Rags (The Story of a Dog)

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
The car stopped and the shaggy little dog named Rags
was pushed into the street. Rag's owner was very angry.
That's the last slipper of mine. You all chew up,
he said, and sped away. Rags stood in the street.
So that was it, he thought, But he had had
so many slippers in his closet. How was I to

(00:24):
know he'd mind if I just chewed a few. The
street was wide and empty, and Rags was frightened. What
was the small dog to do? What could he do?
Of course, he must find another home. Suddenly Rags grew up.
He would never again chew a slipper. Up On the sidewalk,

(00:47):
he scrambled, ready for adventure. He didn't feel sad at all. Now, surely,
he thought, I can soon find a nice home. He
walked down the sidewalk, looking at every house. In front
of one was a lady watering her flowers. Rags walked
up to her politely. Woof, woof, he said, and wagged

(01:09):
his tail. The lady turned, Oh, you dirty, ragged creature,
she cried, get off my lawn, and with the hat
she turned the water upon him. Rags ran. He didn't
want a home in that lady's house or in her neighborhood.
Cold and wet and frightened, he ran along the street.

(01:33):
He was too tired to run anymore when he saw
a man rocking on the porch of a very pretty house.
Perhaps this man would give him a home. Rags stood still.
Did he dare go up and ask him? Timidly, he
crept up, stood very still, and wagged his tail. The

(01:53):
man looked over his glasses and said, well, well. Raggs
looked up him and said woof, which meant in dog language,
I need a home. Rags didn't see the cat on
the arm of the man's chair. He didn't know she
was there until arching her back. She sprang forward and
landed on his face. Rare, She screeched, Her claws were sharp.

(02:20):
She was telling him this isn't my home. Go away.
Rags ran. Yep, yip, yep, yepipp, he cried, He ran,
and he ran. The houses were smaller now and not
so close together. He saw some boxes on a vacant lot.
He went over, crawled into one, and went to sleep.

(02:41):
The boxes belonged to a little boy named Gary. He
was building a playhouse with him, and as soon as
he had carried in the wood and swept the walks.
He would call Grandma. Everything's done. May I play in
my box house now? Yes, dear, said Grandma. So Gary
hurried to the vacant lot. He was proud of his

(03:03):
box house. For days he had worked dragging the boxes
to this grassy spot and nailing them together carefully. He
crawled inside. There in the corner lay Rags, fast asleep.
Why you, poor little dog, cried Gary. Rags woke up,
he said, whoof woof? Carry understood him. You want to

(03:26):
stay with me, don't you? He asked, woof, woof woof.
Rags answered, and Gary knew that he meant yes, yes, yes.
Gary gathered him in his arms. You're so ragged and dirty,
he said, I'm going to name you Rags, and Rags
said whoof, which meant all right, Grandma. Gary shouted as

(03:46):
he ran towards the kitchen, Rags has come to live
with us. When Grandma saw Rags, she dropped the potato
that she was peeling. It rolled across the floor. Good,
g is, Gary, where did you find him in my playhouse? Well?
I don't believe that I ever saw a dirty or

(04:09):
more ragged dog in my life. But isn't he Dear
Gary pleaded, Look, he's wagging his tail at you. Indeed,
Rags did wag his tail. He wagged, and he wagged.
Then he had a bright idea. He scooted it across
the floor, picked up the potato, and carried it to Grandma.

(04:30):
See Gary cried, Rags will be a helper. Rags stood still.
His brown eyes looked hopefully into Grandma's face. She hated
to turn him out, yet she could scarcely manage their
own meals and felt that she could never feed a
stray dog. She looked down at Rags. Well, we'll keep

(04:53):
them until tomorrow, she said, Then we will hunt a
home for him. Rags was happy. Grandma gave him some milk.
He said woof, woof for thank you, and lapped it
up hungrily. Then he played with Gary and took another nap.
Night came. Grandma put an old pillow on the kitchen floor.

(05:16):
It was warm by the stove, and Rags was happy.
He curled up and went to sleep. Grandma and Gary
went to sleep too. Suddenly Rags woke up sniff What
was that queer smell? There was a red light on
the wall near the chimney. Something was wrong. Rags stood up.

(05:40):
He didn't want anything to happen to this home. Woof, whoof.
Grandma jumped up and ran to the kitchen. Oh the
house is on fire, she screamed. Snatching the broom, she
beat at the flames, but she could not put them out.
She was wide awake. Now quickly she filled her dishpan

(06:01):
with water and threw it on the wall. Five dishpans
of water and the fire was out. Grandma stooped and
picked up the shaggy little dog. You saved our home,
she crooned softly, and you can stay with us always.
Rags licked her hands. Grandma didn't go back to bed.

(06:23):
She sat by the kitchen window with Rags in her lap.
It was almost warning. Grandma watched the clouds turn pink
and golden over the dark hills. She was very thankful
Rags had saved their home. After a while, Gary woke up,
and so did Rags. Grandma told Gary what had happened.

(06:44):
So we'll keep him, she said, but I don't know
how we will manage to feed him. Gary had an idea.
Come Rags, he said. Rags scampered down the street beside him,
They went to the meat mark, where the butcher was
just opening his doors. I want a job, said Gary.

(07:05):
Is there a some way I can earn meat for
my dog? The butcher looked into Gary's earnest face and
down at the little raggedy dog. I think so. I
need someone to sweep out the store every morning. Gary
set to work, and the store was soon clean. Then
the butcher wrapped up some meat and handed it to Gary.

(07:29):
Here's a dime. Besides, you did a fine job. Oh thanks,
gasped Gary. He ran down the street with Rags at
his heels. They burst into the kitchen. Grandma, I've got
a job, and here's meat for Rags and ten cents,
and I can do it every day. Rags was nosing

(07:49):
happily about his new home. Around the chairs and under
the curtains in the bedroom were two blue slippers. He
picked them up carefully and carried them to the kitchen
and laid them at Grandma's feet. Rags had grown up.
Rags would never choose slippers any more. End of Rags

(08:18):
The Story of a Dog by Karen Neman