johnnie green came home from his visit at last. the moment spot heard the old horse ebenezer come jogging up the road he tore out of the yard and ran, barking, to meet the travellers. he frisked about the buggy, he sprang up and touched ebenezer's nose with his own, he tried to jump into the buggy beside johnnie green.
spot made such a racket that everybody in the farmhouse knew that johnnie had returned. the family were just sitting down for dinner. and they all hurried out into the yard. for old dog spot was not the only one that had missed johnnie while he was away on his visit.
johnnie leaped out of the buggy, to be met by a smother of pawings and nosings from old spot.
"now, spot—you behave!" said johnnie green. "i'm hungry and i want to get my dinner."
spot paid not the slightest heed to his young master's objections. "you'll never know how i've missed you," he barked. "and if i want to romp with you for a few minutes, i'm going to; and nobody can stop me."
after a little spot grew a bit calmer. he let johnnie green turn to the buggy and lift out a covered basket.
spot promptly stuck his nose against it. then he drew back quickly.
"wow!" he exclaimed. "this basket smells doggy!"
spot followed johnnie into the house. and in the woodshed johnnie opened the basket and brought out of it a soft, silky, blinking—puppy!
"wow!" said spot again. "it was no wonder that i noticed a doggy smell about that basket." and then he said, "g-r-r-r!"
yes! spot actually growled at the little newcomer. for the moment he forgot that he had been wishing, for days, that there was a puppy about the place. to tell the truth, he couldn't help feeling the least bit jealous of johnnie green's new pet.
in a day or two, however, old spot liked the puppy as much as anybody else did. he proved to be a playful little chap. and the older he grew the more fun-loving he became.
there were no more dull days for old dog spot. when school opened in the fall he no longer moped around the farmhouse, waiting for johnnie to come home. the puppy kept him too busy to notice johnnie's absence.
at first spot found it very pleasant to roll on the ground with his small friend, and pretend to bite him, and upset him off his somewhat wobbly legs. but as time passed spot began to weary of never-ending play. there were moments when spot wanted to lie still and doze. but as soon as he had settled himself for a nap the puppy was sure to come bouncing up and sprawl all over him. he would seize one of spot's long ears between his teeth and give it a bit of a nip. sometimes he would even pull spot's tail.
of course nobody can sleep under such interruptions. spot learned that when he wanted to rest he had to hide in some place where the puppy couldn't follow him. and as the puppy became bigger spot found it harder to slip away from him. the youngster would trail spot into the barn and even as far as the hay-stack in the meadow.
once the old dog had wished for a puppy. now, however, he could scarcely wait for this lively youngster to grow into a dog.
a whole year passed before spot had any peace again. and when another summer had come, and johnnie green went visiting again, spot muttered with a deep groan:
"i hope johnnie will have sense enough not to bring another puppy with him when he comes home."
