Monday, April 26, 2010

In the Beginning


Repost from April 2005.

"The earth trembled and a great rift appeared, separating the first man and woman from the rest of the animal kingdom. As the chasm grew deeper and wider, all the other creatures, afraid for their lives, returned to the forest -- except for the dog, who after much consideration, leapt the perilous rift to stay with the humans on the other side. His love for humanity was greater than his bond to other creatures, he explained, and he willingly forfeited his place in paradise to prove it."

4 Native American folktale from "The Lost History of the Canine Race" by Mary Elizabeth Thurston

1 comment:

Donald McCaig said...

Ms. Thurston's book is scholarly, well written and invaluable to anyone who cares about how we think about dogs. For dog/human myths Leach's "God Had a Dog" is equally wonderful.