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Day after day； Nora sat on the floor of Travis's living room or on the patio； explaining the alphabet to Einstein and trying to help him to understand how words were formed from those letters and how those printed words were related to the spoken words that he already understood。 Now and then； Travis took charge of the lessons to give Nora a break； but most of the time he sat nearby； reading； because he claimed not to have the patience to be a teacher。
She used a ring…binder notebook to pile her own primer for the dog。 On each left…hand page； she taped a picture cut from a magazine； and on each right…hand page she printed； in block letters； the name of the object that was pictured on the left； all simple words： TREE； CAR； HOUSE； MAN； WOMAN； CHAIR。 。 。 With Einstein sitting beside her and staring intently at the primer； she would point to the picture first； then to the word； pronouncing it repeatedly。
On the last day of June； Nora spread a score or more of unlabeled pictures on the floor。
〃It's test time again；〃 she told Einstein。 〃Let's see if you can do better than you did on Monday。〃
Einstein sat very erect； his chest puffed out； his head held high； as if confident of his ability。
Travis was sitting in the armchair； watching。 He said； 〃If you fail； fur face； we're going to trade you in on a poodle that can roll over； play dead； and beg for its supper。〃
Nora was pleased to see that Einstein ignored Travis。 〃This is not a time for frivolity；〃 she admonished。
〃I stand corrected； professor；〃 Travis said。
Nora held up a flashcard with TREE printed on it。 The retriever went unerringly to the photo of a pine tree and indicated it with a touch of his nose。 When she held up a card that said CAR； he put a paw on the photo of the car； and when she held up HOUSE； he sniffed at the picture of a colonial mansion。 They went through fifty words； and for the first time the dog correctly paired every printed word with the image it represented。 Nora was thrilled by his progress； and Einstein could not stop wagging his tail。
Travis said； 〃Well； Einstein； you're still a hell of a long way from reading Proust。〃
Rankled by Travis's needling of her star pupil； Nora said； 〃He's doing fine！ Terrific。 You can't expect him to be reading at college level overnight。 He's learning faster than a child would。〃
〃Is that so？〃
〃Yes； that's so！ Much faster than a child would。〃
〃Well then； maybe he deserves a couple of Milk…Bones。〃
Einstein dashed immediately into the kitchen to get the box of dog biscuits。
2
As the summer wore on； Travis was amazed by the swift progress Nora made in teaching Einstein to read。
By the middle of July； they graduated from her homemade primer to children's picture books by Dr。 Seuss； Maurice Sendak； Phil Parks； Susi Bohdal； Sue Dreamer； Mercer Mayer； and many others。 Einstein appeared to enjoy all of them immensely； though his favorites were by Parks and especially…for reasons neither Nora nor Travis could discern… the charming Frog and Toad books by Arnold Lobel。 They brought armsful of children's books home from the city library and purchased additional stacks of them at the bookstore。
At first； Nora read them aloud； carefully moving a finger under each word as she spoke it； and Einstein's eyes followed along as he leaned in toward the book with undivided attention。 Later； she did not read the book aloud but held it open for the dog and turned the pages for him when he indicated… by a whimper or some other sign…that he had finished that portion of the text and was ready to proceed to the next page。
Einstein's willingness to sit for hours； focusing on the books； seemed proof that he was actually reading them and not just looking at the cute drawings。 Nevertheless； Nora decided to test him on the contents of some of the volumes by posing a number of questions about the story lines。
After Einstein had read Frog and Toad All Year； Nora closed the book and said； 〃All right。 Now； answer yes or no to these questions。〃
They were in the kitchen； where Travis was making a cheese…and…potato casserole for dinner。 Nora and Einstein were sitting on chairs at the kitchen table。 Travis paused in his cooking to watch the dog take the quiz。
Nora said； 〃First…when Frog came to see Toad on a winter's day； Toad was in bed and did not want to e outside。 Is that right？〃
Einstein had to sidle around on his chair to free his tail and wag it。 Yes。
Nora said； 〃But finally Frog got Toad outside； and they went ice…skating。〃
One bark。 No。
〃They went sledding；〃 she said。
Yes。
〃Very good。 Later that same year； at Christmas； Frog gave Toad a gift。 Was it a sweater？〃
No。
〃A new sled？〃
No。
〃A clock for his mantel？〃
Yes； yes； yes。
〃Excellent！〃 Nora said。 〃Now what shall we read next？ How about this One。 Fantastic Mr。 Fox。〃
Einstein wagged his tail vigorously。
Travis would have enjoyed taking a more active role in the dog's education； but he could see that working intensely with Einstein was having an enormously beneficial effect on Nora； and he did not want to interfere。 Indeed； he sometimes played the curmudgeon； questioning the value of teaching the pooch to read； making wisecracks about the pace of the dog's progress or its taste in reading matter。 This mild naysaying was just enough to redouble Nora's determination to stick with the lessons； to spend even more time with the dog； and to prove Travis wrong。 Einstein never reacted to those negative remarks； and Travis suspected the dog exhibited forbearance because he understood the little game of reverse psychology in which Travis was engaged。
Exactly why Nora's teaching chores made her blossom was not clear。 Perhaps it was because she had never interacted with anyone…not even with Travis or with her Aunt Violet…as intensely as she had with the dog； and the mere process of extensive munication encouraged her to e farther out of her shell。 Or perhaps giving the gift of literacy to the dog was extremely satisfying to her。 She was by nature a giving person who took pleasure in sharing with others； yet she had spent all of her life as a recluse without a single previous opportunity to express that side of her personality。 Now she had a chance to give of herself； and she was generous with her time and energy； and in her own generosity she found joy。
Travis also suspected that； through her relationship with the retriever； she was expressing a natural talent for mothering。 Her great patience was that of a good mother dealing with a child； and she often spoke to Einstein so tenderly and affectionately that she sounded as if she were addressing her own much…loved offspring。
Whatever the reason； Nora became more relaxed and outgoing as she worked with Einstein。 Gradually forsaking her shapeless dark dresses for summery white cotton slacks； colorful blouses； jeans and T…shirts； she seemed to grow ten years younger。 She had her glorious dark hair redone at the beauty salon and did not brush out all the styling this time。 She laughed more often and more engagingly。 In conversation； she met Travis's eyes and seldom looked shyly away from him； as she had done previously。 She was quicker to touch him； too； and to put