The Story My Doggie Told to Me

by Ralph Henry Barbour

Across the aisle from us were a lot of big, long-haired dogs with pointed noses. I heard William say they were collies. They did nothing but bark all the time. They were the most excited dogs I ever saw. Further along were some fox terriers, and besides those there were all kinds of other dogs whose names I didn’t know.

All the time dogs were going by on chains, and Sigismund said they were going to the judging pen. I couldn’t see the judging pen but I could hear people clapping their hands, and every little while a dog would pass us with a blue or a red or a yellow ribbon on his collar which the judges had given him. And if it was a blue ribbon he would look very, very proud, and if it was another coloured ribbon he looked just a little bit proud. I asked Sigismund if it was very hard being judged and he said it wasn’t and that he usually took a nap while it was going on.

It got very warm in the tent after a while and William gave us some fresh water and a piece of biscuit, which was all we had for dinner. Pretty soon after that a man in overalls went around saying: “Class 49, Dachshunds! All entries to the judging pen!” Then William made us jump down and he and the Master led us to where there was a square pen fenced off with boards. All around it on the outside were people looking over the top of the fence. Inside there were many dachshunds when we got there and more followed us through the gate. Sigismund was there, too, with his mistress. He winked at me and then closed his eyes and looked exactly as if he was going to sleep!

Presently we all began to walk around in a circle at the end of our chains while two men stood in the centre of the pen and watched us. Then we stopped walking and the two men came and looked us all over, and one by one we stood on a little platform in the centre and the two judges felt of us and pulled us and looked into our mouths and made me very nervous. But when my time came I remembered what William had taught me and what Mother had said and stood very quiet and held my head up and stretched my legs out. It really wasn’t bad at all because the man who judged me was very gentle and I didn’t mind what he did.

After me three other dogs went on the box and were judged. And then the two judges talked together a minute and went over to a little table in one corner and picked up some ribbons and came back. I wondered whether they would give one of them to William, and they did, but it was a red ribbon and William didn’t look very pleased even if he did say “Thank you” quite nicely. A very handsome dog named Champion Hillside Carl got the blue ribbon, which was the first prize. I was sorry I had got only the second prize because William looked so disappointed.

Then it was Freya’s turn to try and she and five other girl-dogs were put on the box one after the other, and Freya looked so pretty that the people watching over the fence clapped their hands. That pleased Freya and she wagged her tail and smiled at the judge and he patted her head. And when it was all over the judge walked right up to the Master and gave him the blue ribbon, and every one clapped some more and all the dogs barked. William didn’t feel so badly after Freya had got the first prize.

I thought then that we would be led back to our bench, but it seemed that we were to try for other prizes first. There were prizes for what they called “novices,” which were dogs who had never been in a show before. There was a prize for boy novices and one for girl novices, and Freya and I each won a first, and by that time William was all smiles. Then Freya and I were judged as a pair and we each got a second prize. The first prize went to Champion Hillside Carl and a girl-dog who was quite good-looking but not nearly so pretty as Freya.

Then we went back to the bench and William and the Master said how well we had done and how nicely we had behaved in the pen. Besides the lovely ribbons, which had gold letters on them and which William at once hung up at the back of the bench, we had won money. Freya had won eleven dollars and I had won nine. The Master said we should each have a fine new collar. I wanted to wear my ribbons, but William wouldn’t let me. Sigismund had not won anything at all and I was very sorry for him, and told him so. But he only laughed.

“I didn’t expect to,” he said. “I never do. For my part I’d much rather stay at home, but my Mistress likes this sort of thing. She told the judges that they didn’t know their business. She always tells them that. You did very well, you and your sister both. You’d have got that other blue if that Hillside Carl dog hadn’t been there. He’s been winning first prizes for two years now. I meet him everywhere I go. He’s an awfully stuck-up chap.” He yawned and stretched himself. “Well, it’s about over now and I shall be glad to get home again.”

I curled up and took a little nap and when I awoke William was taking the ribbons down and it was time to go home. We jumped back in the crate and pretty soon we were bumping along the road once more. Freya was still too excited to keep still, but I managed to get a few more winks of sleep on the way back. When we reached the stable Father and Mother were waiting for us and maybe they weren’t pleased when we told them about the prizes! Mother jumped around and licked our faces and barked. Father didn’t say much, but I could see that he was every bit as glad as Mother. When I told him about Champion Hillside Carl he sort of growled.