Odessa Montour Central High School - Odessanean Yearbook (Odessa, NY)

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MY STORY By Frisk My name is “Frisk” and I was born in an old barn in the slum district of a large city. When I was a few weeks old my mother, my sisters and I, were left without a home. Our barn was torn down by social workers who were trying to improve the life of people living in this part of the city. We started out to look for a new home, but my mother was killed by a taxi when she was crossing the street. The rest of us escaped, but perhaps it would have been better for us if we hadn’t, for now we had no mother and no home. I wandered away from the others and followed some children into a park. They began to play marbles, so I watched. One of the children noticed me and wanted to claim me, but his older sister objected, for she thought that perhaps I belonged to someone. So I went away, a little sad. I liked the boy, and I hoped they would take me. During the following weeks I walked all over the city, sleeping on doorsteps nights and eating from garbage cans. Several times I escaped from being killed by automobiles. I never saw my sisters again. I often wondered if they are alive and happy. Finally, I reached the outskirts of the city. I wandered down a highway to an old farmhouse. The people who lived there were very poor and they gave me very little to eat. I stayed there because they were kind to me, even though the children fought and quarreled among themselves. Late one evening the father of the household came home. He seemed to be very rough, for he kicked me into a corner and threw a knife at me. I was hurt, but able to run out of the house and down the road. (I always had been a little afraid of him.) I do not know how far I ran, before I had to stop from exhaustion. I lay down, panting, in the soft dewy grass beside the road. I must have lain there several hours, for I became suddenly alert to the laughing and talking of a group of noisy boys. I tried to get up, but I was too weak, so I whined. They heard me and came over to me. One picked me up and discovered the cut in my side. He had been carrying a pack on his back; from this pack he took a first aid kit and bandaged me. They then carried me back to a small town, where they lived. The boy who carried me, took me to his home and gave me food and a soft bed. I was very pleased and I barked to show my appreciation. lie called to his parents and sister to come and see me. They came and petted me. I was a little afraid of the man because I hadn’t forgotten the other man who had hurt me. This man was more kind. He talked to me and told me I was a beautiful dog. He also told his son that I should be described in the “Lost and Found” column of the daily paper, because he thought I was a valuable pup. After a few weeks with these kind people, my wound was healed, and I was able to run and play. Jack, my master, started to teach me a few tricks, which were much fun, I thought. Jack gave me my name. He said he called me “Frisk” because I was so very frisky. No one called for me so I remained with Jack several years. While I was there, I saved a small child from drowning. One day a man came and took our pictures. The picture was in the paper. All of Jack’s friends played with me, and I, in turn, followed them everywhere. Something told me that my good fortune was not going to last long. I was right. One day a letter came from Jack’s aunt, asking him to come to his cousin’s birthday dinner. That evening, I heard his sister say something about “presents.” I wondered what she meant. He patted my head and said, “How would you like a new home? I am going to start college this fall and I can’t take you with me, so I’ll take you to cousin Dick, who lives out near my college. Then I can see you more often. How does that suit you, old top?” I barked my answer. I was then taken for a long ride to Dick’s home, in a small town of Odessa. My new master was overjoyed to have ms. He said I was just what he wanted. I liked him too, but 1 was sorry to leave my old friends. When Jack started back home, I followed his car down the road until it turned a corner. I stopped and turned back to Dick, who was coming after me. On the way back, I noticed a beautiful building. I had seen them in cities, but never in small towns. I turned up the sidewalk which led to the main door. Just then, Dick turned and grabbed me. “Here, you rascal, that’s Odessa Central School, you can’t go to school. Come on, I’m going home and eat my supper.” After supper I sneaked out and went back to the big building. Suddenly, I heard footsteps—a boy was coming. It wasn’t Dick; it was a stranger. I heard Jim mumbling to himself—“That old history regent’s book,—don’t see why I had to forget it, probably the school house is closed now,—don’t like ancient history anyway. If I don’t get it and do tomorrow’s three questions, Mr. D.... will make me write them all. Oh, well!” I decided to follow him. If he went in that building, I was going too. I wanted to see the inside of it. Oh! He did get in! I ran through the heavy door just in time. Oh, this is a grand place! Those Odessa students are lucky to go to school here! While I was snooping around, I was careful not to be seen by the janitors or the boy. I smelled something good. What was it? I nosed around until I came to a room with many chairs and tables in it. Why, it was a cafeteria. Well, that smell was coming from the kitchen. Perhaps, the homemaking girls left something on the PAGE 3