Once there was a farmer who lived with his two sons in a place very far from the city and near a mountain pass. His personality was very bad, and over the years his habits became worse. He became more cruel with the animals he owned. He treated them badly without reason, especially the dogs he would beat and stone.
One day of severe winter, a severe snow storm occurred at the time his eldest son was returning from the city to the farm where they lived. The weather was extremely terrifying, which made the son lose his way back to his residence. Then he fell on the snow, losing consciousness.
The son was about to freeze and die on the snow. But he suddenly felt a current of dry and wet air moving on his face. He woke up startled and found before him a huge dog with a strong body carrying a blanket on his back. The boy tried to reach him, and after a little effort, rode on his back. After a difficult journey, the dog was able to transfer him to his residence.
The storm didn’t calm at all. The farmer was very worried about his son, but he couldn’t do anything more than wait for his return. When the son disappeared, his father felt despair. But he suddenly heard the sound of a dog barking in front of the door. The surprise was when he found one of his dogs that he treated badly was the one who saved his son’s life. He felt regret, and his mind stopped thinking for moments.
The man embraced his son, placed a blanket on his exhausted body, and seated him in front of the fire so he would feel warm. Then he returned to the dog, which had lost consciousness at the entrance of the house from severe fatigue. The farmer approached him with tenderness as if asking him to forgive him for his bad treatment of them.
The farmer no longer harmed any animal ever again. He built a shelter for dogs so they could live there in safety. He named it Saint Bernard. Many dogs and hundreds of street animals took refuge in that shelter.
The story is translated from Spanish Title: El rescate en la nieve