A Dog and Three Dollars by M. Twain
A DOG AND THREE DOLLARS by M. Twain
I have always believed that a man must be honest. “Never ask for money you have not earned”, I always said.
Now I shall tell you a story which will show you how honest I have always been all my life.
A few days ago at my friend’s house I met General Miles. General Miles was a nice man and we became great friends very quickly.
“Did you live in Washington in 1867?” the general asked me.
“Yes, I did,” I answered.
“How could it happen that we did not meet then?” said General Miles.
“General”, said I. “We could not meet then. You forget that you were already a great general then, and I was a poor young writer whom nobody knew and whose books nobody read. You do not remember me, I thought, but we met once in Washington at that time.”
I remember it very well. I was poor then and very often I did not have money even for my bread. I had a friend. He was a poor writer too. We lived together. We did everything together: worked, read books, went for walks together. And when we were hungry, we were both hungry. Once we were in need of three dollars. I don’t remember why we needed these three dollars so much, but I remember well that we had to have the money by the evening.
“We must get these three dollars,” said my friend. “I shall try to get the money, but you must also try.”
I went out of the house, but I did not know where to go and how to get the three dollars. For an hour I was walking along the streets of Washington and was very tired. At last I came to a big hotel. “I shall go in and have a rest,” I thought.
I went into the hall of the hotel and sat down on a sofa. I was sitting there when a beautiful small dog ran into the hall. It was looking for somebody. The dog was nice and I had nothing to do, so I called it and began to play with it.
I was playing with the dog, when a man came into the hall. He wore a beautiful uniform and I knew at once that he was General Miles. I knew him by his pictures in the newspapers. “What
I have always believed that a man must be honest. “Never ask for money you have not earned”, I always said.
Now I shall tell you a story which will show you how honest I have always been all my life.
A few days ago at my friend’s house I met General Miles. General Miles was a nice man and we became great friends very quickly.
“Did you live in Washington in 1867?” the general asked me.
“Yes, I did,” I answered.
“How could it happen that we did not meet then?” said General Miles.
“General”, said I. “We could not meet then. You forget that you were already a great general then, and I was a poor young writer whom nobody knew and whose books nobody read. You do not remember me, I thought, but we met once in Washington at that time.”
I remember it very well. I was poor then and very often I did not have money even for my bread. I had a friend. He was a poor writer too. We lived together. We did everything together: worked, read books, went for walks together. And when we were hungry, we were both hungry. Once we were in need of three dollars. I don’t remember why we needed these three dollars so much, but I remember well that we had to have the money by the evening.
“We must get these three dollars,” said my friend. “I shall try to get the money, but you must also try.”
I went out of the house, but I did not know where to go and how to get the three dollars. For an hour I was walking along the streets of Washington and was very tired. At last I came to a big hotel. “I shall go in and have a rest,” I thought.
I went into the hall of the hotel and sat down on a sofa. I was sitting there when a beautiful small dog ran into the hall. It was looking for somebody. The dog was nice and I had nothing to do, so I called it and began to play with it.
I was playing with the dog, when a man came into the hall. He wore a beautiful uniform and I knew at once that he was General Miles. I knew him by his pictures in the newspapers. “What