Yes, it was the trick dog, Patter! He had gone upstairs, and, standing on his hind feet at the side of Sue’s bed, he was licking her face with his cold, wet, red tongue.
“Oh, Patter, I didn’t know it was you!” cried Sue, for she had called out about Bunny before opening her eyes. “I didn’t know it was you.”
“Bow-wow!” barked the trick dog, wagging his tail for joy.
“Is Patter there?” cried Bunny, and he ran into his sister’s room. Then he hugged the dog and so did Sue until their father told them, early as it was, they had better get up, as he did not like a dog in the bedroom.
Bunny and Sue dressed quickly and ran out to play in the yard with Patter before breakfast. Then came the meal, and you may be sure Patter had his, a full plate in the corner of the kitchen.
“Now I’ll teach him some new tricks,” said Bunny, when he and Sue were again romping with the dog. “I’ll teach him to walk on his front legs. He walks on his hind legs fine, but I want him to walk on his front legs.”
“That’s harder,” said Sue, for they had tried to teach this to their other dog, Splash. “Maybe he’ll tip over.”
“Pooh! It’ll be only a somersault if he does!” laughed Bunny. “Come on, Patter, learn to walk on your front legs!” he called.
He and Sue were holding up the hind legs of their trick dog, to make him learn how to walk on his front ones, when a voice from the street called:
“Does Mr. Brown live here?”