(Or The Amazing Tale of the Dog with No Name!)

Daniel had a spaniel dog
of very little brain,
so Danny found it difficult,
his hairy friend, to train.

“Sit!” was the command he spoke,
the treat clutched in his hand.
His canine pal just barked at him,
before away he ran!

“Come back!” cried Dan, to no avail.
He tried “Heel!”s and even “Beg!”s.
“I can’t run as fast as you,
I’ve only got two legs!

The dog went racing on ahead,
with Daniel chasing after.
The shameful sound inside his head
of onlookers’ cruel laughter.

The spaniel had amazing speed
and soon fled out of sight.
The sun sank low and Daniel knew
that it would soon be night.

Now in the normal way of things
Dan didn’t mind the dark.
That hope was slim, was plain to him,
he couldn’t search by bark!

His breath ran out, he could not shout.
His parents would be worried.
He might get back in time for tea
if he really hurried.

He summoned all the strength he had,
to make one final call.
It left him as a tiny squeak.
(He wished he’d brought a ball.)

“Okay”, he thought, “enough’s enough!”
He stopped and turned around.
It was quite obvious to him,
the dog could not be found.

The moon she rose. He picked his nose.
’Twas getting damp and chilly.
He wrapped his arms around his chest,
feeling somewhat silly.

And as he strode along the road,
his shoes felt wet and soggy.
“The ground beneath my feet,” he thought,
“Is getting rather boggy.”

But on he marched. His throat was parched,
he wished he’d brought a drink.
“If I come home without my dog,
what will my parents think?”

Then horror struck! He heard a duck
just before the crash.
Daniel landed in the mire
with one almighty splash!

Although quite trim, he could not swim
and he began to panic….
“It looks like I will end my days
like that ship, ‘The Titanic’!”

He spluttered, "Blurghh’, and waved his arms,
his feet were stuck like glue.
“You’ll regret this escapade
when I get hold of you!”

He meant it as defiant threat
but it came out a simper,
then just as he was giving up,
he thought he heard a whimper.

“Is that you, you stupid dog?
Wildly he flailed about.
“I’m drowning in this stinking bog!
Will you please help me out?”

By that cold pond, he did respond.
Though Dan could barely see,
his four pawed mate had in his mouth,
most of a small tree!

He dragged it to the water’s edge
and gave it such a shove!
A clear unequivocal sign
of his undying love.

He held it firmly in his teeth,
while Daniel grabbed the end
and dragged his master to the bank,
to save his ‘bestest’ friend.

“You saved me! Daniel cried in shock
and gave the dog a pat.
“You’re not as dumb as I first thought,
well really, fancy that!

Not only did he pull Dan out,
the way back home he knew,
so off they limped to Daniel’s house.
(He only had one shoe!)

“You won’t believe what this dog did!”
The pride in him, full-blown.
“He pulled me out of ‘Wet Man’s Bog’,
this dog deserves a bone!”

Now, Daniel’s tale became a myth.
The Spaniel rose to fame,
so what is most surprising is…
…the dog still has no name!