The Black-eyed Puppy
Copyright© 2026 by Katharine Pyle
Chapter 10
I HAD learned more about theatres now than I had known at first, and I had learned the names of a great many things about it.
The bright lights in front of the stage were called footlights. Then at each side of the stage were places called “boxes,” and they had chairs in them where people could sit, if they wanted to be very near the stage. When they sat in the boxes they were so near it was almost as though they were on the stage with us. Often there were a lot of children there, and I liked that because they laughed so loud and clapped their hands so hard when we did our tricks. But I didn’t pay so very much attention to anyone but Mr. Bonelli when I was on the stage. None of us did. We had to watch him and his little whip all the time if we were to do the right things.
This evening we had come with just our collars on, and we ran downstairs to the room where Mrs. Bonelli was and she dressed us, and we stayed down there with her until it was time for our act. Then Mr. Bonelli called us. We all ran upstairs together and out on the stage, wagging our tails. It was all just the way it had always been before, but somehow I felt different, and all excited. I kept sniffing and sniffing, and I felt as if Tommy was somewhere near.
We jumped up on our chairs, and Mr. Bonelli spoke to the people and they clapped, and then he came over and turned me round, and I kept turning back just the way I always did, until he said, “All right, Master Grineo, suit yourself then!”
At that I turned and faced the people, just as I always did, and grinned, and right then I heard Tommy’s voice. He was there in the box beside the stage, and he called out, and his voice was shrill, —”It is! It is, mamma! It’s Muffins!”
When I heard that I forgot everything. I jumped down and ran over to the box where Tommy was sitting, and jumped up against the side of it and barked and whined and tried to get to him; and he leaned down over the side of the box to get at me and reached down his hand to pat me, and I caught his hand in my mouth, I was so glad to see him.
Then the next thing Mr. Bonelli called to me sharp and quick, and came over toward me and made his whip whistle through the air.
I was scared and ran back with my tail between my legs and jumped up on the chair again.
The people in front began to talk and then the music struck up, and Mr. Bonelli went over and talked to Tommy. I didn’t hear what he said, but presently he turned to the people and held up his hand for the music to stop, and said, “My little clown dog found an old friend he had not seen for a long time. He forgot himself, but now he prays for you to forgive him, and he is ready to act again,” and all the people clapped.
So we went on. Graceful jumped, and we played ball and turned somersaults, and we rolled the barrels and did all the rest of the things, but I didn’t do very well, and once I fell off the barrel, and once I missed the ball. Mr. Bonelli kept smiling, but he came close to me and spoke to me in a low voice, but very sharp, and touched me with his whip, and then I did better.
At last It was all over. Mr. Bonelli bowed and the people clapped, and he bowed and bowed, and then we ran off the stage, and there, waiting for us, were Tommy and his father.
The father talked to Mr. Bonelli, and Tommy was down beside me patting me, and he kept saying, “Can’t I have him back, father? Can’t I?” until his father told him to be quiet.
He talked to Mr. Bonelli for a long time, Tommy’s father did; then he called Tommy to come, and I heard him say to Mr. Bonelli, “Then I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Tommy didn’t want to go, but he had to. He kept looking back at me, and when I saw he was going I wanted to follow him, but Mr. Bonelli wouldn’t let me. He put on my collar and strap, and I had to go home with him and Mrs. Bonelli and the other dogs.
But that wasn’t the end of it. The next day Tommy and his father came to Mr. Bonelli’s house. I was sitting on the sill of the front window looking out, and I saw them coming.
I jumped down and ran out into the hall to meet them.
When they came in I whined and barked and wagged my tail and jumped up on Tommy, and he was just as glad to see me as I was to see him.
We went into a room and Tommy and his father and Mr. Bonelli sat down and talked. I wanted to get up in the chair with Tommy, but Mr. Bonelli wouldn’t let me. He took me up on his knees, and all the while he was talking he kept smoothing me and gently pulling my ears.
At last Tommy and his father stood up, and Mr. Bonelli, too, and I scrambled down and ran over to Tommy, and Tommy caught his father by the arm and cried, “Can’t I take him now? Please!”
But his father shook his head. “You’ve heard what Mr. Bonelli says; he’ll have to train a dog to take his place before he can let him go.”
Then he and Mr. Bonelli shook hands, and Tommy said good-bye, and Tommy and his father went out and shut the door after them.