A man and his dog were walking along a road. The man
was enjoying the scenery, when it suddenly occurred to
him that he was dead.
He remembered dying, and that the dog walking beside
him had been dead for years. He wondered where the
road was leading them.
After a while, they came to a high, white stone wall along
one side of the road. It looked like fine marble. At the top
of a long hill, it was broken by a tall arch that glowed in
the sunlight.
When he was standing before it he saw a magnificent
gate in the arch that looked like mother-of-pearl, and the
street that led to the gate looked like pure gold. He and
the dog walked toward the gate, and as he got closer, he
saw a man at a desk to one side.
When he was close enough, he called out, 'Excuse me,
where are we?'
'This is Heaven, sir,' the man answered.
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 with
his dog.
After another long walk, and at the top of another long
hill, he came to a dirt road leading 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 man. 'Do you have any
water?'
'Yeah, sure, there's a pump over there, come on in..'
'How about my friend here?' the traveler gestured to the
dog.
There should be a bowl by the pump.'
They went through the gate, and sure enough, there was
an old-fashioned hand pump with a bowl beside it.
The traveler filled the water 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.
'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 street and pearly
gates? Nope. That's hell.'
'Doesn't it make you mad for them to use your name like
that?'
'No, we're just happy that they screen out the folks who
would leave their best friends behind
one more
was busy...everything fine now. 
