The Woodcutter’s Dog
THE WOODCUTTER’S DOG
TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH OFCHARLES NODIER · ILLUSTRATED BYCLAUD LOVAT FRASER
LONDON: DANIEL O’CONNOR, 90
GREAT RUSSELL STREET, W.C.1
1921
PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN.
Foreword
Charles Nodier’s fascinatingstory “Le Chien de Brisquet,”which has enthralled generations ofFrench children, is now introduced toEnglish children of the present day,with a few delightful illustrations bythat exquisite artist, the late ClaudLovat Fraser.
In the Forest of Lions, not far fromthe village of La Goupilière andclose to a fine well which belongs toSt. Mathurin’s Chapel, lived a kindlysoul, a woodcutter by trade, who wascalled Brisquet, or, as often as not, theMan with the Trusty Axe.
He and his wife, whose name wasBrisquette, lived poorly enough onthe sale of his faggots.God had given them twopretty children—a sevenyear old boy, who wasdark and was calledBiscotin, and Biscotine,a girl of six who wasvery fair.
They had, besides, a dog, a curly-hairedmongrel, which was all blackexcept for its nose, and that was redas fire. They called it Bichonne.
You may remember the time whensuch numbers of wolves swarmed in[11]the Forest of Lions. It was the yearof the Great Snow, when the poor folkfound it so hard to keep alive. Themisery in the country was dreadful.
Brisquet, who never shirked hiswork, and, thanks to his good axe,had no fear of wolves, said to hiswife one morning: “Oh, do not leteither Biscotin or Biscotine run aboutoutside until the master of