Pierrot, Dog of Belgium

by Walter A. Dyer

In a few days he came again in a motor car and brought them a big box. He bade them be of good courage and said that he might bring more later. He was a very brisk, businesslike sort of person, but not unkindly. Then he hurried off again.

The family gathered closely around as Gran’père opened the box, and very excitedly they watched him take out flour, tea, sugar, and clothing. Then Mère Marie fell on her knees beside her bunk and buried her head in her arms, and they all waited with bowed heads while she sent up her thanks.

Then they began examining the clothing. There was a gray fur coat for Mère Marie, worn bare at the collar and wrists, but very warm. There were shoes and stockings and underclothes, a red jacket that could be cut down for Lisa, and some cloth that could be made into a coat for Henri. For Gran’père there was a strange garment that he afterward learned was a sweater. It was thick and black and had a big green D on the front of it. Gran’père did not understand the meaning of the letter, but he found the garment very warm.

Down in the bottom of the box there was a child’s book with the most wonderful pictures of fairies and queer people all in bright colours, and verses in a strange tongue; and there was a roll of cotton bandages and some medicines in bottles.

They were all quite overjoyed until Henri said, “Now if only Père Jean would come back.”

Mère Marie grew sober at that, and wee Lisa added, “And big, shaggy old Pierrot.”

It was night by this time, and as they had no lights Mère Marie said they must all go to bed. But suddenly Henri’s sharp ears caught a strange sound of sniffing and scratching at the door. Then came a short, sharp bark.

Henri ran and opened the door, and there stood good old Pierrot himself, very gaunt and thin, but Pierrot!

Little Lisa ran and fell squarely upon him, as she had been wont to do in the old, happy days, and a little yelp of pain escaped him. Gran’père pulled her gently away, and poor old Pierrot did his best to leap gayly upon them with little whines of delight, to show how glad he was.