I remember so fondly my Uncle Jed
And the tall tales he told while putting us to bed
At the time, I was only a small child full of wonder
Simply amazed by the spells he had us all under
Each tale he told started with the legend of Black Jake
The old cowboy who never made a mistake
He roamed the country to and fro
Sipping stone soup while gazing out on the plateau
He traveled from the west to Chicago and back
All for the love of Nancy, his mule that was black
That old donkey certainly was the love of his life
Given to him when he was only twelve in trade for a hunting knife
Her eyes were dark sage and there was no beast so fierce
Get too close to her... and with one kick your skin she would pierce
Yet with old Black Jake she seemed to have a wiser heart
Through days of sunshine, days of shadow they were never apart
She looked upon him as if he were Gambini the Great
The legacy in his own right that long ago met his fate
He, too, had a mule and named her Nellie
One day he heard a faraway cry and found her in a bog sick and smelly
He cleaned her up and gave her a second chance at life
For he could tell she was bitter and looked upon the world in strife
From that day forth that mule had a promise to keep
She would have a better outlook on life and would try hard not weep
He stuck by her through all the growin’ pains
And soon the reincarnation of Nellie happened with many gains
She became a loyal companion
And even protected him once from a stallion
Until one holiday their friendship came to an end
It was a Christmas they never forgot, nor one they would want to recommend
Nellie and Gambini got lost in a snow storm
And it was the heat from the mule’s body that helped to keep him warm
He barely survived, but his faithful companion passed away
He buried her with deep sadness, fighting back tears and dismay
Her tombstone read simply, “A loyal companion and friend...
An animal’s love until you experience it is hard to comprehend”
He hoped his words would be the wave of the future for all
For an animal’s love and kindness should never be taken as small