The Shearing of the Cook's Dog
A young boy witnesses a brutal act of violence against his family's dog, which has been sheared by the local butcher to make a coat for the boy's father. The event leaves a lasting impact on the boy and serves as a commentary on the harsh realities of rural life in Australia during the late 19th century.
By Henry Lawson · First published 1894 · Genre: Humor, Short Story, Australian Literature · 1,569 words
First lines
The dog was a little conservative mongrel poodle, with long dirty white hair all over him -- longest and most over his eyes, which glistened through it like black beads. Also he seemed to have a bad liver. He always looked as if he was suffering from a sense of injury, past or to come. It did come. He used to follow the shearers up to the shed after breakfast every morning, but he couldn't have done this for love -- there was none lost between him and the men. He wasn't an affectionate dog; it wasn't his style. He would sit close against the shed for an hour or two, and hump himself, and sulk, and look sick, and snarl whenever the "Sheep-Ho" dog passed, or a man took notice of him. Then he'd go home. What he wanted at the shed at all was only known to himself; no one asked him to come. Perhaps he came to collect evidence against us. The cook called him "my darg," and the men called the cook "Curry and Rice," with "old" before it mostly.
What this Textopian page supports
The Shearing of the Cook's Dog is listed on Textopian as a short story by Henry Lawson, dated 1894 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Henry Lawson
- Date: 1894 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Humor, Short Story, Australian Literature, Satire, Slice of Life
- Length: 1,569 words
- Structure: 1 section, 14 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Shearing of the Cook's Dog by Henry Lawson
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The Shearing of the Cook's Dog?
- How does this short story by Henry Lawson fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Humor first become important in the reading?
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Genres
- Humor — The story revolves around a humorous incident involving the shearing of a dog, with comedic elements in the characters' interactions and reactions.
- Short Story — The narrative is concise and focuses on a single incident, characteristic of a short story format.
- Australian Literature — The setting and characters reflect Australian rural life, a common theme in Australian literature.
- Satire — The story satirizes the behavior and attitudes of the shearers and the cook, highlighting human folly and social dynamics.
Tags
Australian Literature · Short Story Collection · Humor · Satire · Social Commentary · Rural Life · Sheep Shearing · Outback · Regional Australia · Working Class · Class Struggle · Labor Rights