Sometimes IT was small and sometimes IT was large,but always IT would stay with Bess wherever she went,crawling on the floor and climbing up the stairs and down the stairs,and sometimes on the wall.
One day when Bess was Outdoors,because she was afraid to go Indoors,she heard these sounds come from the garden next door:
"MEOWWW!"
"QUACK-QUACK!"
"WOOOF-WOOOF!"
Then up in the tree came jumping a CAT!
Through the hedge came scuttling a DUCK,then cameanother DUCK!
And then came ANGUS!
Bess was so surprised she forgot to be SHY,so she also forgot to be afraid.So—
Bess ran with Angus after the Ducks!
"WOOOOF-WOOF!"said Angus.
"WHOOF-WHOOOF!"said Bess.
Around the garden they chased the Ducks,down the path and through the gate,up the road.And then in,the Ducks ran to the garden where they belonged.
"Woooof!"said Angus and wagged his tail.
"Whooof!"said Bess,and she stuck up her ears and wriggled her middle and wriggled her back and WAGGED her tail!
That is how Angus taught Bess to forget to remember to be SHY,and so Bess was never afraid of things any more.
Now every day Bess and Angus and the Cat all PLAY together and Bess is always called,"WAG-TAIL-BESS!"
Because she sticks up her ears and WAGS her tail and SMILES as an Airedale should.