A standard poodle or ‘caniche royal’. Poodles are well-known for their intelligence, but the hero of Nora Alleyne’s story seems to have scaled the heights of sagacity. Learning to roll in the mud so he could drive clients to his shoe-shining master is one thing, but getting from London to Paris in 1815, a year torn apart by European war, is quite another. He could not even do as a dog described by Jane Loudon did, and nonchalantly board a likely train: passenger railways would not be invented for another ten years. See Two Day Rovers, and The Stockton and Darlington Railway.
The officer was so delighted with the poodle’s cleverness, that he went at once to the shoe-black, who confessed that the dog was his and that he had taught him this trick for the good of trade. The officer then proposed to buy the dog, and offered the shoe-black such a large sum that he agreed to part with his ‘bread-winner’. So the officer, who was returning at once to England, carried the dog, by coach and steamer to London, where he tied him up for some time, in order that he should forget all about his old life, and be ready to make himself happy in the new one.
When he was set free, however, the poodle seemed restless and ill at ease, and after two or three days he disappeared entirely. What he did then, nobody knows, but a fortnight after he had left the London house, he was found, steadily plying his old trade, on the Pont Henri Quatre.*
From ‘The Animal Story Book’ (1914) edited by Andrew Lang (1844-1912). The text is by his wife, Leonora ‘Nora’ Blanche Alleyne (1851-1933).
* The Pont Royal over the River Seine in Paris.
Questions for Critics
1. What is the author aiming to achieve in writing this?
2. Note any words, devices or turns of phrase that strike you. How do they help the author communicate her ideas more effectively?
3. What impression does this passage make on you? How might you put that impression into words?
Based on The English Critic (1939) by NL Clay, drawing on The New Criticism: A Lecture Delivered at Columbia University, March 9, 1910, by J. E. Spingarn, Professor of Comparative Literature in Columbia University, USA.
Précis
It turned out that the shoe-black had taught the poodle to do this as a way of drumming up trade, which tickled the Englishman so much that he bought the dog and took him home to London. At the first opportunity, however, the dog bolted, and two weeks later he was spotted in Paris, up to his old tricks. (59 / 60 words)
It turned out that the shoe-black had taught the poodle to do this as a way of drumming up trade, which tickled the Englishman so much that he bought the dog and took him home to London. At the first opportunity, however, the dog bolted, and two weeks later he was spotted in Paris, up to his old tricks.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 65 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 55 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: although, because, besides, may, must, ought, whereas, who.
Archive
Word Games
Spinners Find in Think and Speak
For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Crossing. Leave. Likely.
2 Ill. Saw. Second.
3 Before. First. Know.
Variations: 1. include direct and indirect speech 2. include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who 3. use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
Statements, Questions and Commands Find in Think and Speak
Use each word below in a sentence. Try to include at least one statement, one question and one command among your sentences. Note that some verbs make awkward or meaningless words of command, e.g. need, happen.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Order. 2 Bridge. 3 Walk. 4 Trouble. 5 Ease. 6 Coach. 7 Back. 8 Offer. 9 Man.
Variations: 1. use a minimum of seven words for each sentence 2. include negatives, e.g. isn’t, don’t, never 3. use the words ‘must’ to make commands 4. compose a short dialogue containing all three kinds of sentence: one statement, one question and one command
Opposites Find in Think and Speak
Suggest words or phrases that seem opposite in meaning to each of the words below. We have suggested some possible answers; see if you can find any others.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1.
Buy.
2.
Few.
3.
Keep.
4.
Know.
5.
Large.
6.
More.
7.
Most.
8.
New.
9.
Winner.
Variations: 1.instead of opposites, suggest words of similar meaning (synonyms). 2.use a word and its opposite in the same sentence. 3.suggest any 5 opposites formed by adding in-.
High Tiles Find in Think and Speak
Make words (three letters or more) from the seven letters showing below, using any letter once only. Each letter carries a score. What is the highest-scoring word you can make?
x
0
Add
Your Words ()
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