A DOG'S PLEA Treat me kindly, my beloved friend,for no heart in all the world is more grateful for kindness than the loving heart of me. Do not break my spirit with a stick, for though I might lick your hand between blows, your patience and understanding will more quickly teach me the things you would have me learn. Speak to me often, for your voice is the worlds sweetest music, as you must know by the fierce wagging of my tail when your footsteps fall upon my waiting ear. Please take me inside when it is cold and wet, for I am a domesticated animal, no longer accustmed to bitter elements. Keep my pan filled with fresh water, for I cannot tell you when I suffer thirst. And,my friend, when I am very old, and I no longer enjoy good health, hearing, and sight, do not make heroic efforts to keep me going. I am not having any fun. Please see that my trusting life is taken gently. I shall leave this earth knowing with the last breath I draw that my fate was always safest in your hands.