Mysteries
Though Red Dog could romp in any field or woods, or take a nap beside any road or ditch, never could he enter the house. The only place I ever went without him was into the house. If I came outside wearing clothes different from those I had worn when I entered the house, Red Dog would look at me in amazement. "Red Dog," I'd say, "do you think that when I go inside the house I become someone else? Do you think that inside the house I travel to other worlds, or do magical things? When you stand beside the screen door hearing voices and music on the radio, do you think that inside I'm having a party with elves and gnomes? Sometimes I laughed when I thought about what Red Dog must have imagined as he sat outside the screen door. Yes: What went on inside Red Dog's mind was my favorite mystery. Once I thought about letting Red Dog come inside -- just for a few moments -- so I could watch his face as he looked around. But, I never did. |
In Red Dog's life, no mystery was greater than that of
the house.