Gerasimpickeduptheunluckylittledogwithonehand， putitintothebosomofhiscoat， andhurriedwithlongstepshomewards.
Hewentintohisgarret， puttherescuedpuppyonhisbed， covereditwithhisthickovercoat， ranfirsttothestableforstraw， ， andspreadingoutthestraw， hesetthemilkonthebedstead.
Thepoorlittlepuppywasnotmorethanthreeweeksold， itseyeswerejustopen—oneeyestillseemedratherlargerthantheother； itdidnotknowhowtolapoutofacup， ， ， sniffing， shakingitself， andchoking.
Allnightlonghewaswaitingonit， keepingitcovered， ， andsleptquietlyandhappilybyitsside.
—forthepupturnedouttobeabitch—wasveryweak， feeble， andugly， butbydegreesshegrewstrongerandimprovedinlooks， and， thankstotheunflaggingcareofherpreserver， ineightmonths' timeshewastransformedintoaveryprettydogofthespanielbreed， withlongears， abushyspiraltail， andlarge， expressiveeyes.
ShewasdevotedlyattachedtoGerasim， andwasneverayardfromhisside； ， andcalledherMumu， too.
Shewasveryintelligent， shewasfriendlywitheveryone， ， onhisside， lovedherpassionately， andhedidnotlikeitwhenotherpeoplestrokedher； whetherhewasafraidforher， orjealous—Godknows？
Sheusedtowakehiminthemorning， pullingathiscoat； sheusedtotakethereinsinhermouth， andbringhimuptheoldhorsethatcarriedthewater， withwhomshewasonveryfriendlyterms.
Withafaceofgreatimportance， sheusedtogowithhimtotheriver； sheusedtowatchhisbroomsandspades， andneverallowedanyonetogointohisgarret.
