tinggi dan mengayunkan yang lain ke sana kemari, sambil menendang

kerikil dengan sembarangan.

Sinar matahari menerpa jalan berbatu, dan angin musim panas yang malas

menimbulkan debu kuning yang membuntuti awan di jalan. Truk-truk

gemerincing bergerak dengan tidak jelas melaluinya. Anak itu berdiri melamun

menatap.

Setelah beberapa saat, seekor anjing kecil berwarna coklat tua datang berlari

dengan udara yang disengaja di trotoar. Sebuah tali pendek terseret dari

lehernya. Kadang-kadang dia menginjak ujungnya dan tersandung.

Dia berhenti di seberang anak itu, dan keduanya saling menghormati. Anjing itu

ragu-ragu sejenak, tetapi saat ini dia membuat beberapa kemajuan kecil dengan

ekornya. Anak itu mengulurkan tangannya dan memanggilnya. Dengan cara

minta maaf anjing itu mendekat, dan keduanya bertukar tepukan ramah dan

goyangan. Anjing itu menjadi lebih antusias dengan setiap saat wawancara,
sampai dengan caperingnya yang gembira dia mengancam akan membalikkan

anak itu. Kemudian anak itu mengangkat tangannya dan memukul kepala anjing

itu.

Benda ini tampaknya mengalahkan dan mencengangkan anjing kecil berwarna

coklat tua itu, dan melukai jantungnya. Dia tenggelam dalam keputusasaan di

kaki anak itu. Ketika pukulan itu diulangi, bersama dengan peringatan dalam

kalimat kekanak-kanakan, dia membalikkan punggungnya, dan memegang

cakarnya dengan cara yang aneh. Pada saat yang sama dengan telinga dan

matanya ia mengucapkan doa kecil kepada anak itu.