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"This old one, we will never find a place for him." said the man with
the hat. "'He is too old and ugly, nobody wants him in their home. People
want young dogs with pedigrees. Not such an ugly sheepdog." He snuffed and
pushed his that tighter on his head as if confirming his words.
The other man put down the food bucket, "Say, is this necessary? You know
how much I dislike it," he protested, "and Christmas is nearby.";
he added a bit illogically.
The other was not impressed. "Then you wait until after Christmas, and see
that you get rid of him."
Arguing, they felt through the green door which separated the shelter from the
rest of the building. Their voices reached nearly the ears of the old dog. the
planks he was laying on started to hurt his old bones, and with much effort he
turned on his other side.
Suddenly a sunbeam came through the window high on the wall, it struck his nose
and he closed his eyes. There it was again, the pleasant feeling, as if nothing
had changed and the hand of the old man was caressing him.
Those were the happy days, when he was sleeping on his own mattress beside the
bed of his master. Always he was the first one awake and waited patiently 'til
he heard the voice of the old man. "So, are you here again, old fellow,
good morning!" Then he put his head on the blanket near the hand of the one
he loved most, and he closed his eyes, and waited. And there it was, the
pleasant warm feeling of the caressing hand. He enjoyed it quite a time, before
the old man got up, and they started the day together. These days, in the mind
of the old dog, fulfilled only by long walks, sometimes to the park, but
sometimes, also with the car to the forest or to the beach. although lately it
happened less. And thereafter resting, laying down on the feet of his master in
front of the fireplace. Yes, those were the good days, for the dog as well for
the old man.
But then there was the one morning, when he waited to hear the voice, which he
would know out of thousands with patience he waited, very long. And then he did
what a wolf would do when he feels lonely. He howled and howled, but he did not
get any answer other people came after some time. Some of them he knew, such as
the neighbor. But, strangers took his master away. He himself followed a
friendly older woman. Full of trust that he would see his old master soon again
but they arrived at a big building with only many outside kennels, with all
different kinds of dogs, barking at the newcomer. There he was put inside, in a
kennel, and the door closed behind him. His long wait began.
The days passed by, but the person he was waiting for never did show up. Slowly
the memories faded, only sometimes, as at this moment when the sun warmed his
old head, then it was like in the past. The warmth did well to him. The days
were colder and shortened, and sometimes he shivered and did not want to leave
his kennel at all. He became stiff. the younger dogs were racing around and
playing. But his meant nothing to him, he wanted to rest. It became dark in the
shelter. Some of the other dogs were sleeping, some were running around,
restless, the two men were gone quite a while. The dog had not touched his food.
The last day he was not hungry at all. The night came up and it became quiet
outside the snow was falling and the distant sound of church bells came through
the night.
Then there was a light outside the window as if the sun was rising. The old dog
was awake, but the other dogs were deeply asleep. Even when the green door
opened and a bright light filled the place, not one of them woke up. In the open
door stood a stranger, but in a strange way he seemed to know him. Shivering he
got up and walked towards this person. A stream of warmth fulfilled him when the
hand touched his nose, passing the kennels with the sleeping dogs, he followed
through the doors, opening soundless. Although it was snowing he did not feel
cold at all. In front of the building stood a sled, with plenty of different
dogs. All happy, tail-wagging and barking. Strange, the dogs in the kennels did
not seem to hear it. Without hesitation, the old dog jumped in the sled and
wondered how easy it was for his old body. At the sign of the leader, the dogs
took off so quick, the surrounding faded away. Time and distance vanished. all
at once they stood in front of a big house, which was familiar to him. It looked
like the house where he lived with the old man. in front of the house, there
were meadows with groups of trees and small rivers. It was warm, and the trees
and the grass were green. But the best was all the other dogs playing, or
resting in the shadow of the trees. Some of them chewing on bones or drinking
water from the rivers. The sled had disappeared and the trekking dogs joined the
others.
The old dog entered the building, passed a few room. Strange enough he knew
precisely where to go. And when he reached the last door, he knew what he would
find behind it. The room was only lighted by a fireplace and it felt good after
all the sunshine outside. From a chair near to the fireplace came a voice he had
not heard in a long time, "COME TO ME! I am so happy to have you with
me." The old dog cried out of happiness, his whole body was wagging like
his tail. He rubbed himself against the knees of his old friend and pushed his
muzzle into the hand, which started to cuddle him. With a deep sigh, he closed
his eyes and enjoyed the greatest feeling a dog can have.
It was late when in the shelter, the man with the food buckets opened the green
door. He filled the bowls of the other dogs with food and fresh water. When he
reached the other kennel of the old dog, he saw him laying on his side on the
wooden planks. Before his hands opened the door, he knew that this was no normal
sleep. "Poor old chap." He mumbled, looking at the stiff body. in his
heart he was relieved that he was taken off his unpleasant task. He took the
body of the dog outside to a barn, where he left him to bury him later on in the
playing fields.
When he headed back to the shelter, he noticed his trace in the snow, "A
white Christmas, that's long time ago." he thought. But what he did not
see, were the other traces of the sled, starting at the outer door, crossing the
snowfield and vanishing at the end, like someone had wiped it off.
Author Unknown |
