1.

Chapter 1

When Professor Eizaburo Ueno woke up, he liked to play a game with his golden-brown puppy, Hachi.

He lay on his futon, not moving a muscle. He did not even open his eyes.

Could he fool Hachi into thinking he was asleep? Not a chance.

Hachi knew the instant his master was awake and told him so by pushing his cold, wet nose into the Professor's hand.

"Good morning, Hachi." The Professor sat up and rubbed the soft patch of white fur that ran from the puppy's nose up between his eyes and stopped just below his pointy ears.

"Did you sleep well, little friend?"

2.

Hachi answered by wagging his fluffy, curled tail back and forth with great enthusiasm.

"I am glad you had such a fine night," the Professor said as he put on his glasses and rose from his silk sleeping mat.

"Now come along, Hachi. Let's start the day."

He motioned to the puppy, who followed along as the Professor washed himself, put on a dark blue kimono and headed downstairs to eat the breakfast his housekeeper had prepared for him before she left for the marketplace.

The Professor entered the tatami room, walked across the straw mats covering the floor, and sat down on a cushion in front of a low wooden table.

3.

He poured himself a cup of hot green tea.

As he lifted the steaming teacup, he looked up at a calendar hanging on the wall.

The page it was turned to had a beautiful picture of a bright yellow sun rising over Japan.

"April 1, 1924,"the Professor read out loud. "It is going to be a good day, little friend."

The Professor said this every day. He was a man of habit.

Professor Ueno began to eat his breakfast of miso soup, dried fish and seaweed, rice, cooked eggs, and pickled radishes.

His housekeeper had also set out breakfast for Hachi: a bowl of rice with miso soup poured over it.

4.

Hachi went over to his bowl, sniffed at it once, and walked away.

He sat in the doorway and gazed at his master with a pleading look in his dark brown eyes.

The Professor knew what Hachi wanted, but he shook his head.

"No, Hachi. You cannot have yakitori for breakfast," he said. Yakitori was the puppy's favorite meal.

"I will buy some for your supper tonight on my way home from the train station, and you can practice pulling the chicken off the skewers the way I taught you. Now eat your food."

Hachi stayed where he was, and again the Professor knew what he wanted.

5.

Hachi played this game with him every morning. He was a dog of habit.

"All right, Hachi."Professor Ueno went over to the dog's bowl and knelt down beside it.

"Mmm."The Professor smacked his lips as he pretended to pick a bit of food out of the bowl and taste it.

"What delicious rice this is, Hachi. Come and try a bite. Here."

He scooped up a tiny bit of rice with his index finger and held it out to Hachi.

The dog licked his finger and began to eat.

"Did you enjoy your breakfast this morning?"the Professor asked when Hachi was done.

6.

Hachi looked up at him with two grains of white rice stuck to his wet black nose.

The Professor laughed."Let me wash your face, little friend. You cannot go around looking like that."

He tenderly wiped the dog's muzzle with the corner of his napkin.

"What a handsome dog you are."

Hachi sat up tall and straight, basking in his master's praise.

The Professor finished his tea and rose from his cushion.

"Now it is time for your lesson, Hachi. Come."

Professor Ueno walked to the front entryway with Hachi at his heels.

7.

The genkan had a mat spread out along one wall, with several pairs of the Professor's shoes lined up neatly upon it.

The Professor stepped out of his house slippers and into a pair of geta, the wooden clogs he wore outside.

Then together he and Hachi walked out of the house, across the front porch, and into the yard.

"Look, Hachi."The Professor pointed to a tree in the yard that was full of pink buds about to bloom.

"Soon it will be time for our cherry-blossom party."

8.

He took a few deep breaths, filling his lungs with fresh spring air, then turned to face his dog.

"Let us begin,"he said to the puppy."Hachi. Sit."

The Professor gave the command in a serious tone of voice, and Hachi immediately sat.

"Good dog,"said the Professor.""Hachi. Down."

Hachi lowered his body onto the ground, and again his master complimented him.

"What a good dog you are."

The Professor knelt down and rubbed the fur around Hachi's neck and shoulders.

9.

"What a smart dog you are, Hachi. What a clever dog you are."

Professor Ueno praised Hachi in a high-pitched voice as though he were talking to a baby.

"We will try two more things."The Professor stood up and lowered his voice."Hachi. Heel."

Professor Ueno took a few steps around the garden, and Hachi followed him, keeping close to his left side.

"Good dog. Hachi. Sit."

Hachi did as he was told.

"Now, Hachi. Speak,"said the Professor. Hachi stared at him silently, his head tilted to one side.

10.

"Hachi. Speak."The Professor repeated the command, but Hachi remained silent.

"Wan-wan, wan-wan."Profesor Ueno demonstrated for him, yipping like a young puppy, but Hachi did not respond.

The Professor changed his bark."Wan-wan, wan-wan,"he repeated in the deep growling voice of a large angry dog.

Hachi just looked at him.

"All right."The Professor shook his head."It seems you have nothing to say today.

And it is time for me to go teach my other students. Come inside."

11.

Professor Ueno changed into a suit and tie andgathered his books and papers together.

Then he walked down the hallway to the gentan and put on a pair of leather shoes.

He left the house, and Hachi followed him to the front gate.

"Hachi. Sit,"the Professor said."What a good dog you are."

He bent down until he was almost nose to nose with the puppy.

"What a fine dog you are,"he said softly.

"Hachi, you are the best dog in all of Japan."

He gave Hachi a few soft pats on the head, kissed the tip of his nose, and stood up.

"I will return at three o' clock. Farewell, little friend."

12.

The Professor turned from Hachi and pulled open the latch.

As he went to shut the gate, one of his books dropped to the ground.

When the Professor bent to pick it up, his glasses slipped down his nose and some papers flew out of his arms.

The wind blew them down the street, and he raced after them without closing the gate properly.

Hachi nosed it open and ran to be with his master.

"Hachi, how did you get out?"the Professor asked.

"You must go home now."The Professor pointed toward the gate and spoke in a stern voice, but Hachi did not move.