Terry | Page 7

you may frighten your grandma!"
Vulcan was quite in the spirit of the adventure, and trotted quietly
along with the children into the nursery.
Then the door was shut and the merriment began.
First of all the children took each one of his fore-paws and danced with
him many times round the room. Vulcan enjoyed the dance for a time,

and bore it patiently for another time, but at last he conveyed by a short
significant bark that he had had enough of it.
"Is he getting cross?" said Turly.
"No, but I'll tell you what it is," said Terry. "He gets tired sooner than
we do because we are accustomed to have only two legs to go with and
he is used to four. And we have taken away two of his legs. We have
been making arms of them."
"Yes indeed," said Turly, dropping the dog's paw.
"There now, Vulcan," said Terry, "you have got back all your legs, so
don't be grumbling. And don't let me hear you give that bark again or
there will be a fuss."
"What are you going to do with him now?" said Turly. "If he can't
dance about or bark what's the good of him?"
"I'll show you," said Terry. "Now, Vulcan, darling, you are going to sit
down in this nice large basket-chair, Nursey's chair, you know, and I'm
going to change you into such a dear old woman. You can't have a
nursery, you know, without a nurse, and you're going to be our nurse.
Mind him, Turly, until I get a few things. Here is Nurse Nancy's gown,
not her best stuff, nor her clean cotton, but the cotton she had on
yesterday morning. And here's her cap, the one she has put away for the
wash, and yet it's nice enough. Now sit up, Vulcan, and let me dress
you!"
"You are taking away two of his legs again, and he won't like it," said
Turly.
"Oh! he won't care now, because he is sitting. He doesn't want four legs
to sit with. Dancing was different. Now, Vulcan, hold yourself straight,
old fellow! There, doesn't the dress fit him nicely, at least when I turn
up the sleeves over his paws and tie an apron round his body to make
him a waist? Dear old Nursey hasn't got much of a waist neither; now,
has she, Turly? Vulcan, Vulcan, let me tie your cap-strings!"

Vulcan, who was more disturbed by his head-dress than by any other
part of his costume, made a great effort to be patient while his shaggy
ears were covered up in a forest of muslin frills. At last he was
completely dressed, and licked the end of Terry's little nose as she bent
over him to put the finishing touches to her work.
"Now, it's all right except the spectacles. Turly, Turly, look about for
Nurse's spectacles. Oh, there they are on the chimney-piece! Take them
out of the case quick, and give them to me."
The next minute Vulcan's patience met with its severest trial, when
Terry insisted on adjusting the spectacles on his eyes and nose
regardless of his growls of remonstrance.
"Now, Vulcan, darling, you know you couldn't be a proper nurse
without your glasses. How could you read the newspaper or your
prayer-book, or sew on the buttons? It is a pity your nose is so wide at
the top, and your eyes go so far round the corners, but it can't be helped.
I'm afraid I shall have to tie them on--"
At this moment the door opened and Nurse Nancy appeared.
"Oh, Nursey, isn't he lovely? Look at him!" cried Terry, running to her.
But Vulcan seemed to know he was now to be put in the wrong. He
jumped up, floundering about in Nurse Nancy's cotton gown, which
had got caught from the front so as to enable him to run.
Once out of the room, he vaulted over the little gate, and tumbled down
the first flight of stairs, the children hurrying after him in spite of Nurse
Nancy's imploring appeals.
Nurse herself was obliged to follow, and, descending, saw him rolling
along, tearing her gown into holes in his efforts to get on, the children
pursuing him with peals of delighted laughter.
Finally, the excited dog escaped through the open back-door into the
yard, where he flopped across, the paving-stones flowing with rain,

dragging Nurse's skirts behind him and buffeting her cap with his paws
till he got rid of it by rending it into a hundred fragments.
At last Vulcan settled himself back in his kennel with the drenched and
ragged remains of Nurse's gown and apron rolled around him, and with
an air of thankfulness for his escape from persecution.
The children had followed him