A Man and His Dog
A Man And His Dog Were Walking Along A Road
The Man Was Enjoying The Scenery
Suddenly It Occurred To Him That He Was Dead
He Remembered Dying And That His Faithful Dog Had Been Dead For Many Years
He Wondered Where The Road Was Leading Them
After A While, They Came To A High, White Stone Wall Along One Side Of The Road
It Looked Like Fine Marble
As He Reached The Wall, He Saw A Magnificent Gate In The Arch And The Street That Led To The Gate Was Made From Pure Gold
He And The Dog Walked Toward The Gate
As He Got Closer, He Saw A Man At A Desk To One Side
When He Was Close Enough, He Called Out
"Excuse Me
Where Are We?"
"This Is Heaven, Sir," The Man Answered
"Wow!
Would You Happen To Have Some Water?
We Have Traveled Far," The Man Said
"Of Course, Sir
Come Right In And I'll Have Some Ice Water Brought Right Up"
The Man Gestured And The Gate Began To Open
"Can My Friend," Gesturing Toward His Dog
"Can He Come In, Too?" The Traveler Asked
"I'm Sorry, Sir
But We Don't Accept Pets"
The Man Thought A Moment, Remembering All The Years This Dog Remained Loyal To Him And Then Turned Back Toward The Road And Continued The Way He Had Been Going
After Another Long Walk He Came To A Plain Dirt Road, Which Led Through A Farm Gate That Looked As If It Had Never Been Closed
There Was No Fence
As He Approached The Gate, He Saw A Man Inside, Leaning Against A Tree And Reading A Book
"Excuse Me!" He Called To The Reader
"Do You Have Any Water?
We Have Traveled Far"
"Yes, Sure, There's A Faucet Over There"
The Man Pointed To A Place That Couldn't Be Seen From Outside The Gate
"Come On In And Help Yourself"
"How About My Friend Here?" The Traveler Gestured To His Dog
"There Should Be A Bowl By The Faucet, He Is Welcome To Share"
They Went Through The Gate And Sure Enough, There Was An Old-Fashioned Faucet With A Bowl Beside It
The Traveler Filled The Bowl And Took A Long Drink Himself, Then He Gave Some To The Dog
When They Were Full, He And The Dog Walked Back Toward The Man Who Was Standing By The Tree Waiting For Them
"What Do You Call This Place?" The Traveler Asked
"This Is Heaven," Was The Answer
"Well, That's Confusing," The Traveler Said
"The Man Down The Road Said That Was Heaven, Too"
"Oh
You Mean The Place With The Gold Street And Pearly Gates?
Nope
That's Hell"
"Doesn't It Make You Mad For Them To Use Your Name Like That?"
"No
We're Just Happy That They Screen Out The Folks
Who'd Leave Their Best Friends Behind In Exchange For Material Things"
Author Unknown
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