: A puppy living with a drunkard in a nature reserve is haunted by a cheeky jackal. The drunkard leaves, and the puppy protects his tent from the jackal for four days. The returning drunkard stands up for a friend, killing the jackal.

The narration is conducted in the first person.

Chink was a noisy, good-natured, furry, stupid puppy, but he already imagined himself an adult dog. Its owner was Bill Aubrey, an old tramp and drunkard who lived in a secluded corner of Yellowstone Park.

The restless Chink always carried out the commands of the owner, but at the same time managed to do a lot of stupid things and constantly did "the most ridiculous and impossible things." So, for several weeks he tried to catch the marsupial rat - a very cautious animal that lives throughout the park.

Marsupial rats usually sat on their hind legs at their holes, which strongly resembled pillars driven into the ground to tie horses. Trying to catch a rat, Chink sneaked up to her for a long time, made a hunting stance, but then lost his patience and with a bark threw himself at the rodent, who was immediately hiding in a mink.

Of course, in this way Chin did not catch a single rat, and once the rodent caught in his teeth turned out to be a wooden column.

The dog perfectly understands what it means to be stupid.

This failure confused Chink for a short while.Soon, he again ran after the passing wagons and horsemen, grazing cows and a cat from the nearest gatehouse. Gradually, Chink learned that a horse can hit with a hoof, the coachman has a long whip, and the cow has sharp horns, cats are not so harmless, and wasps are completely unlike butterflies. Canine common sense began to develop in him.

Around this time, the narrator arrived at Yellowstone Park and set up his camp next to Bill's tent. Near the camp lived a jackal, who knew perfectly well that his life was protected by law and no one would dare shoot him. This jackal was so insolent that he came to the camp not only at night, but during the day, and was not at all afraid of people.

Once a man from the company of a storyteller jokingly ordered Chink to drive the jackal away. The puppy obediently chased the jackal. He first ran away, but then turned and drove Chink to the camp, biting him on the sides.

Since then, the jackal has been entertained by tormenting the unfortunate Chink. As soon as the puppy left the camp, a jackal appeared and drove him back. Chink's life turned into hell. He kept huddling over to the tents, even when the puppy accompanied the narrator on walks, the jackal followed and spoiled Chink all the pleasure.

Soon, Bill moved his tent, and the jackal moved there, whom poor Chink was already beginning to fear. It turned out that Bill moved to drink alone a bottle of vodka he had obtained somewhere. One bottle was not enough for him, Bill saddled his horse and rode to the nearest town, ordering Chink to guard the tent and leaving him neither food nor water.

In the evening, Bill did not return.There was a little ham left in the tent, but the hungry Chink, being a watchdog, did not dare to touch the owner’s property, which he was ordered to guard. He moved away from the tent to catch a mouse, and then a jackal attacked him.

The Jackal quickly realized that the man was not at home, and tried to enter the tent, but a sense of duty gave Chink strength, he angrily growled and stopped the impudent invader. The siege began. For four days the jackal did not leave the tent. Chink only managed to get to the stream twice to drink water and all this time he ate nothing.

Chin could eat ham or leave the post and go to the storyteller’s camp, but a sense of duty did not allow him to do so.

Under the onslaught of the enemy, a real faithful guard dog was developed from him, ready, if necessary, to die at his post ...

On the fifth day, Bill sobered up, remembered that he had left the camp in the care of a stupid puppy, and went home. Having approached the tent, he saw that at the entrance stood Chink and the jackal and growled at each other.

Having driven the jackal away, Bill saw an untouched bag of ham and realized that for four days Chink had not eaten anything, and the puppy, trembling with fatigue, licked his hand. Old Bill burst into tears, fed Chink and solemnly promised never to leave him alone for long.

Then Bill took an expensive carbine, which he was very proud of, and shot a jackal. For this weapon, Bill was destroyed, and he himself was forever kicked out of Yellowstone Park. But he did not regret that he stood up for a faithful friend.

The retelling is based on the translation of N. Chukovsky.