I know you really admire Ben Franklin and all he accomplished. But I bet you didn’t know that during his lifetime children also loved Franklin. And he just loved them right back. Occasionally he showed them his compliments for children and even their pets, by writing rhyming poetry. Simple rhyming verse.

Once Ben sent to the children of friends of his in England the gift of an American squirrel which he had named “Skug”. Skug is the Indian name for the gray squirrel.

A year later Ben received a note from the English children sharing with Ben Skug’s untimely demise. Ben wrote back to the children expressing his condolences and including an epitaph for the burial of Skug. Here is what he wrote:

Here lies Skug
As snug
As a Bug
In a Rug!