Greyfriars Bobby: The True Story of a Dog Page #7

For some months, Mr. Brown.

The minister told me himself.

The minister knows?

He told Your Lordship?

He was told by the bible reader

at the funeral.

Then by the minister at Cauldbrae

where the dog once lived.

And might live now. If you had not fed him

every day to keep him here.

The folks at Cauldbrae did not license him,

or there'd be no charge

for the lack of it.

I'm paying for Bobby's licence myself,

John Traill.

Ye'll do no such thing, James Brown.

In all my life, I've never surrendered

a principle before, Your Lordship.

The charge is on me, and I'll...

I'll pay it.

I feel I must point out to you both

that the dog sleeps

under neither of your roofs,

so belongs no more to one

than to the other.

I was summoned to license him

and be his owner.

- And I will.

- But I asked first!

You are thinking more of winning

an argument than winning the dog.

A dog needs a home.

But it needs love too.

That more than anything.

Your Lordship, do ya think

he does no' get that?

Because he most certainly does.

No' only from me and my wife,

but from every child in Greyfriars.

They feel he's one of them.

Your Lordship, do no' send him away

from the kirkyard.

For many of the bairns in Greyfriars,

Bobby is the only love they know.

What are you bairns doin' in here?

Come on. Out you get.

Go on! Go with ye. Out!

Mister, we're lookin' for

Greyfriars Bobby.

And Mr. Traill that brought him here.

Get out now.

Young savages in the burgh court!

- Have ya taken leave of your senses?

- Look for yourselves!

- Your Lordship!

- Silence. Close the door.

Look! He's not dead.

Will it be all right now, Mr. Traill?

I've got the money for a licence

in my bonnet, Mr. Traill.

Is it you I pay, mister?

It's seven shillings

if you wish to count.

But where did you bairns get

all this money from? And how?

Everybody around the kirkyard gave it,

to pay the police not to make Bobby dead.

I gave a farthing, Mr. Traill.

Near every bairn we asked.

I gave a penny.

Everybody gave something.

Whisht!

Have ya no respect for where ya are?

In the great burgh court.

- Whisht!

- Mr. Traill, hand the dog up here.

Answer me this, any of you:

Do you know what to be

given the freedom of the city means?

Tammy would know, sir.

He's a scholar at Heriot's school... now.

It's when the queen comes, mister,

and you give her the keys to the

burgh gates that are no longer here.

Right, laddie.

The gates and walls are down.

But we still give the keys to visitors

who are grand or wise

or just useful out of the ordinary.

Like the Duke of Wellington

and Miss Florence Nightingale.

Yes. The brave and faithful.

Now here's a wee dog

that's been faithful out of the ordinary.

For a dead man he loves,

he's gone hungry and been cold.

He has never forgotten him

or left his side by night.

Do the police

have to take him?

If he is made free of the city,

he can wander where he likes.

What would Bobby do with keys?

"Greyfriars Bobby,

from the Lord Provost! Licensed."

Ailie, that's the Lord Provost himself!

And I called him "mister."

If dozens of children who know him

will bring seven shillings

in farthings and pennies for him,

they buy the right for the dog to live

in care of them all

in the kirkyard of Greyfriars.

But he must have a collar,

so all the police will know him

and never take him up

for a masterless dog.

He belongs to all of you.

And all of you

are responsible for him now.

You're free, wee man.

Off you go.

Bobby's free!

Hey, wait! Wait for me!

Get away, Bobby.

Is the wee dog the regimental mascot

there, Corporal?

That's Greyfriars Bobby, sir.

He belongs to the city.

- Have you not heard of him?

- Why, of course. So that's him?

- Hello, Bobby. How ya doin'?

- Bobby, how are ya?

I'm sorry the door wasn't open,

but I had my hands full.

Come on.

Down here.

Good night to ya, Bobby.

Bobby. Almost shut ya out.

I must never do that again.

Will ya no' come in?

What for?

To have a wee dram

with Jeanie and myself.

Come.

Good night to ya, Bobby.

Good night, Bobby.

- Good night, Bobby.

- Good night to ya, Bobby.

- Good night, Bobby.

- Sleep well.

See ya in the mornin'.

Good night, Bobby.

Good night to ya, laddie.

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