The appearance of a black Labrador retriever, SCHUNARD MAYHEM PANGLOSS, at the dilapidated southern plantation, Frazier Hill, signals a great transition in the life of miserly and misanthropic owner Martin Mayer. Schunard relates stories about three years of life and travels with Martin. Beginning his life in the garage, Schunard gradually wins his way into Martin's heart and into the big house. As his middle name implies, Schunard Mayhem is the master of slapstick antics, with a penchant for creating chaotic and hilarious scenes everywhere. It is a literary coincidence that the real-life Martin and Pangloss share names and personal attributes of similar characters in Voltaire's Candide. As does his namesake in Candide, Schunard Pangloss interprets the events of life philosophically, sharing his crazy and often ill-founded optimism in contrast to Martin's pervasive pessimism. Schunard wins the hearts of everyone in his small town, and breaks their hearts with his accidental death and heart wrenching public funeral. Despite his tragically short life, Schunard communicates the simple vision of a gentle and peaceful world, as Voltaire would say, "the best of all worlds."