The Old Dog Who Borrowed a Nap

He showed up one sunny afternoon—an old, weary dog with a silver collar and kind eyes that had seen a lifetime of loyalty. His fur was clean, his belly round, and it was obvious someone loved him. The man whose yard he wandered into smiled and bent down to greet him. “Hey there, old boy,” he said softly. The dog wagged once, walked straight past him, and without hesitation found a quiet corner inside the house. He sighed deeply, curled up, and drifted into sleep. An hour later, he stretched, barked politely, and trotted back home. The next day, he returned—same time, same nap, same calm goodbye.

The visits became routine. Every afternoon at three, the old dog arrived for his daily rest. The man began calling him Buddy, laying out a blanket and a bowl of water. Still, curiosity tugged at him. Did the owners know their dog disappeared each day? So, one afternoon, he wrote a note and pinned it to Buddy’s collar: “Your dog visits my house daily for a nap. Just making sure you know.” The next day, Buddy returned with a reply pinned beneath his collar. The man read it and laughed aloud: “He lives with six kids, two under three. He’s just trying to get some sleep. May he come back tomorrow?”

And so their friendship deepened. Day after day, Buddy came to nap in peace. Sometimes, he brought gifts—a sock, a toy, or a chewed tennis ball—and the man would send them back with notes like “Thanks, but I think this belongs to the kids.” Then one week, Buddy didn’t come. Days passed before he finally appeared again, limping slightly, a bandage on his paw and a note that said he’d been injured chasing a squirrel. His family wrote, “He kept looking toward your house, so we let him visit. Thank you for being kind to our old man.” The man smiled and whispered, “Welcome home, Buddy.”

Years slipped by. Buddy grew slower, his muzzle gray, but he never missed a visit. Then one autumn morning, he didn’t come at all. Days later, the man found an envelope in his mailbox—a photo of Buddy resting peacefully among his family, and a note that read, “He passed quietly after one last nap. Thank you for giving him another home.” The man laid Buddy’s blanket beneath a tree and marked the spot with a sign that read, “Here rests Buddy — everyone’s good boy.” Each morning after, he sat nearby with his coffee, smiling at the memory of the tired dog who had only ever asked for a little kindness—and found it.