The Jewish Dog by Asher Kravitz

held my mouth open and looked inside , checked my pupils , examined my ears , and scrutinized the mercury thermometer that he inserted in my tuches .
    â€œYour dog is perfectly healthy,” he ceremoniously announced , and undercharged Frank for the visit due to lack of findings.
    â€œWell , how do you explain that he sits around the house all day , as still as a statue?”
    â€œA dog needs company , Frank my friend . He needs time to run and play with other dogs . He needs children to throw sticks for him to fetch . Your kids have all grown up and moved away , and I presume a busy newspaper man such as yourself doesn’t have the time to care for the cute little puppy.”
    â€œAll right,” Frank said , and thanked the vet for the exam . “I’ll think of a way to try to give him some more of my time.”
    â€œYou have to . Otherwise the poor thing will die of grief.”
    I had been listening closely to the vet , and I was moved by his precise diagnosis.
    On our way home , we passed by a large grassy field . A schnauzer with a trowel-shaped snout barked at me from the other side of the road . Frank recognized the golden-haired lady holding the schnauzer’s leash.
    We crossed the street.
    â€œHello , Paula . What’s new at the newspaper?
    â€œHello , Herr Frank . Not much is happening by us . Why don’t we let the dogs run around on the grass for a while?”
    Frank hesitated and Paula urged him to stay . “Just for a few minutes . It’s good for them . Look how happy Leopold is to meet friends . He’s not aggressive . There’s really nothing to worry about.”
    â€œNo , that’s not the issue. . . .”
    Paula leaned toward me . “What’s your name , cutie?”
    Leopold stood on his hind legs and let out a string of jealous barks.
    â€œHis name is Zelig,” Frank answered for me . He glanced at his watch . “If I’m late for dinner , Greta won’t let me hear the end of it.”
    I wagged my tail and barked enthusiastically . It had been ages since I last met a nice dog to share a short game of tag with . Frank looked at me encouragingly , Doktor Marzel’s advice echoing in his ears . “Oh , all right . But just for a few minutes.”
    Round-faced Paula and Frank brought us closer to one another . We stood for a moment , Leopold and I , in the conventional mutual sniffing position . I got the impression that we could play together without fear of our game turning sour . On the one hand , he seemed calm and secure , while on the other hand , he seemed to lack the compulsion to control and dominate . The sight of my wagging tail and Leopold’s cheerfully oscillating stump convinced our owners that they need not fear , and they released us from our leashes.
    I crouched down , extended my front paws , and held them close to the grass . My tail went straight up into the air , declaring if you chase me, I’ll run like the wind . Leopold accepted my challenge , and I began evasive maneuvers , leaving a confused schnauzer on my trail . Out of the corner of my eye , I saw Frank engrossed in conversation with the young lady , his eyes off me . Now ! This is my chance ! I would be a neglected and lonely dog no more . I must find my way back to the Gottliebs . My heart was flooded with a wave of yearning for the feeling of Reizel’s soft hands on my back , for games of catch with Joshua , for walks with Kalman , and for sausages sneaked to me under the table by Herschel.
    If I didn’t seize this opportunity , I would end up getting used to my new , foreign name . I wanted my real name back.
    It is better to try and fail , I told myself , than to fail to try.
    It was now or never . I leapt over the shrubs and turned toward one of the side alleys.
    On the streets , they had started to light the street lamps . Darkness descended . Bloodthirsty teenagers appeared , faces half hidden in the dark . As I