At this Ready gave up and moaned out his story. Shaggy Dog’s eyes grew kinder and kinder. In a moment he had looked at the poor leg and had made it much more comfortable by a little licking. Then he had Ready bathe it in a pool near by, and gave him the best medicine in the world. Do you know what it was? He gave him back his courage.
“Your leg will feel much better in a half hour,” he said, “and you will be able to go along easily. Your Sandpiper friend will soon be here, and I will stay with you until he does come.
“You have made a wonderful journey and from what you tell me, I know you must be nearly there. Be thankful that the very last part of your journey you can take alone, for then you need have no interruptions.”
“You are suffering,” gently barked Shaggy Dog
Ready was much comforted, and his leg began to feel a great deal better. Shaggy Dog told Ready that he would gladly go with him to the end of his journey, but his business, as the oldest dog in the neighborhood, was to carry dog messages and to look after things generally all along the beach.
Mr. and Mrs. Sandpiper and three of their children
This afternoon he was taking a special delivery to a young collie some distance away. It was a message from his grandfather to say that he was coming that night to spend the week-end. The young collie must know about it this afternoon in order to get some special food ready for his grandfather, whose teeth and digestion were very poor.
Then Shaggy Dog, seeing that Ready was still a little nervous, recited some dog poetry he had made. It went something like this: