Great big lolloping lovable things! br Rolling and tumbling on every lawn, br Tearing at slippers and bones and wings- br Wonderful loot from the ash-heap drawn: br Foxhound puppies br Contented puppies br Dipping your ears in the dews of dawn! br Lapping your porridge at farm-house doors, br Cracking a biscuit, robbing a nest br Printing your tracks upon kitchen floors, br Dodging a broom when the cooks protest; br Foxhound puppies, br Delinquent puppies, br Cursed for a moment and then caressed! br Wandering out where the spaniels walk, br Following slow when the guns go by, br Streaking for home when the twelve-bores talk, br Clumsy and puzzled and suddenly shy; br Foxhound puppies br Bewildered puppies br Lone and unwanted and wondering why! br Never mind puppies, your day will come; br By distant coverts your kingdoms wait, br When the spaniels doze and the guns are dumb br And hoofs are loud by the bridle gate; br Foxhound puppies, br Yet scarcely puppies, br Raised as you are to a hound's estate.