the lame puppy
A store owner posted a sign on his door that said, “Puppies for sale.”
Those kinds of ads always appeal to children, and soon a little boy appeared in the store asking:
“What is the price of the puppies?”
The owner replied, “Between $30 and $50.” The little boy put his hand in his pocket and took out some coins:
“I only have $2.37… can I see them?” The man smiled and whistled.
From the back room, his dog ran out followed by five puppies. One of the dogs was running considerably behind. The little boy immediately pointed to the little lagging dog that limped.
“What’s wrong with that little dog?” he asked.
The man explained that when the puppy was born, the vet told him that he had a defective hip and that he would limp for the rest of his life. The little boy was very excited and exclaimed:
“That’s the puppy I want to buy!”
And the man replied:
“I don’t think it’s fair to sell you that puppy. If you really want it, I’ll give it to you.”
And the little boy got upset and looking straight into the man’s eyes said:
“I don’t want you to give him to me. He’s worth as much as the other puppies and I’ll pay him full price. In fact, I’m going to give him my $2.37 now and 50 cents every month until I’ve paid him off in full.”
The man replied, “I can’t understand why you want to buy that little dog, son. Don’t you realize that he will never be able to run, jump and play like the other little dogs?”
The little boy reached down and lifted his pant leg to reveal his cruelly twisted and useless left leg, supported by a large metal brace. She looked at the man again and said:
“Well, I can’t run very well either, and the little dog will need someone to understand him.”
The man was now biting his lip, and his eyes filled with tears… he smiled and said:
“Son, I just hope and pray that every one of these puppies has an owner like you.”
In life it doesn’t matter who you are, but that someone appreciates you for who you are, and accepts you and loves you unconditionally.
A true friend is one who arrives when the rest of the world has gone.
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