oldie but goodie

[mrkirker]

A man and his dog were walking along an empty dirt road. The man was enjoying the scenery, when it suddenly occured to him that he was dead.

He remembered dying, then he remembered that the dog walking beside him had been dead for years. He then wondered where the road was leading them. They continuned to walk along this road, the sun warming their backs.

After a while, they came to a high, white stone wall running along one side of the road. It looked like fine, polished marble. The wall ran along the road for a long distance. As they began to walk up a hill, he noticed that they were approaching a big gate. Soon they were standing before this big gate, admiring the fine stone work and mother of pearl inlays. Beyond the gate, he could see that the street that lead to the gate appeard to be paved with pure gold. He and the dog walked toward the gate, and as he got closer, he saw a man sitting at a desk on one side.

When he was close enough, he called out, "Excuse me, exactly where are we?"

"Why sir, this is Heaven!" the desk man answered, smiling broadly.

"Wow! Would you have some water?" the man asked.

"Of course, sir. Come right in, and I'll have some ice water brought right up!"

The desk man gestured, and the gate began to open.

"Say, can my friend" the traveler asked, "come in, too?"

"I'm sorry sir, but we don't accept pets!" the desk man replied.

The traveler thought for a moment and without another word, turned back toward the road and continued walking along the way that he and his dog had been traveling.

The wall ended, and they continued their walk along the road. At the top of another hill, he saw a dirt road leading through a farm gate that looked as though it had never been closed. There was no fence.

As he approached the gate, the traveler noticed a man inside, leaning against a tree, reading a book.

"Excuse me, sir," the traveler asked, "but would you have any water?"

'Yeah, sure. There's a hand pump over there, come on in!"

"How about my friend here?" the traveler asked, pointing toward his dog.

"There should be a bowl by the pump."

The traveler filled the water bowl, then took a long drink himself.

When they were full, he and the dog walked back toward the man who was still standing by the tree, observing them closely.

"What do you call this place?" the traveler asked.

"Why, this is Heaven!"

"Gee, this is confusing!' the traveler mumbled, "There was a man down the road a ways that said his place was Heaven, too."

The man puts his book in his lap, and smiles, "Oh, you must mean the place with the pearly gate and the street of gold."

"Yes. Say, doesn't it make you mad for them to use your name like that?"

"Not at all," the reader replies, "We're just happy that they screen out the folks who would leave their best friend behind."

[Marlin]

I always enjoy this one, mrkirker.

Thanks for posting it.

[Bruce FLinch]

My kind of place,

[catfish83861]

Friendship, What a wonderfull word, great story, thanks catfish

[Nighthawk]

good one