The Ghost Dog >

For years a local tavern owner always took his dog to work with him, and soon the patrons became quite smitten with the adorable little pooch. Then one day the dog up and died, and the heartbroken patrons decided the bar needed some sort of memorial to the dog.

Then came the answer: Remove the corpse’s tail and hang it above the bar for all to see, in tribute to the pup’s perpetually wagging tail.

Which was all fine, until the dog ascended up to Dog Heaven and was greeted at the gate by the canine version of a saint…who wouldn’t admit a dog that obviously was missing an appendage.

Barred from heaven by the absence of a tail, the dog was allowed to return to Earth to retrieve it.

It was 4 or 5 a.m., long past closing time for the bar, when the dog’s ghost pawed at the tavern door, awakening the sleeping bartender inside.

The bartender was overjoyed to see the apparition, and the dog explained his predicament: “Can I please have my tail back?”

Sadly, the answer was no.

When the dog protested, the bartender shook his head and explained: “No way. Under terms of my liquor license, I’m not allowed to retail spirits after hours!”