Pick Your Role Models Wisely
FABLES FOR OUR GRANDCHILDREN
READING TIME: 2 minutes
Your great-grandpa Bob’s new Brittany spaniel was just a pup. They named him Peppi.
King was the neighbor’s dog. A black lab friend who was a playmate to Keith and his brothers.
King was gentle with their new pup. He’d go hunting with Grandpa Bob to help teach Peppi all the tricks to being a great bird dog.
One day, Keith was taking Peppi for a walk. Keith was six or seven years old. He was about a block away from home when the Shrake family’s dog, a giant, reddish angry beast attacked little Peppi. Little Keith pulled with all his strength on Peppi’s leash and screamed while Peppi squealed and yelped in pain.
Keith realized he wasn’t strong enough to save Peppi and felt horror and doom closing. Just then, he heard faraway barking coming from behind him. King was racing towards Keith and Peppi with his broken chain clanking against the pavement. He charged Shrake’s dog and fought him off, saving the wounded and terrified pup.
It wasn’t too long after, Keith was playing in his backyard, when he heard kid’s laughing and hollering across the alley. He walked to the back of his garage to investigate. Some big kids were trying to ride King who was tethered to a stake in the ground. They were playing cowboy and trying to run and jump on his back. King was resisting, and could have killed anyone of them in short order. But Keith’s concern was for King who wasn’t liking this game at all. Outnumbered and outmanned, Keith challenged the big kids to stop. Although he scolded them and threatened them, he was ignored.
Keith ran back to the house and told his mom the big kids across the alley were hurting King. When he and his mom ran to King, they found him stretched out in the lawn, laying stoically while the kids were taking turns playing giddy-up.
King’s back was broken.
The neighbors had to put him down.
He was the gentlest of dogs, a loyal and devoted friend.
He was the fiercest of dogs, a valiant defender.
He was true to his character, even in the face of torturous abuse.
He loved and protected his people like a true king.
A little boy, at a very young age, came to understand through his tears what it means to exemplify noble virtue. On that sad day across the alley, he was changed forever.
It is important to have role models who inspire the best in us. A dog named King was one of your grandfather’s first role models. They don’t have to be human. They don’t have to be alive. And they don’t even have to be real. But they need to exemplify noble virtue. If you choose your role models wisely, you just might end up being one yourself. I think you know, Keith is one of mine.
I love you,
Granny