Miranda the Great Read Online Free PDF

the circular corner of the Colosseum, all of them, that is, except one.
    One dog stayed. This dog did not flee, and this dog would not go. She flattened herself down on the ground, like a great big floppy mop, and she would not go.
    Miranda settled herself down in front of the dog that would not go and studied her. Then she said gently, "Who are you, doggie? Are you Zag? Zaggie?"

8. Zag and Miranda

    The big dog sighed. "Uh-huh-huh-huh-hum." She was covered with grime and soot and ashes. There was mud in her big shaggy paws and floppy ears.
    "I know you," said Miranda again. "You are Zag."
    The dog gave a slow, tentative wag of her tail.
    "I know that you are Zaggie. In disguise," said Miranda, her eyes narrow and thoughtful. How Zag had got here, instead of being safe and sound with the family, was of no interest to Miranda, and she was not astonished. Always practical, Miranda rarely looked back on the past. Instead, she dealt with each moment and what it might bring with deft realism. "You can't fool me," she said. "You are Zag."
    One day last summer Marcus had had to shave off all of Zag's beautiful fur because of the heat and fleas. Even so, Miranda had recognized Zag. Punka hadn't. She had hissed at the strange-looking naked dog.
    "Now, Punka," Miranda had chided her daughter. "This is Zag, our dog, Zag," and she had gone up to Zag and kissed her gently on the nose, for she could see how ashamed Zag was of her appearance and how unwilling she was to come out of the corner. She did the same thing now. She went up to Zag, who was still shaking and trembling, and she touched her nose to Zag's three times, kissing her.
    Zag gave her tail another wag, and the little tuft at its end swept the ground. Then she lowered her head to Miranda, who began to wash her face. "Urr-rum," sobbed Zag, not minding the attention at all, not giving one slightest little annoyed groan. Then Zag put her great shaggy head between her huge tangled paws, lay down, and gave a profound sigh of relief.
    Now Punka came sidling out of the arcade, looking for her mother. There her mother was, washing the face of some dog. Just as Punka had not recognized Zag last summer when she had been shaved, so now she did not recognize her again beneath her matted fur. "Hiss!" she said.
    Miranda gave Punka a cross slap. "Don't you recognize this dog ever? Your own dog? It's Zag. Dear good roll-over dog, Zaggie. Zaggie, old Zaggie, old Zaggie, old Zag."
    Ashamed of herself, Punka cautiously approached Zag and smelled her. Zag spoke crossly to her, for she had never liked Punka as much as Miranda. Punka recognized the tone. "I knew it was Zag all along," she said. She was jealous and she tried, as she always had, to get between the two.
    But her mother said, "Go back and mind the kittens."
    "How unfair," thought Punka. But she went. Still, she wished she were back in their other real right first home, lying in the garden there, for the sight of Zag brought back those happy long-ago days. They seemed long ago, though they had ended so suddenly only yesterday. Consider those days! Sleep, sleep on the floor or sleep in the garden, and listen as in a dream to the loving words of members of the family. "Oh, isn't she beautiful! Look at that stomach! Silver, pure silver!" Not move a muscle when someone, even big Marcus, came clomping in his huge sandals. Let him or anyone step over her, and they did.
    Consider her life now! "Mind the kittens! Mind the lion that she doesn't eat you! Chase away dogs! Don't let broke-tail lizard cat on our side of the arena. Do as I say!" That was Punka's lot now. "Pshewoo!" Disgusted, Punka went back to the kittens and did not leap for them even when they said please.
    Then Miranda said to Zag, for she saw that a look of peace was beginning to settle on her face, "All right, Zag. Now you must come into my house, the Colosseum. And get some sleep and have something to eat. Be careful not to step on kittens. There are thirty-seven of them, I