Dog biscuits (Wodehouse)
Hundekuchen (original title: The Go-getter ) is a cheerful short story by the British-American writer PG Wodehouse , which first appeared in 1931 in the March issue of US Cosmopolitan and in the August issue of British Strand magazine . She and her protagonist Lord Emsworth are one of the stories from the so-called Blandings Castle saga .
The short story is the continuation of the short story Ein Mann für Gertrude, first published in 1928 . In 1935 both stories were included in the short story collection Herr auf Schloss Blandings ; In terms of narrative logic, however, this short story is located between the novels A Lord in Need (first published in 1923) and Sommerliches Schlossgewitter (first published in 1929).
action
Freddie Threepwood, the youngest son of Lord Emsworth and son-in-law of the American dog biscuit manufacturer Donaldson, is still trying to convince his aunt Georgiana, who owns no fewer than 14 dogs, of the benefits of Donaldson's dog biscuit. In the conversation, Lady Georgiana notes that the relationship between her daughter Gertrude and Bingham is now in crisis. Although she was initially against the relationship with Pastor Bingham, her doubts about him have been dispelled since she knew that one day he might become an industrialist. However, Gertrude has now found an interest in the tenor Orlo Watkins. The tenor is one of the guests at Blandings Castle, which Lady Constance has invited. A little later, Freddie visits his old friend Bingham to borrow his mixed breed dog Bottles and learns from him that Gertrude is even considering breaking off her engagement to Bingham.
Freddie's next attempt to convince Lady Georgiana of the quality of his dog biscuits also fails. Lady Georgiana is not particularly impressed by the healthy bottle, which is strong and healthy thanks to Donaldson's dog biscuits - especially not because he lets himself be put to flight by Susan, one of Lady Georgia's Pekingese bitches . In the evening, the people staying at Blandings Castle have retired to one of the living rooms of Blandings Castle for an after-dinner coffee when Freddie comes with bottles and a sack of rats. He wants to prove that a dog raised on Donaldson's dog biscuits is unsurpassed as a rat catcher. However, the rats are not released on the terrace. Butler Beach intervenes before the animals are released. Instead, a furious fight ensues between Lady Georgiana's formidable Airedale terrier and Bottles. Everyone present deals with this dog fight differently: While the dog-experienced Lady Georgiana remains calm, the tenor takes refuge on the sideboard - which Gertrude only notes with disdain. At that moment Bingham arrives and ends the fight between the two dogs with a courageous grip. His masculine behavior shows Gertrude the error of her enthusiasm for the tenor. She sinks into his arms while the tenor sneaks out of the room in shame.
The story ends with Lady Georgiana ordering two tons of dog biscuits - Bottles' fighting spirit won her over.
expenditure
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Blandings Castle and Elsewhere (1935)
- Herr auf Schloss Blandings, Wilhelm Goldmann Verlag, Munich 1976, ISBN 3-442-03418-3 . Translation by Annemarie Arnold-Kubina.
literature
- Frances Donaldson: PG Wodehouse: A Biography . London 1982, ISBN 0-297-78105-7 .
- Richard Usborne: Plum Sauce. A PG Wodehouse Companion. Overlook, Woodstock / NY 2003, ISBN 1-58567-441-9 .