A Fable (in memory of Kitty Hamilton)

Once upon a time, long, long ago, in another time and place, dogs ruled the world. The were dog governments, there were rich dogs and poor dogs, and dogs of every color and description. Some were kind and loving, filled with compassion and caring for their fellow dogs, and some were not. Many wondered about the existence of a Dog of a Greater Power, and decided that an appropriate name for that power might be God, which of course, is dog backwards...
One days, in the darkened halls in the back streets of an the dodgier parts of a huge dog city, called Dogdom, there was a very large but secret poker game going on. Now, it must be explained that poker in itself was NOT against dog rules and laws, and was almost second nature to the dog persona, although it was hard to hold cards without an opposing thumb. What made this one secret and illegal is that the doggy government of the day had not condoned it and so was not in on the take. Government, then as it is now, had to condone and get their piece of the action, whether it was gambling, liquor or licensing of any sort...
And so, this particular game was being held in secret. Word got out, and hundreds of dogs from all over Dogdom appeared to get in on this game. The only rule was: "Hang your tail at the door" and indeed, hundreds of hooks were provided for this purpose. (Dogs could easily be distracted by the alluring odor of another dog's tail and it was found to be detrimental to the game, hence that particular rule)
Alas, word spread (it was ever after thought to be the lowly, scum sucking Jack Russell who ratted to the authorities)and just as the night got going, an entire pack of German Shepherds, who were the police dogs of the day, raided the place. Every dog in the house scattered, and took for the exit as fast as their four legs could carry them. The place was bedlam, a cacophony of barks of every pitch, tone, rate and volume. But, their tails being one of the most important and vital parts of their anatomy, they all grabbed one as they made it for the doggy door. In their rush to escape arrest, many of course, ended up with the wrong one.
Ever after, even after Dogdom perished and the world reverted to human dominance, dogs have been seeking their own tails. So if ever you have wondered why dogs greet each other by sniffing each others rear end, wonder no more. They are saying, in the only way they know, "Do YOU have my tail?"