Compassion in Action
Food for Thought with Colleen Patrick-Goudreau
A Dog's Tale: A Short Story by Mark Twain
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A Dog's Tale: A Short Story by Mark Twain

Mark Twain's simple little tale gives a powerful voice to the voiceless and lays bare human cruelty and arrogance.

In 1903, Mark Twain published the short story “A Dog’s Tale” in Harper’s Monthly Magazine, and the following year, it was released it as a book. Though it tends to be overshadowed by his more famous works, the story received public and critical acclaim, and as Diane Beers writes in her book, For the Prevention of Cruelty,it “is to this day a persuasive literary weapon for animal advocacy.” And I agree with her when she writes, “Twain’s deceptively simple little tale gave a powerful voice to the voiceless and laid bare human cruelty and arrogance.” A lovely sad tale worthy of remembrance.

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