一条长了势利眼的狗

前年夏天的一个周末，我到大港去看望我的学生郑子建君。子建君，是我年轻时在静海当老师时的一个学生，聪明、能干，又为人忠实、仗义，所以一直没断了联系。他到大港后，做保险工作，几次来电话约我去玩，我想也好，顺便看看大港什么样，就去了。

大港很美丽，也很现代，令我颇多观感，亦游兴盎然。加之，子建君和他的一位朋友所给予的殷殷陪护，更使我不虚此行。

有兴趣的是，第二天中午我们在一家饭馆吃饭时，竟遇到了一件极有意思的事，令我至今回想起来都觉得哭笑不得。

那是我们一行三人刚刚在饭馆内坐下，正向店家打听有什么特色的菜时，忽然听见大门外传进来汹汹的狗吠。扭过头去张望，因大门关着，什么也看不见，我就对店老板说：不必着急点菜，你先去看看那狗在叫什么。按说，店老板就该急急地出去先把狗叫问题处理了，再回来给我们点菜才对，奇怪的是他却一脸的不以为然，依旧是微笑着说：没什么，没什么，不用出去看，那是我的小狗在看门呢。来，请三位先生继续点菜吧。

嗯？这就太怪了！开饭馆的总是客人越多越好吧？你的狗在那里把守大门，见客人乱叫唤，不是撤你的生意吗？你怎么还说没什么呢？

这样想着，狗吠停止了，我也就不再多说什么。

点菜。

吃。

谁知刚刚吃了几口，门外的狗吠又起了，且又是汹汹的。不行，我得出去看看。

我走过去开了大门，就看见一只白色的京叭状的小狗正站在门边，气势凶凶地对着一个人狂吠，那意思很明白――我不准你进来！滚开！滚开！

不准谁进来呢？噢……原来是一个要饭的乞丐！只见那位乞丐穿着破衣，手里拿着一只脏兮兮的饭盒，正躬着身子对那小狗做谦卑状，那意思也很明白――狗大爷，您就让我进去吧，我要一口吃的就走。

汪汪――不行！汪汪――滚开！

天哪，它竟丝毫也不肯让步。

我笑了，走过去对它说：喂，狗兄弟，给我点儿面子。让他跟我进去，我给他点儿吃的他就走。行吗？

小狗似乎明白了我的意思，不好继续反对，只是在喉咙里呜呜地响，表示着它的不满和无奈。

趁着这工夫，我对那位乞丐招了招手，说：请跟我进来，快点儿！

我领着乞丐进来，想请他坐下，看见那只小狗跟了进来，正狗视眈眈地盯着他，心想别多惹事啦，遂把各样菜都拨一点儿装满了饭盒。乞丐很高兴，连连称谢，端着饭盒就往外走，我不放心，一直护送他出了大门，并且远去。

汪汪汪――以后别来啦！小狗最后对他说。

饭店老板目睹了这一切，自是心知肚明，他抱歉地对我笑着说：您真是个善良的人呀！可是，我们开饭馆的这么善良就不行啦！这里要饭的太多，进来就往客人身边一站，不给钱不给吃的就不走，搅得客人都不敢来了。没办法，我只好请它来给我看大门。

啊！原来如此！

可是，他怎么知道谁是客人谁是乞丐呢？我问。

老板得意地笑了：狗是一种很聪明的动物呀。只要让它看着我做几次，以后它自己就能分辨啦！而且它绝不会看错人！

……

老板说得对。狗是聪明，不是势利眼。势利眼的是人――不包括那位老板。

Two years ago on a summer week-end , I went to Dagang District to visit Mr. Zheng Zijian, a student of mine when I was a young teacher in Jinghai County. He is an able , smart man, faithful and generous to his friends. We are in contact since he graduated from the school. After he worked with an insurance company in Dagang, he phoned me several times, inviting me to drop in on him. I thought it a good idea and went there hoping to see what the place looked like.

The trip was full of interest and I was much impressed by the beauty and modernity of the place. Besides the solicitous hospitality I received from Mr. Zheng and his friend made me feel it was a worthwhile trip.

We had an interesting experience when we dined at a small restaurant at noon the next day. Even now I still feel amused and annoyed at the thought of it.

As soon as we took our seats and asked the owner if they served any specialty foods here, we suddenly heard a fearful noise of barking outside the gate. I turned round to look but I saw nothing because the gate was closed. I said to the owner “ Just a moment. Go and see what the dog is barking at and then take our order.”

Normally he should go and stop the dog from barking but to my surprise, he didn’t. He smiled and said indifferently, “ Sir, I need not go. Nothing peculiar is going on there. My dog is guarding the entrance. Order dishes, please.”

“Well” I thought to myself, “it sounds rather queer. Doesn’t an owner expect more customers to dine in his restaurant? Doesn’t he fear his fierce-barking dog at the gate would scare away customers? Why does he say nothing peculiar is going on there?”

While I was meditating, the dog stopped barking. Consequently I said no more.

We ordered some dishes.

No sooner had we started dining than the dog fiercely barked again. Finding It unbearable, I decided to see what was happening outside.

Just as I opened the gate, I spotted a white Pekinese standing by it, snarling at a man. Its snarl clearly meant, “ I won’t let you in. Get out! Get out!”

Now I saw the man whom the dog stopped was a beggar!

With a dirty lunch-box in his hand, dressed in rags, he was bowing down to the dog. He seemed to say, “Mr. Dog, let me in please. I’ll go away after I get a little bit of food.”

The dog howled as if say, “No! Get out of here!”

Good Heavens! It simply refused to yield to his imploring.

I smiled, went over and said to it, “ Mr. Dog, let him come in with me He will leave after I give him some food. Do it for my sake, will you?”

It seemed to understand me. Having no other alternative, it agreed but it still growled, showing his reluctance.

I seized the opportunity to wave the beggar in and said,“ hurry up!”

The dog followed us. I did not tell him to sit down for fear that would annoy the dog that was glaring at him. I put a fraction of each dish into his lunch-box. He, very pleased, thanked us and left with his lunch-box. I didn’t feel relieved until I walked him out to safety.

The dog barked to admonish him not to come back again.

The owner, who witnessed and thus was fully aware what had happened, apologized to me. He said smilingly,“ Sir, you are really kind. But I , as the owner , can’t be as kind as you!There are so many beggars, who come in, stand beside the customers and won’t leave unless they are offered money or food. Our customers feel so disturbed that they do not come to dine in the restaurant. I have no other choice but use the dog to guard the entrance.”

So that’s how it is!

“ But how can the dog tell beggars from customers?” I asked.

The owner smiled with satisfaction. “The dog is a clever animal,” he said, “ It quickly learns after I taught it a few time how to distinguish customers from beggars and it never fails to do it!”

…

The owner is right. The clever dog is not snobbish. It is men who are snobbish except the owner.