A sign reading “Small Dogs for Sale” was hanging on the wall of a shop. When a small boy reached it, he entered and asked about the price of the dogs. The seller told him that each puppy was sold for about three hundred lira.
Buying the Puppy: The boy extended his hand into his pocket and found a generous amount of money. When he knew he could buy a puppy, he asked the seller to see the dogs in the shop. The seller whistled for the dogs, and a large dog came out, with five puppies walking behind her. One of the puppies was lagging behind his brothers in walking. The way that puppy walked caught the attention of this small boy, so he asked the seller, “Why is this puppy limping?”
The Lame Puppy: The seller answered, without hiding the truth from him, as was his habit, “This dog was born lame. He has been sick since he was born and limps, and he will remain in this condition all the days of his life. He will continue to limp.”
I Will Not Take Money From You: The boy felt great happiness, which the man did not understand. He said to the seller, “This is exactly the puppy I am looking for. This is the puppy I want to buy.” The seller was surprised by the overwhelming joy that came over the boy and said to him, “If this is the puppy you want to buy, I will not take money from you.” The boy’s expression changed, and signs of anger and displeasure appeared on his face at the same time. The boy said, “I do not want to take the dog from you without money in exchange. This puppy must have a price like the rest of the puppies!”
Astonishment and Persistence: Then he looked directly into the seller’s eyes and said firmly, “I will give you now what is in my pocket of money, and I will complete the amount in installments, every beginning of the month from the allowance my father gives me for school.” The astonishment drawn on the merchant’s features did not stop. He stood looking at the boy, unable to believe what he was hearing. He asked him for the last time, “Are you sure you want to take this puppy and not any other puppy?” The boy answered with great confidence, “Yes.”
Because He Is Like Me, Lame: The merchant said to him, “But he will not play with you, will not jump, and will not run like the rest of the puppies.” But these phrases that the seller said did not please the boy, and he decided to tell the seller the secret of his interest in the puppy!
He leaned his body a little, lifted his pants from his leg, and asked the seller to see the iron piece supporting his twisted leg so he could walk through it. Then he said with the tone of a teacher who would not repeat the explanation of the lesson after this time, “I also, uncle, cannot walk, exactly like this puppy. Therefore, he is in dire need of someone who understands him, sympathizes and empathizes with him, and supports him in time of need. Because he is like me, I decided to take him instead of the other puppies.”
The True Friend: The seller trembled with intense emotion and shame, and tears began to fall from his eyes. Then he approached the boy, hugged him, and said to him, “I wish and pray that every puppy of the puppies I sell in this shop has someone who loves him as you love this puppy. In life, it does not matter the circumstances surrounding you. It is necessary that you find someone who appreciates you, loves you, and accepts you without any restriction or condition. You find the true friend in time of need, in the darkest moments you find him when everyone leaves you, you find him beside you.”