Bali Dog Colour Pages

This is another story about dogs - one dog at any rate - so, if you feel you9ve had your fill of Bali dogs, skip to the next chapter.
Who can blame you .

True, the dog in this story is not your usual Bali dog - a mass of assorted bacteria held together by the mange. Far from it. This dog - But, hold on We're getting off the track. Let's start at the beginning.

And, at the beginning of every culture, comes religion. Christians rely on the Bible. The Balinese, on the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. Now, while Sita and Rama frolic through the Ramayana - the Mahabharata is of sterner stuff and concerns itself with the adventures of the Pendawas, five intrepid brothers who had a life-and-death struggle with the Kurawas - a family apparently unaware of family planning because they had 100 sons. (Maybe the fact that their father was blind had something to do with it) Whatever the reason, 100 sons they had, and when the five brothers, after many a gory skirmish, finally vanquished the 100 Kurawas, not unreasonably they thought they qualified for Heaven.

"Not so, said the gods. "Only Yudistira is pure enough to enter Paradise."
As Yudistira, the eldest brother, was an inveterate gambler who had, in his youth, gambled away not only his entire kingdom (did I forget to mention he was a King) but also staked the freedom of all his relatives, and lost - committing them to years of bitter slavery - the family were a little startled to learn that of them all, only Yudistira had Paradise- potential. But not to worry. So Yudistira set off. Barely had he begun his journey when, approachhim, he saw a Black Dog. Coming from Bali, he wanted a dog like a hole in the heart, but this Black Dog, unaware it was not welcome, attached itself to Yudistira and accompanied him on all his heavenward travels until, at long last, they arrived at the very Gates of Paradise.
Now, when the guard at the Gates saw a man from Bali with a dog, he became very stern indeed:
"Is it not bad enough that Bali - the earthly Paradise - is scourged by dogs without bringing one up here with you That dog stays outside"
But Yudistira, who had only managed to make Paradise after surviving a lifetime of adventures too horrible to relate, now seemed to go soft in the head. Fondly patting the dog, he retorted:
"This dog has already been my companion for so long, he seems like a friend. If he cannot enter Heaven, then neither will I. '
Imagine it, can you A lifetime of battle, bloodshed and servitude and then tossing it away because of a dog
Tossing it away did I say No indeed Just as Yudistira was turning his back on the guard and telling the dog that the heavenly kennels were probably draughty anyway, the guard held out both arms and said:
Welcome to Paradise, matey. You have passed the final test.
At the same time the Black Dog slipped out of his skin and was transformed into Dahama the God of Good Deeds.
Mind you, the dogs of Bali rarely per-form good deeds. So next time you meet one - watch it.