The Adventures of Toto (2)
Kuvakäsikirjoitus Teksti
- Toto was now transferred to a big cage in the servants’ quarters where a number of Grandfather’s pets lived very sociably together — a tortoise, a pair of rabbits, a tame squirrel and, for a while, my pet goat.
- "Sir,you have dog with you. You'll have to pay for it accordingly.
- But the monkey wouldn’t allow any of his companions to sleep at night; so Grandfather, who had to leave Dehra Dun next day to collect his pension in Saharanpur, decided to take him along. Unfortunately I could not accompany Grandfather on that trip, but he told me about it afterwards. A big black canvas kit-bag was provided for Toto. This, with some straw at the bottom, became his new abode. When the bag was closed, there was no escape.
- What must I pay for this, since you charge for all animals.
- "No charge. It is not a dog".
- Toto remained in the bag as far as Saharanpur, but while Grandfather was producing his ticket at the railway turnstile.
- Toto suddenly poked his head out of the bag and gave the ticket collector a wide grin. Grandfather took Toto out of the bag and he proved that Toto is not a dog and quadruped. Toto was classified a dog by the ticket-collector ;and three rupees was the sum handed over as his fare.
- Then Grandfather, just to get his own back, took from his pocket our pet tortoise, and said, “What must I pay for this, since you charge for all animals?” The ticket-collector looked closely at the tortoise, prodded it with his forefinger, gave Grandfather a pleased and triumphant look, and said, “No charge. It is not a dog.”
- When Toto was finally accepted by Grandmother he was given a comfortable home in the stable, where he had for a companion the family donkey, Nana.
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