Fifth Grade
Worksheets
George Washington, Dog Lover
You may know that George Washington was a great leader. Did you know that he was a dog lover, too? He had many dogs at Mount Vernon in his lifetime. During the American Revolutionary War, General Washington was good friends with the Marquis de Lafayette. Just twenty years old, the young Lafayette came from France to the aid of the American colonists. He offered to serve in the colonial army without pay and was given the rank of major general. He was a good officer and a trusted advisor to General Washington. After the war, Lafayette returned to France. He sent his good friend a gift - five rare French hounds. One of these dogs was named Vulcan. Vulcan was so large that small boys could ride him like a pony. Vulcan was said to have had an insatiable appetite. George Washington thought Vulcan was a fine hunting dog. But one of Washington's favorite stories to tell was the day when Vulcan hunted something besides foxes.
One day at Mount Vernon, Martha Washington and her cook were preparing dinner. There was a fine Virginia ham roasting over the open fire in the kitchen's fireplace. Vulcan wandered into the kitchen. He sniffed the air...ah, ham! He crept closer to the fire. "Vulcan!" the cook shouted. She shook a wooden spoon in the dog's direction. Vulcan, however, paid no attention. He crept closer.
