Did you know that the original opening line of Anna Karenina was “All happy families are alike; they all own Samoyeds?” Yes indeed, Tolstoy loved his fluffy white dogs, but his editor was a curmudgeonly Moscovite with a wicked fur allergy. He didn’t like the original line, so out came the red pen! Thus we are left with the depressing sentiments that begin the novel today! Just imagine: here we are, over one and a half centuries later, thinking the novel was a window into the complex Slavic soul, when in fact it was originally an ode to a humble Russian doggy! After all, why write about Czarist drama when you can tell a story about loyal herding dogs and their irrepressible smiles? In the original universe, perhaps the family in question lived out their days happily cuddling Samoyeds in front of the fire!