A Dog of Flanders Filming Locations

Nello was a little boy who lived with his aged grandfather near Antwerp. They were very poor, but because they loved each other so much were happier than many persons who enjoyed luxury. The child's only friend, outside of her grandfather, was an animal, who has gone down in history as "A Dog of Flanders." The dog was owned by a cruel tinker who forced him to draw heavy loads and repaid his labor with curses and blows. Finally, the animal broke down under his inhuman usage, and his heartless owner left him by the roadside to die. There he was found by little Nello, who tenderly nursed him back to health. The grandfather could do nothing for his living but limp about a little with a small cart with which he carried daily the milk cans of those happier neighbors who owned cattle, away into the town of Antwerp. One morning the dog, unhidden, stepped into the shafts of the cart and signified in dumb fashion that to propel it was his work. The old man was daily growing weaker, and found occasion to bless the time that he had taken the ill-treated dog into his humble home. Finally the old man grew so weak that he had to remain in the cottage while Nello and the dog cheerfully became the bread winners of the family. The boy's secret ambition was to be a great artist and whenever he had an opportunity he would slip into the cathedral at Antwerp to stand, spellbound, before the masterpiece of the great Rubens. With no one to aid him, and with only rough brown paper and charcoal as his implements he toiled away hopefully. Near Nello's home lived a rich miller, whose little daughter, Alois, frequently played with Nello. The miller was purse proud, and finally forbade the poor boy to come to his house, telling him that when his daughter grew up he intended she should make a rich marriage. Nello felt his dismissal keenly. The boy was ambitious and sketched industriously. About this time there was a competition in Antwerp, open to all untrained artists under the age of 18. The cash prize was large, but in addition the winner's artistic future was assured. Nello submitted a drawing with high hopes, but the prize was awarded to the son of an influential citizen, although later it was admitted that little Nello's sketch was by far the better, and best. Returning home brokenhearted, he found that his aged grandfather had died, and creditors seized the things in the cottage, and the boy and the dog were turned out to shift for themselves. While making their way through a bad snowstorm one day, Nello suddenly unearths a wallet, containing lots of money. Although Nello was hungry and penniless, he would not touch a cent of the money in the wallet, but immediately turned around and started for the house, the miller's house, the miller who had lost it was out searching frantically for it. Nello gave the wallet to the wife, and asked her to take care of his dog, in his old age. And saying good-bye to the dog, he went out into the storm once more. The miller returned a little later, the dog fled from the house as he entered. The miller was very sorry that he had been so mean to the poor little boy and his dog, and wished that he could make amends, but Nello and his faithful friend lie in the one grave side by side, and the people of Antwerp always tell the story of "A Dog of Flanders."