PEKINGESE DOGS

The Pekinese National Anthem
by E.V. Lucas

The Pekinese
Disdain to please
On any set design,
But make a thrall
Of one and all
By simple Right Devine.

The Pekinese
Our houses seize
And mould them till they suit,
For every one
's Napoleon
And Wellington to boot.

The Pekinese
Demosthenes
Requires no voice to plead:
Those shining eyes,
So soft, so wise,
Get everything they need.

The Pekinese
Abstain from fleas
And doggy things like that,
But hate it when
Unthinking men
Compare them to the cat.

The Pekinese
From autumn trees
Their colour scheme obtain;
And all their lives
Their frugal wives
From any change refrain.

The Pekinese
Have feathered knees,
And plumes where tails should be,
And as they race
About the place
They ripple like the sea.

The Pekinese,
Although such wees,
Are destitute of fear;
Both fleet and strong,
They bound along,
As buoyant as the deer.

The Pekinese
Say 'Bread and cheese
Will do for such as you;
For us a fare
More choice and rare,
And jolly punctual too.'

The Pekinese
Adore their ease
And slumber like the dead;
In comfort curled
They view the world
As one unending bed.

The Pekinese
On China's seas
Embarked to win the West;
A piece of Ming
's a lovely thing,
But oh! the dogs are best.

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The Pekingese National Anthem by E. V. Lucas was originally published in England in 1930. This charming work was issued in the form of an illustrated booklet with drawings by Persis Kirmse, sister to the celebrated illustrator Marguerite Kirmse, who lived and worked in the United States and whose work is popular among collectors of dog art. The old spelling of the breed name, Pekinese, was used in the original work.

The above is from the book The NEW Pekingese by Nigel Aubrey-Jones, copyright 1990 by Howell Book House, which seems to be out of print. This book includes a print of the original work, including cover and drawings. Other books, such as The Butterfly Lions, include the anthem, but not all verses or the artwork. The NEW Pekingese is readily available through book dealers listed with Amazon.com.

Pekingese Property Laws

If I like it, it’s mine.

If it’s in my mouth, it’s mine.

If I had it a little while ago, it’s mine.

If I can take it from you, it’s mine.

If it’s mine, it must never appear to be yours.

If it just looks like mine, it’s mine.

If I saw it first, it’s mine.

If it’s edible, it’s mine.

If you have something and put it down, it’s mine.

If I chew something up, all the pieces are mine.

If I get tired of it, it’s yours.

If I want it back, it’s mine.

Will teach my human how to:

fetch me a treat
rub my belly
take me for a walk
wipe my feet
pick up my poop
speak baby talk
throw a ball
give me a kiss
buy me a toy
fetch me another treat

Dog breed artwork by Tomoyo Pitcher

The dog will come when he is called,
the cat will turn away;
The Pekinese will please itself,
whatever you may say.