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Hero is our dog, the best dog in the world we think.
Here is a picture of him.
See how large he is!
What a fine head he has!
His name was Jack when he was a little fellow. Uncle Jack gave him to us when he went away.
“Here, children!” he said, “here is a playfellow for you. I must go away to sea. I cannot play with you nor take care of you again for a long time.
“But this fellow, this Jack, will take my place. He will play all the time, if you like. And he will help to take care of you, too.”
So he did. When we were out at play, Jack was with us. If we went to the woods for flowers, Jack went too.
If we were sent to get the milk, Jack ran along. If we went to school, Jack went too, and lay down by the door until recess.
Everybody liked Jack, but Jack liked us best of all.
If any boy wanted to tease Jack, he played that he meant to hurt us.
Then Jack would stay close beside us, and growl at him until he became afraid and stopped his fun.
“Good Jack! good old fellow!” we would say, patting him upon the head. “We are safe when you are with us.”
But I must tell you how we came to call him Hero.
Baby May was playing in the yard. We were taking care of her, Helen and I. After a while we began to play tag.
Of course May could not run fast, but she tried to play, because she liked to do what we did.
She toddled after us, but we ran so fast that we were out of her sight before we knew it.
We did not know what happened until afterwards.
Baby toddled out into the road, and tried to follow us. She did not see the runaway horses that came rushing down the road toward her.
She only saw Helen and me running away from her.
On ran the horses! They were our own, and father was holding the reins; but the horses were mad with fear, and he could not guide them.
Father saw Baby in the road. He shouted to her to run, but she only looked up, and stood still with fright in the middle of the road.
The tramping feet were close upon our baby, but help was nearer yet.
Jack had heard the shout, he had seen little May, and he sprang to save her.
With one bound he reached the middle of the road. He seized the baby’s dress with his teeth, and dragged her out of the horses’ path.
The wheels touched her dress as they passed.
The horses ran to the barn and stopped. Father sprang to the ground and ran back to find Baby.
She was safe and sound, but crying with fear.
Brave old Jack stood beside her, licking her hand, and trying to say, “Don’t be afraid; don’t cry, I am here.”
You can see now why we changed Jack’s name. Uncle Jack said we ought to call him Hero, because he saved Baby May’s life.
Nobody ever said anything to us about running away and leaving Baby; but how Helen and I wished that we had been as faithful as Hero!
中文阅读
我们养的狗，名叫英雄。我们觉得它是天下最好的狗了。
这儿是一幅英雄的像。
看，英雄的个儿多大啊！
英雄的脑袋多漂亮啊！
英雄还是只小狗的时候，名叫杰克。杰克叔叔出远门的时候，把这只小狗送给了我们。
他说：“孩子们，瞧！这是你们的玩伴。我要出海去啦，要有好长一段时间不能跟你们玩，也不能照顾你们了。
“不过这个伙计，杰克，会来替我的。要是你们喜欢，它一天到晚都能跟你们玩，也能帮着照顾你们。”
杰克也真是这样。我们出去玩的时候，杰克就跟着我们。要是我们上林子里去摘花，杰克也跟着去。
大人叫我们去买牛奶，杰克就跟着我们一路跑。我们上学，杰克也跟着去，卧在教室门口直到放学。
大家都喜欢杰克，可杰克最喜欢我们。
要是有哪个男孩子想逗杰克，杰克的表情就好像那个男孩要伤害我们似的。
杰克就会守在我们身边，冲男孩子汪汪直叫，直到最后他害怕了，不闹了，杰克方才罢休。
我们会一边说：“好杰克！老伙计！”一边拍着杰克的脑袋，“有你在，我们就没事儿！”
不过，我必须告诉你，我们为什么管它叫英雄。
有一天，小女孩梅梅
在院子里玩。梅梅年纪还很小，我和海伦要照顾她。过了一会儿，我们就玩起捉人游戏来。
当然，梅梅还跑不快，不过她也努力在玩，想跟我们做一样的事。
她摇摇摆摆地追在我们身后，可是我们跑得太快了，不知不觉就跑得太远，梅梅都看不见了。
后来，我们才知道出了什么事。
小梅梅走到了大路上，想要追上我们。她没看见有几匹惊马
正沿着大路朝她冲过来。
她只看见我跟海伦跑远了。
马匹还在往前冲！这几匹马是我们家的，爸爸拼命勒住缰绳，可是马都吓疯了，爸爸也控制不了。
爸爸看见了路上的小梅梅，冲着梅梅大喊，让她快跑。可梅梅只是抬头看，一动不动地站在路中间，吓傻了。
狂奔的马蹄离小梅梅近了，可是，还有一个帮手更近。
杰克已经听见了喊声，也看见了小梅梅，向前窜了出去，要救梅梅。
杰克只一跳，就跳到了路中间，咬住孩子的衣服，把她拽出了马匹要冲过的地方。
马匹冲过去的时候，车轮擦过了梅梅的衣服！
惊马冲向谷仓，终于停了下来。爸爸跳到地上，赶紧往回跑，要找孩子。
梅梅一点事也没有，只是吓得大哭了起来。
勇敢的老杰克站在梅梅旁边，舔着她的手，像是在说：“别害怕，别哭，有我呢！”
现在你明白了，我们为什么要给杰克改名了。杰克叔叔说，我们应该叫杰克“英雄”，因为杰克救了小梅梅一命。
我们不顾梅梅，自己跑开了。没人因为这个责备我们，可是，我和海伦多么希望，我们当初也能跟英雄一样忠心啊！