Ruff

Johnny got a puppy the day that he turned four

The cutest little puppy that you would just adore

“What kind of puppy is this?’ Uncle Chuck wanted to know

“He’s cute as he can be – but … I hope his feet don’t grow!”

John put the leash and collar on to take the puppy down the street

“He’s SO cute!” the people said “But my! Look at those feet!”

The pup was furry, black and white It seemed all people saw

Not the dog that he would be … just a great big “Puppy Paw”

Mommy told him very soon the pup should have a name

George named his doggy 'Rover', but he didn’t want the same

Johnny and the pup would play, they loved tug-of-war

Each day those teeth could chomp down, more than the day before

Still the puppy had no name, each day that pup got bigger

“With those big feet I know his name! I will call him Digger!”

So Digger was the pup’s new name and every day he grew

He liked to play with Johnny but he really LOVED to chew!

He chewed Daddy’s slipper and Mommy’s new cell phone

Then they said “This has GOT to stop! Just get that dog a bone!”

Oh how that puppy loved to chew, but that new bone was hard!

“Get that thing outside.” Mom said. It had to stay out in the yard

“Come on Digger! Come, let’s go! We’re going for a car ride.”

Oh no! This will be no good! My bone I’ll have to hide!

So quick as he could do it, the dog dug in the dirt

Johnny saw what had been done ... “One little hole won’t hurt.”

Every day out in the yard the pup would play and run

When he was there all by himself, digging was most fun!

Day after day the puppy dug, first one hole than another

“Oh Digger! What did you do? I can’t tell my mother!”

“It’s all my fault!” said Johnny. I never should have named you Digger.”

“But look at you – It can’t be helped! Your feet keep getting BIGGER!”

One morning before the sun came up and all the family rose

Out in the back yard, in a hole, up popped a gopher nose!

The gopher stuck his head out. He look ‘round and ‘round

“Can it be?” he wondered. This could be a gopher town!

As far and wide as he could see were holes … there was no end!

”I think I’ll hang out here awhile. I might make a new friend.”

The gopher snuggled in his hole and settled down to wait

When he was dozing half asleep, Digger barged right through the gate

He saw the hole the gopher dug ...said “Look … I can do bigger!”

And “Who are you?” … “I dig holes, cause I’m the dog named Digger!”

The gopher thought “Who is this clown?” He thinks that HE can dig?

"Ha!" he thought. "Just wait and see. I’ll make a hole that’s BIG!"

Both the gopher and the dog dug with all their might

Dirt was flying everywhere! It was quite a sight!

When they finished with their holes they looked happy as could be

Digger said “Want a bigger hole? You can help me.”

The gopher thought about it. A friend he’d hoped to meet

This was better than a gopher friend, that dog had such big feet!

So the two friends started digging. They dug for all the day

No one was there to stop them, cause the family was away

The hole kept getting deeper, much farther than before

And they kept on a digging, right past the Earth’s hot core!

All through the day, in to the night, they kept digging down

Till they came out the other side ... they were in China Town!

Did they dig their way to China? It looked like that was true!

Neither of them spoke Chinese, so now what could they do?

Gopher thought of ‘Gopher Town’, and Digger thought “My bone!”

Let’s go home together, we can’t do it all alone

The new friends started digging through the night and the next day

They popped out, and there stood John, “Oh my!” they heard him say

“Digger! My! What did you do!” “Oh! Digger! Where’d you go?”

“Digger! That’s a GOPHER !!!” “Oh please – please tell me no!”

“Please say you didn’t do this!” “Please say he’s NOT your friend!”

“If Mom and Daddy see these holes, it will be the end!”

Digger with his dirty feet sat and looked so sad

Digging holes was so much fun ... How could THAT be bad?

He'd make John angry, and Johnny he was mad

He said he would stop digging, and that made Johnny glad

You're only just a puppy, but you've got to stop this stuff

It's my fault you're a digger so I'm going to name you 'Ruff'!