Rab and His Friends

by John Brown

"Rab and His Friends" by John Brown is a short story published in 1859. Set in 1830s Edinburgh, it follows a massive mastiff named Rab, his owner James Noble—a quiet carter—and James's ailing wife Ailie. When illness brings them to Minto House Hospital, the story unfolds as a meditation on loyalty, loss, and devotion. Through the eyes of a medical student narrator, this Scottish tale explores the unbreakable bond between a man and his dog against the backdrop of 19th-century medicine.