Barks and Purrs | Page 5

often jostles me, holds my
paws together and rocks me in the air, pets me in excited fashion,
laughs aloud at me, imitates my voice too well--

TOBY-DOG, (moved with indignation)
You're very hard to please! I certainly love Him; he's good and pretends
not to see my faults, so that he won't have to scold, but She's the most
beautiful thing in the world to me, the dearest and--the most difficult to
understand. The sound of her step enchants me, her changeful eyes
dispense happiness--and trouble. She's like Destiny itself, she never
hesitates. Even torture from her hands--you know how She teases me?
KIKI-THE-DEMURE Cruelly.
TOBY-DOG
No, not cruelly, but artfully. I never can tell what's coming next. This
morning She bent down as if to speak to me, lifted one of my "tiny
elephant's ears," as She calls them, and sent a sharp cry into it, which
went to the very back of my brain.
KIKI-THE-DEMURE
Horrors!
TOBY-DOG
Was it right or wrong? I can't decide even now. It started waves of
nervousness running madly through me. Then, She has a fancy for
making me do tricks. Almost every day I must--"Do the Fish, Toby
dear." She lifts me in her arms and squeezes me until I gasp. My poor
dumb mouth opens as a carp's does when they're drowning it in air....
KIKI-THE-DEMURE
That's just like Her!
TOBY-DOG
Suddenly I find myself free--and still alive, miraculously saved by the
power of her will. How beautiful life seems to me then! How fondly I
lick the hand hanging at her side, the hem of her dress!

KIKI-THE-DEMURE, (contemptuously)
A pretty thing to do!
TOBY-DOG
All good and all evil come to me from Her. She is my worst torment
and my one sure refuge. When I run to her, my heart sick with fear,
how soft her arms are and how sweet her hair, falling in my face! I'm
her "black-baby," her "Toby-Dog," her "little bit o' love." She sits on
the ground to reassure me, making herself little like me--lies down
altogether and I go wild with delight at the sight of her face under mine,
thrown back in her fragrant hair. My feelings overflow, I can't resist
such a chance for a jolly good game. I rummage and fumble about,
excitedly poking my nose everywhere, till I find the crispy tip of a pink
ear--Her ear. I nibble it just enough to tickle her--to make her cry out:
"Stop, Toby! That's awful! Help! Help! This dog's devouring me!"
KIKI-THE-DEMURE
H'm! Simple, homely, wholesome joys! ... And then, off you go to
make friends with the cook.
TOBY-DOG And you,--with the cat at the farm.
KIKI-THE-DEMURE, (coldly)
Enough I pray, that concerns no one but myself ... and the little cat.
TOBY-DOG
A pretty conquest! It should make you blush--a seven-months-old
kitten!
KIKI-THE-DEMURE, (roused)
For me she has all the charm of forbidden fruit and no one dare steal
her from me. She is slim as a bean-pole....

TOBY-DOG, (aside)
You old rascal! KIKI-THE-DEMURE
... and long; poised on long legs she walks with the uncertain step
common to all young things. She hunts field-mice, shrew-mice--even
partridge, and this hard work in the fields has toughened her young
muscles and given a rather gloomy expression to her kitten-face.
TOBY-DOG
She's ugly.
KIKI-THE-DEMURE
No, not ugly, but odd-looking. Her muzzle with its very pink nostrils
strongly resembles that of a goat, her large ears remind one of a
peasant's coif, her eyes the color of old gold are set slant-wise, and their
naturally keen expression is varied by an occasional piquant squint.
With what a will does she fly me confounding modesty with fear! I
pass slowly by (one would think me quite uninterested), draped in my
splendid coat. She's struck by its stripes. Oh, she'll come back, a little
love-sick kitten, and putting aside all constraint she'll throw herself at
my feet--like a supple white scarf--
TOBY-DOG
I've no objection, you know.... I'm comparatively indifferent to all that
concerns love. Here my time's so completely filled ... physical
exercise ... my cares of watch-dog, I ... hardly give a thought to the
bagatelle.
KIKI-THE-DEMURE, (aside)
Bagatelle!... He indulges in the persiflage of a traveling salesman!
TOBY-DOG

I love--Her and Him devotedly, with a love that lifts me up to them. It
suffices to occupy my time and heart.
The hour of our siesta is passing, my scornful friend. Do you know, I
like you in spite of your scorn and you like me, too. Don't turn your
head away, your peculiar modesty would hide what you call frailty and
what I call love. Do you think me blind? How often, on coming back to
the house with Her, have I seen your little triangular face at the window,
light up and