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| Sunday, 1 August 2004 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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Last will of a dog Sunday parable by Sunanda Mahendra Once there was a man who had a very faithful dog. The dog would do anything the man wanted. The man though poor, looked after the dog like a son. The dog too guarded his house for many years. The dog grew old and died.
"He lived with me like a king and I treated him like a king and he treated me like a king. So the best place to bury him is the royal burial grounds", explained the man. Some people who were faithful to the King went to complain about this action to the king. The king was angry. "A dog should not be buried in a royal burial ground', the king said. "All my forefathers were buried there. This is indeed an anti royal attitude on the part of that wretched man", saying so the king summoned the man, the owner of the dead dog. When the man came and stood before the king, the latter angrily asked, "Did you bury your dead dog in the royal burial grounds?" "Yes my lord," replied the man. "Why have you committed such an anti royal crime?. Don't you know that it is prohibited? I shall have to sentence you to death, for it's a grave crime". Then said the man in a calm tone. "May you be looked after by the power of all gods above, let me explain the matter. After I have explained the full story, you may if you so desire punish me in whatever manner you like" "So go on", said the king angrily. "Please calm down my great honour. This dog has lived in my house with me for many years and served me in a right royal manner, day and night. In return he received from me wages every month. I gave him thirty gold coins (masuran) per month, which I suppose is the wage of a royal gatesman. Then I gave him thirty loafs of bread per month. Which I think is a royal meal. "Then he was given an extra allowance of butter, eggs and several types of meat. "Please try to understand this, great honour", he said adding "before he died, this great dog of mine made his last will and told me, for I knew the dog language". "What did he say?", asked the king "He told me that, he was treated like a king, and at the last moment, he said that he wished that all the treatment that he received from me should go to the king of the country". The man took a deep breath to utter some more words. Right at that moment, the king, who was moved to tears, pulled out the handkerchief from the royal garb, and started crying. "Oh he is indeed a great royal dog. So tell me what did he say?" "He insisted that he should have a right royal funeral" "Oh you should have told me earlier", said the king. |
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The
man felt so sorry that he decided to give a right royal burial for the
dog. So, he bought a coffin and laid the dead dog in it. He permitted the
last funeral rites thinking that though it was a dog it lived a life of a
human. He informed all the friends and well wishers to attend the funeral
ceremony of the dog. Then he got some people, to dig a hole to bury the
dead dog in the royal burial ground. This was done without the prior
permission of the royal palace. Those who attended the funeral raised the
question, "Why bury it in the royal burial ground?"
