The Dog That Spoke

A man had a dog that had never barked. The man was a farmer, and one year a great famine struck the land. He had no food for himself or for the dog. One day, the man was sitting under a tree, weeping about his misfortune, when the dog suddenly spoke. "Master," said the dog, "do not despair. I know a secret. Go to the great rock at the edge of the village and say the word 'Open'. You will find a cave full of gold." The man was stunned but did as the dog said. He found the gold and became wealthy, and he and the dog never went hungry again. However, the dog had one condition. "You must never tell anyone that I can speak," he warned. "If you do, I will lose my voice forever." For years, the man kept the secret. But one day, at a large gathering, a rival mocked him for being lucky. "You are not wise," the rival said, "you are just a fool who stumbled upon gold!" The man, angry and full of pride, retorted, "I am not a fool! It was my own dog who told me where to find it!" As soon as the words left his lips, he heard a sorrowful whine from his home. He ran back to find his loyal dog, who could no longer speak, and was just an ordinary dog once more.