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</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">Twas the night before Christmas<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></font></font></p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">All through the plantation<o:p></o:p></font></font></p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">Not a Basset was stirring<o:p></o:p></font></font></p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">In this canine nation</font></font></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri"><o:p></o:p></font></font> </p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">Dog stockings were hung by the chimney, so sweet,<o:p></o:p></font></font></p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">All ready for toys or a bone and a treat.</font></font></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri"><o:p></o:p></font></font> </p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">The houndage were nestled all snug in their beds<o:p></o:p></font></font></p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">While visions of slow squirrels danced in their heads.</font></font></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri"><o:p></o:p></font></font> </p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">The Colonel, sans uniform, I in my gown<o:p></o:p></font></font></p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">Were starting to think it was time to lie down.</font></font></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri"><o:p></o:p></font></font> </p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">When out in the yard it was sounding like thunder,<o:p></o:p></font></font></p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">The doggies were running the Basset 500!</font></font></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri"><o:p></o:p></font></font> </p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><font face="Calibri"><font size="3">I ran to the window, the <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Colonel ceased to snore,<o:p></o:p></font></font></p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">They must have escaped out that darn doggy door!</font></font></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri"><o:p></o:p></font></font> </p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">The moon on the mud gave off a faint glow,<o:p></o:p></font></font></p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">And led us to see there was no Christmas snow.</font></font></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri"><o:p></o:p></font></font> </p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">When what to my wondering eyes should appear<o:p></o:p></font></font></p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">But Chris Williams from BROOD and that was not reindeer.</font></font></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri"><o:p></o:p></font></font> </p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">Inside of her sleigh sat Tiffin the hound<o:p></o:p></font></font></p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">He looked all around then jumped out with a bound.</font></font></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri"><o:p></o:p></font></font> </p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">More rapid than eagles he joined in the game<o:p></o:p></font></font></p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">And from this day forward nothing was the same.</font></font></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri"><o:p></o:p></font></font> </p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><font face="Calibri"><font size="3">Now Hannah!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now
Duffy! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now Bruno and Pete!<o:p></o:p></font></font></p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">Here comes that Tiffin, a new hound to greet!</font></font></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri"><o:p></o:p></font></font> </p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">To the top of the porch! <o:p></o:p></font></font></p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">To the top of the wall!<o:p></o:p></font></font></p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!</font></font></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri"><o:p></o:p></font></font> </p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">Then run back around show us how it is done<o:p></o:p></font></font></p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">For this is how the Basset 500 is run.</font></font></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri"><o:p></o:p></font></font> </p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">With only four Bassets it just was not right<o:p></o:p></font></font></p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">But now there were five on this Christmas Eve night.</font></font></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri"><o:p></o:p></font></font> </p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">And I heard myself sigh as I poured an eggnog<o:p></o:p></font></font></p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">What the heck, I exclaimed it is just one more dog.<o:p></o:p></font></font></p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri">As I took a big gulp of that brandy and foam<o:p></o:p></font></font></p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><font face="Calibri"><font size="3">And<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>announced to the
world: Tiffin has a new home!<o:p></o:p></font></font></p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><o:p><font size="3" face="Calibri"> </font></o:p></p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">
</font><p style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><font size="3"><font face="Calibri"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></font></font></p><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">
</font><br><br><div><em><font face="Lucida Handwriting, Cursive">GinnyTata-Phillips, co-author of DOGKU, PETKU , RESKU , HORSEKU, BIRDKU and DUFFY TO THE RESCUE with TOM SCHRECK! </font></em></div><div><em><font face="Lucida Handwriting"><a href="http://www.gspotsylvania.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">www.gspotsylvania.wordpress.com/</a></font></em></div>
<div>\ ______ _<br>[ _____()*\<br>^ ^ <br></div> </div></body>
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