DUM DUM
The puppy's owner called him Dum Dum,
He said the dog was not too bright,
And because he was considered dumb,
He felt the puppy's name was right.
He would not come if he were
called,
Not even if one slapped one's
thigh,
He ignored enticing whistles,
And he refused to go Bye-Bye.
Little Dum Dum would not chase a
ball,
If someone threw it and yelled,
"Fetch!"
He sat and stayed, as it rolled
away,
It was as if the dog were deaf.
And Dum Dum never would chase
cats,
Even when they teased him,
In fact, he shared his food with
them,
Cause their purring pleased
him.
If he heard a noise in the house,
In the middle of the night,
Dum Dum neither barked nor
growled,
But cringed and hid in
fright.
He had a healthy appetite,
And ate the food the kids would not,
Green beans and peas went down with
ease,
And even spinach hit the spot.
He had a comfy doggy bed,
Though often in the night,
He'd crawl in with the smallest
kid,
And snuggle up real tight.
The children gave him doggy
treats,
Which he loved down to his core,
But, even more than doggy treats,
Dum Dum loved the kiddies more.
But exactly what did Dum Dum do,
To earn his board and keep,
His master said, as he shook his head,
"He only eats and sleeps."
"He is not a great watch dog,
And he will not chase a cat,
He won't come, when he is called,
There's nothing he is good at."
So Dad gave an ultimatum,
He said that Dum Dum has to
leave,
"The dog can stay through Christmas
Day,
But he must go by New Year's Eve."
A nasty blizzard hit on
Christmas,
Bringing sheets of ice and banks of
snow,
The weather outdoors was freezing,
With temps at Zero and below.
They were prisoners in their house,
It was much too cold to go
outside,
Their fireplace was blazing hot,
And it felt so good to be inside.
But, while they slept, late in the
night,
A few errant flames escaped,
Free to dance and prance
unhindered,
They made their way to nearby drapes.
A new fire began and rose high,
And wider and wider it spread!
It fizzled, sizzled, crackled, and
popped,
As the devouring flames were
fed!
The whole family was sound asleep,
Little Dum Dum was snoring,
too,
All unaware of the danger there,
The fire came closer ... and
GREW!
Then restlessly stirring in his sleep,
Dum Dum awoke at the smell of smoke,
Filled with fright, he knew all was not
right,
He tried to bark, but could only
choke!
"Cough, Cough - Hack, Hack," What could he
do?
His tiny throat was dry!
The smoke almost engulfed him, too,
Big tears flowed from his eyes.
Dum Dum could barely see the
children,
As he stumbled round the room,
But the brightness from the fire's
light
Helped him through the smoke and
gloom.
He jumped upon each child's bed,
To wake them from their sleep,
He pushed and pulled, and pawed and
tugged,
And licked their ears and cheeks.
Such good kids they were, they all woke
up,
And followed Dum Dum cross the floor,
By his doggy's inborn sense of smell,
He led them safely to outdoors!
Next Dum Dum gulped some sweet, fresh
air,
Before rushing back inside,
Where he found the children's father,
And led him, too, outside!
Though he singed his tail and whiskers,
Dum Dum was otherwise unhurt,
They all said he was a hero,
He was so brave and so alert.
So they gave him a brand new
collar,
Made of tooled leather, trimmed in
gold,
The ultimatum then was lifted,
Dum Dum no longer had to go!
"The smartest dog in all the world,"
Was how they described him
then,
And never, ever would they say.
"How dumb Dum Dum was," again!
Virginia (Ginny)
Ellis
Copyright August,
2010
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