CONCERNING THE PEKINESE 



that he was a Lion, in Pekin) was born on the roof of 

 the Imperial Palace in High Street, Kensington. His 

 appearance and behaviour are such as bear testimony to 

 his princely lineage. We let him run a great deal when 

 he was a puppy, with the result that his legs are a little 

 longer than is usual with members of the Imperial Dynasty, 

 but " Grandpa "Stop ! It is as well to explain from the 

 outset that, since the advent of Loki in the family, Grandpa 

 is the name that has devolved, automatically, upon the 

 Master of the House : the infant Loki's mistress having 

 assumed, from the very necessity of things, the post and 

 responsibility of mother <in Pekinese ma-ma>, it must follow 

 as the night the day that her father "illico" became 

 Grandpa. To resume : though his legs are a trifle longer 

 than is usual, the Master of the House says he is much 

 more beautiful by reason of this distinction. And we all 

 agree with him. 



Loki will not believe that the Manchu masters have fallen 

 in China <of course it is not from us that he has heard 

 these distressing rumours), so he still demands as his right 

 the best silk eiderdowns to lie upon, satin for his cushions, 

 grilled kidney for his breakfast, freshly poured water in his 

 bowl every time he wants to drink / and expects immediate 

 attention at lunch and dinner-time, play-time, " bye-bye"-time, 

 and all the other times when he thinks he would like his 

 chest rubbed. He sits up and waves his paws with im- 

 perious gesture ,- or else rolls over on his back and puts 

 them together in an attitude of prayer. He had not at 

 first much oriental calm about him. Indeed, when he first 

 came to us his one desire was to play with every living 

 thing he saw, from a cow to a chicken/ but the cow 



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