Thy Servant, a Dog

by Rudyard Kipling

Thy Servant, A Dog by Rudyard Kipling Joseph Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936) was a British author and poet, born in India, and best known today for his children's books, including The Jungle Book (1894), The Second Jungle Book (1895), Just So Stories (1902), and his novel, Kim (1901). Among his short stories are "The Man Who Would Be King" (1888) and the collections Life's Handicap (1891), The Day's Work (1898), and Plain Tales from the Hills (1888). He is regarded as a major "innovator in the art of the short story"; his children's books are enduring classics of children's literature; and his best work speaks to a versatile and luminous narrative gift. Kipling was one of the most popular writers in English, in both prose and verse, in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. In 1907, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, making him the first English language writer to receive the prize, and he remains today its youngest-ever recipient. Among other honours, he was offered the British Poet Laureateship and a knighthood, both of which he refused. We are delighted to publish this classic book as part of our extensive Classic Library collection. Many of the books in our collection have been out of print for decades, and therefore have not been accessible to the general public. The aim of our publishing program is to facilitate rapid access to this vast reservoir of literature, and our view is that this is a significant literary work, which deserves to be brought back into print after many decades. The contents of the vast majority of titles in the Classic Library have been scanned from the original works. To ensure a high quality product, each title has been meticulously hand curated by our staff. Our philosophy has been guided by a desire to provide the reader with a book that is as close as possible to ownership of the original work. We hope that you will enjoy this wonderful classic work, and that for you it becomes an enriching experience.

Genres: Fiction, Animals, Childrens, Classics, Dogs, Humor, Roman

106 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1930

About the author

Joseph Rudyard Kipling was a journalist, short-story writer, poet, and novelist.

Kipling's works of fiction include The Jungle Book (1894), Kim (1901), and many short stories, including The Man Who Would Be King (1888). His poems include Mandalay (1890), Gunga Din (1890), The Gods of the Copybook Headings (1919), The White Man's Burden (1899), and If— (1910). He is regarded as a major innovator in the art of the short story; his children's books are classics of children's literature; and one critic described his work as exhibiting "a versatile and luminous narrative gift".

Kipling was one of the most popular writers in the United Kingdom, in both prose and verse, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Henry James said: "Kipling strikes me personally as the most complete man of genius (as distinct from fine intelligence) that I have ever known." In 1907, at the age of 41, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, making him the first English-language writer to receive the prize, and its youngest recipient to date. He was also sounded out for the British Poet Laureateship and on several occasions for a knighthood, both of which he declined.

Awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1907 "in consideration of the power of observation, originality of imagination, virility of ideas and remarkable talent for narration which characterize the creations of this world-famous author."

Kipling kept writing until the early 1930s, but at a slower pace and with much less success than before. On the night of 12 January 1936, Kipling suffered a haemorrhage in his small intestine. He underwent surgery, but died less than a week later on 18 January 1936 at the age of 70 of a perforated duodenal ulcer. Kipling's death had in fact previously been incorrectly announced in a magazine, to which he wrote, "I've just read that I am dead. Don't forget to delete me from your list of subscribers."

Reviews

[Ensiform · Rating 4 out of 5]

A novella composed of three long stories, as narrated by Boots, a terrier owned by an affluent British couple in the country.

In the first eponymous story, Boots tells how his master met and married a woman with another terrier named Slippers. Written in fractured and limited English, the story is a series of the two dogs’ simple adventures, from nipping at cows to rolling in bad smells to welcoming the couple’s new baby. And they meet Ravager, a hunting hound, who grows from a clumsy puppy to a strong, “dretful” pack leader, but remains their friend.

In “The Great Play Hunt,” Ravager, after being hit by a car and can no longer run with the pack, is given to the now older boy. The three dogs stage a hunt for the boy’s benefit and pleasure with the collaboration of Tags, a lame, friendly fox.

In “Toby Dog,” they meet a trick dog owned by a cockney con artist; Toby helps the pensioned Ravager get some pride back through his trickery. All wonderful, funny and heart-warming stories. But Ravager gets sicker, strains himself, and dies; this would be bad enough, but the book just ends there, with Boots mourning his friend, miserable and not understanding why he will not “unsleep” and why they have put him in dirt like a bone. A very bleak and abrupt ending to such a joyous series of tales; it made me upset.

[Saturday's Child · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a find in an antique shop so apart from the subject; I just had to buy it for the wonderful illustrations and binding.

[Shazza Maddog · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found a note from a friend dated some years ago that told me I needed to read this book, having a great love for pointy-eared, bearded, nosy, little terriers. My friend knew I would love it.

Fast forward some years and I happened across that note again and thought, "Yes, yes I do need to read this book."

So I requested it from interlibrary loan and I do love this book.

...I also love that the copy sent to me from interlibrary loan was printed in Great Britain in the 1930s and is in such incredible shape. I half-don't want to send it back.

The story is in three chapters, told from the point of view of Boots, a little black terrier (possibly a Scottie?). He has his Own God, his Master, and when his Master marries the Missus, there is a second black terrier, Slippers.

The story is very much about the country life, with the Master and Missus leaving and returning with a baby, with Boots making friends with a fox hound, Ravager, with Ravager, Slippers, and Boots protecting the baby from a bull.

The second part of the story is mostly about the baby growing up to be about six, and wanting to learn how to fox hunt. Ravager by this time is mostly blind but he and a local lame fox work together to give the boy a good hunt. Boots and Slippers help Ravager by guiding him when necessary and 'chasing' the fox, Tags, all to the joy of the Master, the boy, and all the canines involved.

