The story takes place in a city setting. The boy is outside just kicking his feet around in the gravel when a little dog comes up. He holds out his hand and the dog comes over. Their “interview” seems to be a gleeful meeting of two friends, until the dog threatens to overturn the child with his caperings. After that the child shows all his human power and supremacy and strikes the dog a blow upon the head. The boy’s rough behavior can be attributed to his age and a miscommunication between dog and human, but as the story progresses, it becomes more and more apparent that this young boy has signs of his father’s sadism.