12. The Boy and the Mad Dog

One day in the town of Weser, in Germany, a boy was playing with his little sister, four years old. Suddenly the boy saw rushing down the hill a mad dog followed by men, trying to stop it. In a moment the boy saw that the dog was running directly toward his little sister. Not thinking for a moment of his own danger, or escape, this brave boy in a flash threw off his coat, wrapped it around his arm, and boldly faced the fierce dog. Holding out his arm, shielded by the coat, the boy turned the dog’s attention to himself, so that the wild beast jumped at him and worried him until the men came up and killed the dog. The men said, “Why did you not run away from the dog? You could easily have done it.” “Yes,” answered the boy, “but if I had he would have attacked my sister. I thought I would let the dog tear my coat instead of her!”