Pepé Le Pew came to visit one day,

And he did so (poor guy) ‘cause he fell.

Ambling along behind rose bush and such

Down. Down into my window well.

My oh my poor little Pepé Le Pew,

He is stuck and there is no way out.

Though he scratches the gravel and claws at the screen

With his paws, and his teeth, and his snout.

I joke when I say it was Pepé Le Pew,

For he really was any old skunk.

But he tore at my heart as he tried to get free.

I admired his poise and his spunk.

I say “poise,” since I’m sure he was scared half to death,

Imprisoned, as such, in that well.

But ever a gentleman, not even once,

Did he let loose a single skunk smell.

“Pepé” paced back and forth, so fretful and sad.

In his beautiful black and white coat.

Finding the top unattainable, and…

Far, far from reach and remote.

My very first try at setting him free

Was a long enough ladder to reach

From the foot of the well to the up-above ground

Of a length that would cover the breach.

I’d hoped he would climb it; he snubbed it instead.

So, I spread down a long and thick drape.

Thinking his claws could dig into the cloth,

To (finally!) effect an escape.

That too, was a failure, for Pepé Le Pew

Could not fathom the uses of either.

And he’d been stuck so long, without water or food,

My worry-pitch turned into fever.

Then from the backyard, I heard something fall.

Can what it had been be a tree?

I rushed round the house to the “scene of the crime,”

Not knowing what I would see.

Well … a very large branch, from yesterday’s storm

Was lying supine on the ground.

“Ah Ha,” I exclaimed as I stared at the branch.

“An escape, I believe, I have found!”

I dragged the whole branch to the side of the house.

I swear, it was big as a horse!

Was Pepé still stuck deep below in the well?

Sadly, the answer’s “Of course.”

So I stuffed down the branch, thinking Pepé Le Pew

Would surely know how to ascend.

Up the limb of a tree to rescue himself,

And bring all his woes to an end.

By then, after hours of my rescue attempt

I was tired, and it really was late.

So, I took one last look at my unhappy skunk,

And left Pepé Peppe Le Pew to his fate.

I slept very well, and awoke quite refreshed,

Until I remembered Le Pew.

Then I rushed out my door to check yet again,

Hoping he’d known what to do.

Oh, wonderful morning. My heart filled with joy,

For Pepé had ended my scare.

He had climbed up the branch to ensure his escape.

My sweet-scented skunk was not there!

How lovely to close this adventuresome poem

With an ending … as happy can be!

But we couldn’t have done it, had not we received,

A generous branch from a tree!

Copyright © Shelly Reuben, 2026. Shelly Reuben’s books have been nominated for Edgar, Prometheus, and Falcon awards. For more about her writing, visit www.shellyreuben.com