by Barbara Hauck

　　She smiled at a sorrowful stranger,

　　The smile seemed to make him feel better.

　　He remembered past kindness of a friend

　　And wrote him a thankyou letter.

　　The friend was so pleased with the thankyou

　　That he left a large tip after lunch.

　　The waitress, surprised by the size of the tip,

　　Bet the whole thing on a hunch.

　　The next day she picked up her winnings,

　　And gave part to a man on the street.

　　The man on the street was grateful;

　　For two days he'd nothing to eat.

　　After he finished his dinner,

　　He left for his small dingy room.

　　(He didn't know at that moment

　　That he might be facing his doom.)

　　On the way he picked up a shivering puppy

　　And took him home to get warm.

　　The puppy was very grateful

　　To be in out of the storm.

　　That night the house caught on fire.

　　The puppy barked the alarm.

　　He barked till he woke the whole household

　　And saved everybody from harm.

　　One of the boys that he rescued

　　Grew up to be President.

　　All this because of a simple smile

　　That hadn't cost a cent.