An Old Indian Legend ~ by Klea V. Stilwell

There is an old, old legend,
Of how it came to be,
That dog forsook the wild to dwell,
With folks like you and me.

Now man and beast they lived on,
A common bit of earth.
Each specie thought the other,
Of very little worth.

One day there was a rumble,
The earth began to quake,
It gave a mighty shudder,
And then began to break.

A crack began to widen,
Between the beasts and man.
Some watched the crevasse deepen,
But most just turned and ran.

Now the dog surveyed the distance,
And Man beheld it too.
Between them sprang a yearning,
A feeling strange and new.

Then each one begged the other
To make the fateful leap,
Yet each one dreaded jumping
A crack so wide and deep.

So Dog compelled his courage
And told Man he would try.
He eyed the fatal distance,
For if he failed, he'd die.

Then Dog prepared to jump across
His courage had decided.
That if he could but make the jump,
They'd no more be divided.

His muscles bunched beneath him;
His body left the ground.
The wind raced past his muzzle;
His heart began to pound.

His senses sought the purchase
Of land beneath his feet.
At last his forepaws met the ground.
His mission was complete!

NO! His hind feet have slipped and
He's falling off the side!
His gallant farewell look said,
"At least, New Friend, I tried."

With disbelieving glance, Man
Beheld his falling friend.
He wouldn't let it happen;
It couldn't be the end!

Then flesh smote air in searching,
And hand met paw and fur.
Then Man pulled Dog to safety
As heart to heart they were.

Man called and Dog responded,
And though the gulf was wide,
Man gained the loyal canine
Forever by his side.