The final chapter involves another terrier, Toby, whom is adopted by the Master, Missus, and the boy when he (Toby) is "sick". Slippers and Boots are both wary of Toby, who knows a variety of strange tricks as he is the dog of a street performer, but Toby makes up with Ravager and the other two dogs make friends with him as well. Toby decides to take down the hound who took Ravager's place in the hunt.

The very end of the book is quite sad.

The copy I read has amazing drawings of the dogs, some images of the fox hunts, one of the cat.

[Robert Hepple · Rating 4 out of 5]

First published in 1930, 'Thy Servant A Dog' is a collection of 5 short stories and 2 poems about dogs, many of which are told from the dogs perspective. Having noted the glowing reviews given to this book by dog owners, and not being a dog owner myself, I was pleasantly surprised by the book and enjoyed it immensely.

[Rian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 7,5 - bijna 8

Ik had nog nooit van dit boek gehoord, tot een bladzijde uit Cain’s Jawbone hierheen verwees en ik dit hele boek heb gelezen (eigenlijk zelfs twee keer) in de hoop om wat vragen te beantwoorden. Het was legit best een grappig hondenverhaal!

[Mel Shield · Rating 3 out of 5]

Only 3 stars, but one I would recommend.

A collection of short stories and a handful of poems regarding or from the perspective of dogs.

The first 3 shorts are difficult reads due to their simplicity (they were "written" by a dog, after all) and the passage of time (some items, manners or people being described are effectively foreign to a modern, working class Brit). As a result I lost some of the connection I may otherwise have built. Despite this, they were wonderful reads and I applaud Kipling for his approach - it is easy throughout to remember you're reading the work of a dog.

There was a bit of humour in the Sea Dog story, though a lot of the tale was over my head. Again, a symptom of the change of times.

The story about a truffle hunting dog was my favourite of the shorts, admittedly as it was the easiest to follow.

The standouts from the collection were the poems, particularly Black Abderdeen and His Apologies.

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

I rarely give up on a book, but this one I know I don't want to bother finishing. The narration by the dog is so cutesy and stilted that it is very annoying. The family this dog lives with is also so different from my own experience (being apparently the a very wealthy family in the 1920s) that sometimes I don't know what is going on - since things obliquely referred to in cutesy "dog-speak", being unfamiliar, are a little hard to figure out. Mostly, though, I understood but wasn't interested. The dog-speak doesn't even make sense. They are able to tell each other their names, and also to communicate back and forth with the cat, relatively complex information, while not able to understand much else.

[Pierre Stolte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rudyard continually catches me off guard, and this collection of three stories kept up the trend.

It's a light little romp from the dogs' perspective, and yet very moving by the end.

At least I didn't scream "Noooooo!" like when I was reading The Light That Failed.

[Patrizia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mi sono imbattuta in questo piccolo gioiello per caso, alla ricerca della soluzione di un enigma, e l'ho divorato in poche ore. Scritto evidentemente per bambini, descrive il mondo umano visto attraverso gli occhi e le esperienze di un cane, da cucciolo ad adulto. Assolutamente delizioso.

[Chris Purser · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting collection of short stories.

[✧°･｡ leda ｡･°✧ · Rating 3 out of 5]

10/14 but still counts

[Agnese · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un libro piccolo, senza pretese, semplice e divertente, genuino e affettuoso. Proprio come Stivalino, il cane che narra in prima persona. Questo racconto di Kipling (certo meno noto di altri di sua produzione) prova a dare voce ai nostri fedeli compagni quadrupedi, cercando di immaginare come leggono le vicende quotidiane e come vedono i diversi umani che popolano la loro vita. Il risultato è una narrazione ingenua e spassosa, fatta di neologismi e perifrasi necessarie a identificare l'automobile ("cuccia-che-cammina") oppure la gatta che vivacchia in cucina (che diventa perciò "Gatta-cucina"). Stivalino vive vicende semplici con entusiasmo e stupore, organizza scorribande bonarie assieme agli amici Flagello e Pantoffo e guarda al padrone come a una divinità amorevole. Credo che i cani siano proprio questo: impagabili amici che, con lealtà e intima bontà, sono in grado di farci riflettere su quanto l'esistenza possa e debba andare al di là dei nostri inutili fronzoli esteriori.

[Fiona · Rating 3 out of 5]

Once I got used to the language I enjoyed the stories. The excellent illustrations bring Boots and his friends to life perfectly. I would have given this 4 or 5 stars if only it had ended more positively. I was genuinely upset at the end. Given it was published 5 years after World War 1 (in which Kipling lost a son) perhaps the book is a metaphor for the contrasting moods of pre and post war England. In that way it reminded me of Sassoon's 'Memoirs of a fox hunting man/Infantry Officer' books. Boots needs to process the reality of death abruptly ending his pastoral idyll in the same way that Sassoon (& post-modernists like TS Eliot) tried to process the reality of death abruptly ending theirs.

Maybe there is also a coming-of-age theme aimed at young readers as Boots learns that life is not all fun. I wish there could be a sequel in which we see Boots recover and have more adventures 'hunting' the cat and playing with his friends.

[Christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful and obscure collection of Kipling's stories and poems featuring dogs, most from the perspective of the dog or with a dog as the narrator. Since Kipling at his most artful tried to present everything from a dog's point of view--a car, for instance, is a "kennel-on-wheels"--it is not always easy at first to tell what is going on, but the context allows the reader to figure things out eventually. Always touching, never sentimental, these stories are a treat for dog lovers. Thanks, Colin!

[Iain Crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read this aged 9, and have loved it ever since. It encapsulates English rural upper class life in the 1920's; foxhunting, shooting, dangerous bulls, and of course, dogs. The illustrations are brilliant, and the childlike narration imputed to the central character, Boots, works well.