The Happy Dog who was Sad

Stray dogs are not always unhappy…
this scruffy little mongrel was always bright.
If dogs could smile,
then this one did.
His brown eyes were always a sparkle.
One day,
though he was not searching for anything,
he found something.
The man was little more than a stranger,
but one that the dog had often seen.
The man had charisma,
yet,
not one of power,
nor might over others.
His charm was not unlike the dog’s,
always happy, always smiling –
with his eyes too.
And so it was:
the more often the man walked by
the more the dog admired him,
and wanted to be his friend.
Now the dog had his own life,
and a good one it was.
He was in no need of diversion,
yet each time he saw the man he felt …
a certain empathy.
One day the dog approached the man,
and followed him,
looking up into his face,
smiling his dog’s smile.
The man looked down, with sympathy.
he smiled in return,
but continued to walk.
The dog followed, some steps behind,
until the man was home.
During the following days
the dog looked out for the man,
at that same spot,
where he had seen him before.
And, once or twice,
he was able, again, to follow him home.
After a little while the man understood
that the dog just wanted a friend,
and so, after the fourth day,
he left a bowl of water outside his house.
Now the dog knew he had a friend.
Their relationship continued, for a while,
simple and pure.
One day, however,
there was a long pause
during which the dog did not see his friend.
Then, some days later,
the man turned up again.
And the happy brown mongrel followed once more.
But, before they reached the man’s home,
the dog showed his excitement.
He ran ahead, spun round,
and went to his friend,
jumping up and wagging his tail.
So pleased, as he was, to see him again.
But the man was concerned,
and feared that the dog
was unpredictable.
He spoke kindly to the dog,
but firmly, “Get down, go back,” he said.
And so, with his tail between his legs,
and his sparkling eyes turned sad,
the mongrel stood still,
as the man walked on.
From a long way behind –
he followed.
And, at the man’s home,
the door was closed and no water left outside.
For days on end
the dog pined and whined.
This happy little creature
had made himself sad –
it was not the fault of his friend.
But the dog was not clever enough to understand
that the man had just forgotten the bowl.
From then on, every day,
the dog ran off to the man’s home.
He hid behind the trees in the garden,
and he whined, quietly.
After some days his whining turned to howls,
and barks.
The man came out to see what was wrong.
“What’s up with that dog?
I thought he was my friend”.
The man stepped out into the yard
and the dog lost control.
He ran to his friend and jumped up,
wagging his tail.
But the man was surprised,
and a little scared of the dog,
not sure of his intent.
So he went inside,
leaving the dog to wait.
Now, the dog no longer waits behind the trees.
He is still sad, and wants to make amends.
But how?
What can he do?
He has learnt not to jump,
but he cannot talk to the man.
Is it too late?
For the dog it is better to suppress his affection –
just walk, and smile his dog’s smile,
but from the same respectable distance
that he gave at the start.
Now he waits patiently, and knows,
that if his friend gives him one more chance,
he will never jump again.

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