A man and his dog were walking along a road. The man was enjoying the
scenery, when it suddenly occurred to him that he was dead. He
remembered dying, and that the dog walking beside him had been dead for
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.
At the top of a long hill, it was broken by
a tall arch that glowed in the sunlight. When he was standing before it
he saw a magnificent gate in the arch that looked like mother-of-pearl,
and the street that led to the gate looked like pure gold. He and the
dog walked toward the gate, and 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?" the man asked. "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, "come in, too?" the traveler asked. "I'm sorry, sir, but
we don't accept pets." The man thought a moment and then turned back
toward the road and continued the way he had been going with his dog.
After another long walk, and at the top of another long hill, he came to
a dirt road leading 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 man. "Do you have any water?" "Yeah,
sure, there's a pump over there, come on in." "How about my friend
here?" the traveler gestured to the dog. "There should be a bowl by the
pump." They went through the gate, and sure enough, there was an
old-fashioned hand pump 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. "What do you call this place?" the traveler asked.
"This is Heaven," he answered. "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 would leave their
best friends behind."
scenery, when it suddenly occurred to him that he was dead. He
remembered dying, and that the dog walking beside him had been dead for
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.
At the top of a long hill, it was broken by
a tall arch that glowed in the sunlight. When he was standing before it
he saw a magnificent gate in the arch that looked like mother-of-pearl,
and the street that led to the gate looked like pure gold. He and the
dog walked toward the gate, and 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?" the man asked. "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, "come in, too?" the traveler asked. "I'm sorry, sir, but
we don't accept pets." The man thought a moment and then turned back
toward the road and continued the way he had been going with his dog.
After another long walk, and at the top of another long hill, he came to
a dirt road leading 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 man. "Do you have any water?" "Yeah,
sure, there's a pump over there, come on in." "How about my friend
here?" the traveler gestured to the dog. "There should be a bowl by the
pump." They went through the gate, and sure enough, there was an
old-fashioned hand pump 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. "What do you call this place?" the traveler asked.
"This is Heaven," he answered. "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 would leave their
best friends behind."
