Posted by Charlie S (12.39.93.85) on March 23, 2001 at 18:34:16:
An old man and his dog were walking along a country road, enjoying
>the scenery, when it suddenly occurred to the man that he was actually
>dead.
>
>He remembered dying, and that his dog too had been dead for many
>years. He wondered where the road would lead them, and continued
>onward.
>
>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 a
>tall white arch that gleamed in the sunlight broke it. 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 was pleased that he had finally arrived at heaven, and the man
>and his dog walked toward the gate. As he got closer, he saw someone
>sitting at a beautifully carved desk off to one side.
>
>When he was close enough, he called out, "Excuse me, but is this
>heaven?"
>
>"Yes, it is, 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 gatekeeper gestured to his rear, and the huge gate began
>to
>open.
>
>"I assume my friend can come in?" the man asked, gesturing toward his
>dog.
>
>But the reply was "I'm sorry, sir, but we don't accept pets."
>
>The man thought about it then thanked the gatekeeper, turned back
>toward the road, and continued in the direction he had been going.
>
>After another long walk, he reached the top of another long hill,
>and he came to a dirt road that led through a farm gate.
>
>There was no fence, and it looked as if the gate had never been closed,
>as grass had grown up around it. As he approached the gate, he saw a
>man
>just inside, sitting in the shade of a tree in a rickety old chair,
>reading a book.
>
>"Excuse me!" he called to the reader. "Do you have any water?"
>
>"Certainly, There's a pump over there," the man said, pointing to a
>place that couldn't be seen from outside the gate. Come on in and make
>yourself at
>home."
>
>"How about my friend here?" the traveler gestured to the dog.
>
>"He's welcome too, and there's a bowl by the pump," he said.
>
>They walked through the gate and, sure enough, there was an
>old-fashioned hand pump with a dipper hanging on it and a bowl next to
>it on the ground.
>The man filled the bowl for his dog; he then took a long drink himself.
>
>When both were satisfied, he and the dog walked back toward the man, who
>was sitting under the tree waiting for them, and asked, "What do you
>call
>this place?"
>
>"This is heaven," was the answer.
>
>"Well, that's confusing," the traveler said. "It certainly doesn't look
>like heaven, and there's another man down the road who said that place
>was heaven."
>
>"Oh, you mean the place with the gold street and pearly gates?"
>
>"Yes, it was beautiful."
>
>"Nope. That's hell."
>
>"Doesn't it offend you for them to use the name of heaven like that?"
>
>"No. I can see how you might think so, but it actually saves us a lot of
>time. They screen out the people who are willing to leave their best
>friends behind. "
>
>
>
>A candle loses nothing by lighting another.
Charlie S
>