"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 man gestured, and the gate began to open.
"Can my friend," gesturing toward his dog, "come in, too?" the traveler asked.
"
I'm sorry, sir, but we don't accept pets."
>
The man thought a moment and then turned back toward the road and continued the way he had been going.
After another long walk, and at the top of another long hill, he came to a dirt road that led through a farm gate that looked as if it had never been closed. There was no fence. As he approached the gate, he saw a man inside, leaning against a tree and reading a book.
"Excuse me," he called to the reader, "Do you have any water?"
"Yeah, sure, there's a pump over there," said the man, pointing to a place that couldn't be seen from outside the gate, "Come on in."
"How about my friend here," the traveler asked, gesturing to the dog.
"There should be a bowl by the pump."
He went through the gate, and sure enough, there was an old fashion hand pump with a bowl beside it. The traveler filled the bowl and took a long drink himself, then he gave some to the dog. When they were full, he and the dog walked back toward the man who was standing by the tree waiting for them.
"What do you call this place?" the traveler asked.
"This is heaven," he answered.
"Well, that's confusing," the traveler said. "The man down the road said that was heaven too."
"Oh, you mean the place with the gold streets and pearly gates? Nope. That's hell."
"Doesn't it make you mad for them to use your name like that," the traveler asked.
"No. I can see how you might think so, but we're just happy that they screen out the folks who'll leave their best friends behind."
-Author Unknown