“None, Sire.” The dog’s hind foot gave his ear a scratch, the pig rolled his behind over a small sharp rock in the dirt, and the goat nonchalantly reached over and nibbled on his side.

The others had been asleep for a while when Benjamin held up his wrist and gazed at the sparkling collar. The fire caused the tag to glow a brilliant red. It almost put him in a trance. “Where did you come from?” he whispered, sparkles dancing in his eyes.

Paco rolled over and opened his eyes. “Did you say something, Sire?”

“Sorry to wake you, Paco. I was looking at King Pugsly’s collar.”

“It is amazing, isn’t it?”

“I just don’t understand…any of this.”

“Some things just can’t be explained, Your Majesty.” Paco stared up through the trees at a million twinkling stars. “Even I don’t fully know how our kingdom came to exist.”

Benjamin leaned on his elbow and looked over the pig’s belly. “What d’ya mean?”

“Like I said, I’m only three years younger than King Pugsly. Our kingdom has been around a lot longer than he has.”

“How…where did all of you…”

“Come from?”

“Yeah.”

“We’re all mutts.” The dog chuckled at his own joke. “Strays, runaways, friends, and descendants of past generations. I don’t know when it started, but I believe our kingdom, much like now, served as a safe haven.”

“A safe haven?” The fire highlighted Benjamin’s sandy-blonde head.

“A place where our ancestors could be protected. I don’t know how many there were in the beginning, but new creatures have always joined our kingdom. The wild can be dangerous for those of us who are helpless, King Benjamin. Nature doesn’t stand for weak animals. Our kingdom is a refuge for mistreated pets who need a way out, too.”

“They ran away from home?”

“Yes, a lot of us were from bad homes. We’re from many backgrounds, but we all want one thing: to live in peace.”

“And King Pugsly provided that for you?”

“For all of his reign,” Paco smiled, “he was how a king should be. I suppose every king before him was special, considering they were all heirs of the first.”

“Who was the first?” The boy leaned in closer.

“I don’t know. But they must have shared a trait that enabled them to keep peace and order, so all of us could live together.”

“It was his black paw!” Benjamin joked.

Paco snickered, “Yes, I’ve heard that all of King Pugsly’s ancestors had one black paw.”

“Wow! I guess that makes it easier to spot the king in a crowd.”

“Oh, there was no mistaking King Pugsly, Sire. He had an aura. We all felt it. Because of your dog, we all felt comfortable with each other, unafraid, and happy to be part of something as special as our kingdom.”