There once lived an elderly woman in London who had a little dog. Her son had given her a very expensive, tiny dog as a special presentso small, it fit in the palm of her hand. The gift was meant to help his mother recover after shed suffered a heart attack; he hoped the puppy would lift her spirits and distract her from sad thoughts. And it worked wonders.
The old ladybecause, to be honest, she really was quite oldbegan to feel much better. Her health improved steadily, and every day shed take her little Toby for walks, either leading him on a delicate leash or carrying him in a special handbag. She called him Toby because he was as small as a crumb. He was a gentle, sweet-natured pup, obedient and full of playful energy.
One afternoon, the old lady took Toby out for a stroll, when a car drew up beside them. A young man and woman inside seemed utterly charmed by the tiny dog and asked if they could stroke him. The old lady was reluctant to let strangers touch her precious Toby, but it felt awkward to say no. So, she lifted the little dog up to the car window. In a blink, the woman grabbed Toby, and the man sped away down the road.
The old lady ran after the car, shouting and weeping. She stumbled, fell hard on the pavement, and lost consciousness.
The neighbours, seeing what had happened, quickly rang for an ambulance, and she was rushed to hospital. When her son visited, he found her weak, barely speaking, her lips tinged blue. All she could do was whisper Tobys name, over and over, her tears soaking the bedsheets.
Fortunately, the neighbours had noticed the car and recognized who the young people might be visiting nearby. The son turned to his friends, some of whom worked with the local police. It didnt take them long to trace the cars ownera wealthy young man, living in a grand house, certainly not short of money.
The son went immediately to the address, managing to get the door open (the details hardly matter), and there he found Toby. The poor pup was in a bad way. Since being taken, Toby hadnt eaten or drunk a thing, crying loudly at first, then only whimpering and sighing weakly.
Without hesitation, the son scooped Toby up and took him home. The thieves had lost interest anywaytheir idea had been to have fun with the dog, to laugh and play, but instead, theyd ended up with a sick animal, one that only made messes and got in the way.
Thankfully, the old lady recovered. Toby, too, regained his strength. Now, when they go strolling, theyre extra careful not to trust strangers, and whenever someone approaches, Toby quickly burrows down into his handbag. In the end, all turned out well.
The lesson here is simple: you should never steal someone elses happiness or love. You never knowwhat seems small and insignificant to you may be everything to another person, the very thing that keeps them holding on. For some, its another person; for some, an old car or a tiny garden allotment or even a silly little prize from a contest. Its often the smallest things that give our lives meaning and hope.
So dont snatch away someones little dog for a moments amusement. Stolen happiness will never truly reward you. In chasing after something trivial at anothers expense, you may well break their heartand the soul, though tiny, is all we have. Its the few grams that carry the whole of our life inside.
