Last Year’s Christmas Present
Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
With no thought of the dog outside filling their head.
And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,
Knew he was cold, but didn’t care about that.
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Figuring the dog was free and into the trash.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the luster of midday to objects below,
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But Santa Claus – his eyes full of tears.
He unchained the dog, once so lively and quick,
Last years Christmas present, now thin and sick.
More rapid than eagles he called the dog’s name.
And the dog ran to him, despite all his pain;
“Now, DASHER! Now, DANCER! Now, PRANCER and VIXEN!
On, COMET! On CUPID! On, DONNER and BLITZEN!
To the top of the porch! To the top of the wall!
Let’s find this dog a home where he’ll be loved by all”
I knew in an instant there would be no gifts this year,
For Santa Claus had made one thing quite clear,
The gift of a dog is not just for the season,
We had gotten the pup for all the wrong reasons.
In our haste to think of giving the kids a gift
There was one important thing that we missed.
A dog should be family, and cared for the same
You don’t give a gift, then put it on a chain.
And I heard him exclaim as he rode out of sight,
“You weren’t given a gift! You were given a life!”
—Author Unknown
If you are thinking of getting a pet for Christmas, please remember that even if you think no one else knows, Santa will watch closely to insure that you take good care of your new bub, and he watches you every day of the year. And never forget, it is only through you that the Randolph County Humane Society continues to save lives, one by one. Merry Christmas from the entire Tail Talk family; dogs, cats, cows, chickens and everyone else.
Good post! I have another take on the classic from a canine point of view on my site. Visit me at http://www.sandysays1.wordpress.com for a few laughs.
Sandy, I sure am glad your person lets you stay up on what is going on in the blogs, but mostly I’m glad you approve of my posts. This is the second time you’ve commented on one of my posts, and coming from you that means a lot to me. Tell your person I said thank you. And I’m grateful you have such a good home that you can remind us all there is a lighter side to Christmas with the animals also. Around our house with the new Tail Talk animals (one new dog and three new cats this year) life is comic enough without adding Christmas ornament props into the mix. Have a save holiday season to you and yours!