Three little dachshunds become the first canine Poet Laureate of the United States, exchanging places at public events.
There was not simply one dog Poet Laureate, a single talented woofer celebrated throughout the United States of America.
That would have been amazing enough.
There were three who thought they were brothers, but were, in fact, a trio of unrelated mates operating as a syndicate, a canine verse cabal, managed by a man who knew Easy Street when he saw it.
In addition to being gifted, these dogs, like so many others of their species, were also lazy, preferring naps, meals, short walks, and tummy rubs over more lucrative activities.
In this respect dog nature varied not a whit from human nature. The dogs took it easy by taking turns in public pretending to be the same dog.
Inasmuch as they looked alike, this was an easy ruse. Professor Melnik could tell them apart and not just by sight, but also by their smells, their barks, and the way they lifted their legs against his expensive upholstered furniture.
Professor Melnik acquired the dogs from his late sister, Irene, and in so doing, Professor Melnik came into a small fortune with the realistic potential for it to become much larger.