s
head to long for Dame Fossie's celebrated black and white spotted
china dog!

All the village knew this dog, for it had stood for years on a shelf
above the collection of treasures in the shop window. It was not an
ordinary china dog such as you can see in any china shop now-a-days,
but one of the old-fashioned kind, on which the designer had (like
the early masters) expended all his art upon the dignity of expression
without harassing himself with petty details.

Proudly Dame Fossie's dog looked down upon the world, sitting erect,
with his golden padlock and chain glittering in any stray gleams of
sunshine; his white coat evenly spotted with black, his long drooping
ears, neat row of carefully-painted black curls across the forehead,
and that proud smile which, though the whole village had been smitten
down before him, would still have remained unchangeable.

It was this wonderful superiority of expression that had first
attracted 'Zekiel as he played about on the floor of Dame Fossie's
parlour.

The china dog never looked at him with friendly good-fellowship, like
the other dogs of the village. It never wanted to share his crusts, or
upset him by running up against his legs just as he thought he had
mastered the difficulties of "walking like Granny!"

It was altogether a strangely attractive animal, and 'Zekiel, from the
time he could first indistinctly put a name to anything, had
christened it the "Fozzy-gog" out of compliment to its owner, Dame
Fossie--and the "Fozzy-gog" it remained to him, and to the other
children of the village, for ever after.

When 'Zekiel was nearly six years of age Granny Pyetangle called him
up to her, and asked what he would like for his birthday present.

'Zekiel sat down on a wooden stool in the chimney corner, where the
iron pot hung, and meditated deeply.

"Eli and Hercules to tea, and a Fozzy-gog to play with," he said at
last--and Granny Pyetangle smiled and said she would see what she
could do--"'Zekiel was a good lad, and deserved a treat."

'Zekiel's birthday arrived, and the moment he opened his eyes he saw
that his grandmother had redeemed her promise.

On a rush chair beside his pillow stood the very double of the
Fozzy-gog!--yellow eyes, gold collar and padlock, black spots, and all
complete!

'Zekiel sprang up, and scrambled into his clothes as quickly as
possible. He danced round Granny Pyetangle in an ecstasy of delight,
and scarcely eat any breakfast, he w