Why the Dog’s Nose is Always Cold

Posted by Jeanne on February 4, 2009

Dog Picture

“What makes the dogs nose always cold?”
I’ll try to tell you, curls of gold.
Well years and years and years ago,
How many I don’t really know.
There came a rain on sea and shore;
Its like was never seen before
Or since. It fell unceasing down,
Till all the world began to drown;
But just before the rain did pour,
An old, old man tho tired and sore,
Built an ark, that he might save,
His family from a watery grave;
And in it also he designed,
To shelter two of every kind
Of beast. Well dear when it was done,
And heavy clouds obscured the sun,
The Noah folks to it quickly ran,
And then the animals began
Gravely to march along in pairs,
The Leopards, Tigers, Wolves, and Bears.
The Camels, Goats, Cats, and Donkeys,
The tall Giraffes, the Beavers, Monkeys.
The Sheep, the Mice, the Kangaroos,
Hyenas, Elephants, and Koo-Doo’s
And hundreds more – ‘twould take all day
My Dear so many names to say.

And at the very, very end
Of the procession by his friend,
And Master, Faithful dog was seen.
The lifelong time he’d helping been.
To drive the crowd of creatures in,
And now with loud exultant bark,
He gaily sprang aboard the Ark.
Alas so crowded was the space,
He could not find in it a place,
So patiently he turned about -
Stood half-way in and half-way out,
And those extremely heavy showers,
Descended thru nine hundred hours,
And more, And Darling at their close
‘Most frozen was his honest nose.
And never could it lose again
The dampness of that dreadful rain.
And that is what my curls of gold,
Makes all the doggies noses cold.

An Introduction to Dogs by Ogden Nash

Posted by Jeanne on January 14, 2009

The dog is man’s best friend.
He has a tail on one end
Up in front he has teeth.
And four legs underneath.

Dogs like to bark.
They like it best after dark.
They not only frighten prowlers away
But also hold the sandman at bay.

A dog that is indoors
To be let out implores.
You let him out and what then?
He wants back in again.

Dogs display reluctance and wrath
If you try to give them a bath.
They bury bones in hideaways
And half the time they trot sideaways.

They cheer up people who are frowning,
And rescue people who are drowning,
They also track mud on beds,
And chew people’s clothes to shreds.

Dogs in the country have fun.
They run and run and run.
But in the city this species
Is dragged around on leashes.

Dogs are upright as a steeple
And much more loyal than people.
Well people may be reprehensibler
But that’s probably because they
are sensibler.

Ogden Nash