“What?” asked his mother. But before Bunny could answer Sue broke in to ask:
“Where is the Frenchman now, Daddy?”
“He has gone away,” Mr. Brown replied. “Why do you ask, Sue?”
“’Cause I thought maybe he might come back and take our trick dog away.”
“Oh, no, he wouldn’t do that,” said Mr. Brown. “This Frenchman is honest. After he gave me the dog to pay his debt he would not take the animal back. Now I must show you what tricks the dog can do and you can practice putting him through them.”
Once again the dog marched around and danced. Then Mr. Brown gave him a stick which the dog carried like a gun, playing soldier. After that the dog rolled over, he turned a somersault, he “played dead,” and he “said his prayers,” by crouching in the seat of a chair and putting his forepaws on the back, with his head down between them.
“He can do other tricks,” said Mr. Brown. “But now, children, what are you going to call him? I think you had better take some other name than the long French one.”
Bunny thought for a moment and then said:
“We can call him Patter!”
“Why?” asked his mother.