--- title: "A Dog's Tale by Mark Twain — Classic Ebook | Publica Now" description: "Read a free sample of A Dog's Tale by Mark Twain at Publica Now — a public-domain classic ebook, readable online." canonical: "https://publica.now/creators/vito/works/a-dogs-tale" --- Literary # A Dog's Tale by Mark Twain [ V Vito ](https://publica.now/creators/vito) Follow $2.99 [ Sign in to buy ](https://publica.now/access?redirect=%2Fcheckout%2Fa-dogs-tale) Secure payment on Stripe. publica.now never sees your card. Share Link copied Format epub Published May 02, 2026 Rating No reviews yet ![A Dog's Tale](https://fls-a13cb2d7-1b3e-4883-a0bd-297afd110a11.367be3a2035528943240074d0096e0cd.r2.cloudflarestorage.com/works/01kqn2jsrkefvyedd4cfde9me5/editions/2026-09-06-html-v1/cover.png?X-Amz-Content-Sha256=UNSIGNED-PAYLOAD&X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Credential=d29ce3bb571c165c97a702f29f7aee93%2F20260927%2Fauto%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20260927T005848Z&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Expires=3600&X-Amz-Signature=3beec1f8d879fc7b5f9627d90039f0e6fd9ae2745a8ba1920f0739a2ae4cc569) ## About this work What does it mean to be educated, respectable, or heroic? In Mark Twain’s A Dog’s Tale, the answers begin with a dog who knows that grand words are not always the same as wisdom. The narrator introduces a mother who collects impressive expressions, displays them before other dogs, and invents meanings with such confidence that no one thinks to question her. Watching her performances, the young dog discovers the difference between genuine knowledge and the appearance of it—a distinction delivered with Twain’s unmistakable comic timing. Told in a warm, observant canine voice, this public-domain classic combines humor with a keen eye for vanity, language, and social behavior. The story’s illustrated edition includes a frontispiece and scenes drawn from the tale, including a puppy, a moment of heroism, and the words “You Saved HIS Child.” This Publica.now Classics edition includes a new typographic cover and publisher opening and closing pages. Sample ## Take a look inside A DOG'S TALE By Mark Twain A DOG'S TALE by Mark Twain Frontpiece LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 1\. Book Cover 2\. Frontpiece 3\. By-and-by Came My Little Puppy 4\. Flocked In To Hear Of My Heroism 5\. You Saved HIS Child Chapter I. Chapter II. Chapter III. CHAPTER I. My father was a St. Bernard, my mother was a collie, but I am a Presbyterian. This is what my mother told me, I do not know these nice distinctions myself. To me they are only fine large words meaning nothing. My mother had a fondness for such; she liked to say them, and see other dogs look surprised and envious, as wondering how she got so much education. But, indeed, it was not real education; it was only show: she got the words by listening in the dining-room and drawing-room when there was company, and by going with the children to Sunday-school and listening there; and whenever she heard a large word she said it over to herself many times, and so was able to keep it until there was a dogmatic gathering in the neighborhood, then she would get it off, and surprise and distress them all, from pocket-pup to mastiff, which rewarded her for all her trouble. If there was a stranger he was nearly sure to be suspicious, and when he got his breath again he would ask her what it meant. And she always told him. He was never expecting this but thought he would catch her; so when she told him, he was the one that looked ashamed, whereas he had thought it was going to be she. The others were always waiting for this, and glad of it and proud of her, for they knew what was going to happen, because they had had experience.… [ Sign in to buy ](https://publica.now/access?redirect=%2Fcheckout%2Fa-dogs-tale) The sample continues in the full work. [ #Dogs -- Fiction ](/search?query=Dogs+--+Fiction) [ #dogs ](/search?query=dogs) [ #animals ](/search?query=animals) [ #humor ](/search?query=humor) [ #autobiography ](/search?query=autobiography) [ #memoir ](/search?query=memoir) ## Reviews No reviews yet. Be the first to share your thoughts. [Sign in to leave a review](https://publica.now/access?redirect=%2Fcreators%2Fvito%2Fworks%2Fa-dogs-tale) No reviews yet. Be the first to share your thoughts. 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