The Story of Dago

In Short

Narrated entirely by Dago, a pet monkey brought from a sun-drenched California estate to an Eastern town, the book recounts his domestic misadventures alongside three unruly siblings—Stuart, Phil, and little Elsie—and their doctor father. As Dago's antics strain the tolerance of their elderly Great-Aunt Patricia, the household reaches a breaking point. When a runaway attempt ends in failure, a tender discovery softens past grudges and reconciles the family. The story endures because of its rare, convincing animal point of view, its humorous insight into childhood logic, and its gentle portrayal of grief, discipline, and forgiveness across generations.

The Story

The narrative opens with Dago perched before a parlour mirror, confiding his life story to "Ring-tail," his reflected image, while the household is away. He recalls his early days in a lush California garden belonging to a wealthy grandfather. There, surrounded by palm trees and Gold of Ophir roses, he watched over a fragile young mother as she slowly declined. Following her death, Dago and another monkey named Matches are shipped across the country in boxes to companion her grieving children: rowdy brothers Stuart and Phil, and little Elsie. Their father, Doctor Tremont, remains busy with his medical practice, leaving the children in the care of their fastidious great-aunt, Miss Patricia.

Living in an attic room, Dago finds himself caught up in the children's boundless, chaotic energy. Life in the house becomes a succession of noisy escapades, from playing "Cuban war" in the yard to conducting elaborate mock ceremonies. When Matches dies, the children stage a grand neighborhood funeral, forcing a reluctant Dago to act as chief mourner in doll clothes and a suffocating crape veil. Soon after, the boys decide to own Dago in equal shares, a arrangement that leaves the monkey perpetually bewildered about which half of him belongs to whom.

Dago's curious nature, however, continually brings him into conflict with Miss Patricia. Sneaking into her room during her morning walk, he experiments with her toiletries, accidentally inhaling her harsh vinaigrette salts and tossing the cut-glass bottle into the slop-jar. Subsequent mishaps—including the destruction of a cherished, sugar-plum-filled blue china dragon and the loss of a small carnelian ring—convince Miss Patricia that the animal must be sent away.

Tensions peak when Phil, punished for shouting disrespectful rhymes at Miss Patricia, resolves to run away with Elsie, Dago, and a music-box mounted on a red wheelbarrow. Trudging through the city streets, the children perform for pennies until cold, exhaustion, and the melancholy strains of "Home, Sweet Home" break their resolve. A chance encounter with Miss Patricia in her friend's carriage brings them safely home. That night, Doctor Tremont gently explains to Phil the deeply sentimental history behind Aunt Patricia's lost treasures—including the ring given by a childhood sweetheart lost at sea. Understanding dawns on the young boy, leading to a tearful, loving reconciliation. To restore peace while ensuring Dago is cared for, the family decides to ship the monkey back to the warm, open-air California garden, where he bids a fond, final farewell to his mirror reflection.

How It Unfolds

The voyage begins After the loss of their mother, Stuart and Phil travel home by sleeper train with their newly gifted pet monkeys packed away in bandboxes. The mischievous brothers secretly open the boxes at night, allowing their pets freedom in the car until a sudden jolt sends Dago crashing into the aisle.

Life in the new home Settled under the eaves of the attic, Dago explores the house and accidentally frightens Miss Patricia when he drops onto her window-sill in the dark. A few days later, following the death of the other monkey, the children dress Dago in doll clothes and a heavy crape veil to serve as chief mourner in a grand neighborhood funeral procession.

Escalating mischief Left alone in Miss Patricia's room, Dago meddles with her cut-glass vinaigrette, startles her pet canary, and shatters a generations-old blue china dragon. Miss Patricia breaks down in tears over her ruined heirlooms, prompting Doctor Tremont to order that the monkey be given away.

The runaway expedition Rebelling against his father's stern discipline and defensive of Dago, Phil packs the monkey and a music-box into a wheelbarrow and sets off with little Elsie to seek their fortune. They wander for hours through cold streets, singing to the music-box's tunes until fatigue and hunger overtake them.

Reconciliation and farewell Rescued from the street by Aunt Patricia, the children return to a warm house where their father gently reveals the tragic history behind Aunt Patricia's lost carnelian ring. Moved to tears, Phil seeks her forgiveness, and the family agrees to send Dago safely back to the California garden.

The People

• Dago, the narrator, is a observant and quick-witted monkey who views human rituals with equal parts fascination and bewilderment. He wants freedom, fresh fruit, and affection, but his natural curiosity constantly gets him into trouble with the adults in the house.

• Phil Tremont is an impulsive, warm-hearted young boy who feels deeply and acts without considering consequences. Grieving his mother, he fiercely defends his pet and longs for his father's full understanding, eventually learning the value of empathy toward his elderly aunt.

• Stuart Tremont is Phil's older brother, energetic and prone to dangerous experiments, such as making gunpowder wads or playing Cuban war. Though devoted to his brother and Dago, he easily shifts from one wild scheme to the next.

• Miss Patricia is the children's elderly great-aunt, a woman of rigid standards, delicate nerves, and traditional ideals of discipline. Behind her stern exterior and sharp scoldings lies a quiet history of self-sacrifice and long-cherished grief over lost loved ones.

• Doctor Tremont is a busy physician struggling to raise three high-spirited children alone. He balances a deep, sympathetic memory of his own boyhood with the necessity of maintaining order and teaching his sons respect for their elders.

In Its Own Voice

"Wouldn't Miss Patricia be surprised if she knew that I am down here now in the parlour, talking to you, and sitting up here among all these costly, breakable things!"

After slipping out of his attic room via the lightning-rod, Dago introduces himself to his reflection in the parlour glass while the house is quiet.

"There's no use harrowing up your feelings, Ring-tail, repeating all that was said. Miss Patricia simply couldn't believe that the shot could have struck dead centre unless the eye had been deliberately aimed at..."

Dago laments the constant misunderstandings in the household after Stuart accidentally strikes a family portrait during an indoor target game.

"Next time you hear of me I shall be back in that land of summer, watching the water splash over the marble mermaid in the fountain, and the goldfish swim by in the sun."

Dago bids his reflection farewell, looking forward to returning to the outdoor freedom of his California home.

What It's Really About

Behind its lighthearted animal antics, the narrative explores the friction between childhood exuberance and adult order, illustrating how misunderstandings arise when generations fail to appreciate one another's perspectives. The book argues that discipline without empathy breeds resentment, whereas open-hearted communication fosters genuine repentance. Beneath the comedy of broken china and runaway wheelbarrows lies a tender meditation on grief and memory: both the children and their great-aunt are coping with profound loss, holding fast to small tokens—whether a pet monkey or an old carnelian ring—to preserve their connection to those they have loved and lost.

Why Read It Today

Readers who appreciate classic turn-of-the-century domestic tales, such as The Little Colonel series or Five Little Peppers, will find a delightful perspective in this novel's animal narrator. Dago's voice gives the story a fresh, humorous intimacy that prevents its gentle moral lessons from feeling heavy-handed. The prose moves rapidly, capturing the sensory details of late-nineteenth-century childhood—from squeaky new shoes and street organs to firelit parlors and homemade gunpowder schemes.

Modern readers should be prepared for period attitudes regarding animal care, as the children treat their pets with an unvarnished, mid-Victorian casualness that includes forcing them into doll clothes or tight halters. However, the book's genuine warmth, absence of cynical posturing, and compassionate depiction of family reconciliation make it an appealing, cozy read. What stays with the reader is the poignant contrast between Dago's wild, uninhibited desire for outdoor freedom and the quiet, enduring sacrifices made by the adults who care for him and the children.