"Oh, Toby, my dear old Toby, you wise and wonderful Pug!
"Don't struggle off yet, stay on my knee for a bit, you'll be much hotter in the fender, and I want to give you a great, big hug.
"What are you turning round and round for? you'll make yourself giddy, Toby. If you're looking for your tail, it is there, all right.
"You can't see it for yourself because you're so fat, and because it is curled so tight.
"I dare say you could play with it, like Kitty, when you were a pup, but it must be a long time now since you've seen it.
"It's rather rude of you, Mr. Pug, to lie down with your back to me, and a grunt, but I know you don't mean it.
"I wanted to hug you, Toby, because I do thank you for giving me such good advice, and I know every word of it's true.
"I mean to try hard to follow it, and I'll tell you what I shall do.
"Nurse wants to put bitter stuff on the tips of my fingers, to cure me of biting them, and now I think I shall let her.
"I know they're not fit to be seen, but she says they would soon become better.