There was one lesson that he hated most of all. 

 I used to balance a piece of meat on his nose and make 

 him keep it there until the word to take it came. 

 Time after time he would close his eyes as if the sight 

 of the meat was more than he could bear, and his 

 mouth would water so from the savoury smell that 

 long streels of dribble would hang down on either 

 side. 



It seems unnecessary and even cruel to tantalise 

 a dog in that way ; but it was not : it was education ; 

 and it was true kindness. It taught him to under- 

 stand his master, and to be obedient, patient, and 

 observant ; it taught him not to steal ; it saved him 

 from much sickness, and perhaps death, by teaching him 

 not to feed on anything he could find ; it taught him 

 manners and made it possible for him to live with 

 his master and be treated like a friend. 



Good feeding, good care, and plenty of exercise 

 soon began to make a great change in Jock. He ceased 

 to look like a beetle grew bigger everywhere, not 

 only in one part as he had done at first ; his neck grew 

 thick and strong, and his legs straightened up and 

 filled out with muscle. The others, seeing him 

 every day, were slow to notice these things, but my 

 sand had been changed into gold long ago, and they 

 always said I could not see anything wrong in Jock. 



There was one other change which came more slowly 

 and seemed to me much more wonderful. After his 

 morning feed, if there was nothing to do, he used to 

 go to sleep in some shady place, and I remember well 

 one day watching him as he lay. His bit of shade 



