otto-chan had a terrible accident. It happened after she got home from school, while she and Rocky were playing "wolf' in her room before dinner.

They had begun by playing a game where you rolled toward each other from opposite sides of the room, ending in a brief tussle when you bumped into each other. They played this several times and then decided to try something a little more complicated--although it was Totto-chan, of course, who did the deciding. The idea was that when they met in the middle of the room after rolling toward each other, the one who made the fiercer wolf face at the other would be the winner. Rocky was a German shepherd, so it wasn't hard for him to look like a wolf. Ah he had to do was point his ears, open his mouth, and bare all his teeth. He could make his eyes look pretty fierce, too. It was a little more difficult for Totto-chan. She would hold both hands up on either side of her head to look like ears, open her mouth and eyes as wide as she could, make growling noises, and pretend to bite Rocky. At first, Rocky played the game very well. But he was a puppy, and after a while, he forgot it was just a game and suddenly bit Totto-chan in earnest.

Although still a puppy, Rocky was almost twice as big as Totto-chan and had sharp, pointed teeth, so before she realized what was happening her right ear was dangling from her head and blood was streaming down.

Hearing her screams, Mother came rushing from the kitchen to find Totto-chan in the corner of the room with Rocky, holding her right ear with both hands. Her dress was splattered with blood. Daddy, who had been practicing the violin in the living room, came rushing in, too. Rocky seemed to realize he had done something terrible. His tail hung between his legs and he looked pathetically at Totto-chan.

The only thing Totto-chan could think of was what would she do if Mother and Daddy got so angry with Rocky they got rid of him or gave him away. That would have been the saddest and most dreadful thing as far as she was concerned. So she crouched down beside Rocky, holding her right ear and crying out repeatedly, "Don't scold Rocky! Don't scold Rocky!"

Mother and Daddy were more interested in seeing what had happened to her eat and tried to pull her hands away. Totto-chan wouldn't let go and shouted, "it doesn't hurt! Don't be cross with Rocky! Don't be cross!" Totto-chan truly wasn't conscious of the pain at the time. All she could think of was Rocky.

Blood kept trickling down, and Mother and Daddy eventually realized that Rocky must have bitten her. But they assured Totto-chan they wouldn't be cross with him, and the child finally removed her hands. When she saw Totto-chan's ear dangling, Mother screamed. Daddy carried his little girl to the doctor's with Mother leading the way. Luckily, because it was treated in time, the doctor was able to fasten the ear back, just as it was before, to her parents' great relief. But the only thing Totto-chan was concerned about, however, was whether Mother and Daddy would keep their promise not to scold Rocky.

Totto-chan went home all bandaged from the top of her head to her chin, looking just like a white rabbit. In spite of his promise not to scold Rocky, Daddy felt very inclined to admonish the dog in some way. But Mother gave him a look with her eyes as much as to say, "Please keep your promise," and Daddy reluctantly did so.

Totto-chan rushed into the house, anxious to let Rocky know, as soon as possible, that everything was all right, and nobody was cross any more. But she couldn't find Rocky anywhere. For the first time Totto-chan cried. She hadn't cried at the doctor's, she had been so afraid that if she did, it would increase her parents' anger with the dog. But there was no stopping her tears now. As she cried, she called, “Rocky! Rocky! Where are you!"

After calling several more times, her tear-stained face lifted into a smile as a familiar brown back emerged slowly from behind the sofa. Going up to Totto-chan, he gently licked the good ear that was just visible among the bandages. Totto-chan put her arms around Rocky's neck and sniffed inside his ears. Mother and Daddy used to say they were smelly, but how she loved that dear familiar odor.

Rocky and Totto-chan were tired and very sleepy. The end-of-summer moon looked down from above the garden on the little bandaged girl and the dog who never wanted to play "wolf' again. The two were even better friends now than they had been before.