You were asking about dogs and heaven, last week. I wanted to post you this, but could not find it. Coincidentally, it got sent to me a second time, just now. So here it is. Maybe closer to the truth than you know. Sorry, again, about the dog you lost...
> 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 water 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."
