How The Dog Got it's "WOOF!"

 

Once, a very long time ago, in the time of fairies and miracles,
there lived a dog whose name was Binialenable. However, no one knew him by that name except for his ever-scolding mother.

As we all know, the only noise a dog ever makes is a "WOOF," but
back then it was very different. Dogs were the most talkative
creatures to roam the earth. Unlike the turtle or deer, who rarely gossiped or
socialized, the dog greeted his neighboors in the mist of every morning,
and chattered on until dusk when his eyes became droopy and he slurred
his words out of tiredness. Now, Bingan was a very strong example of a
talkative creature and even his mother couldn't get him to hush. Susu,
or a Bingan said "mother," was a very passive being and though she tried as
best she could to seem like a form of authority to her son, he took
advantage of her constantly.

One fine day, when the sun was so bright it shown through the
thick cover of the forest, Bingan awoke to the singing of the birds. he
pushed his way from the thick layer of palm leaves he used as a blanket and
shook himself clean of dreams and slumber. Blinking in the bright sunlight, he
trotted his way over to the stream and leaped in. "Binialenable!"
shrieked his mother. "What is this, this mess?!" Susu stuttered. She made so
much noise that a giraffe glared in the window of the mud hut where Bingan
and Susu lived.

"Motherrrrrrr," Bingan whined, "I will clean it up later! I'm
off to Alipee's," referring to his best friend. Off Bingan ran into the
forest following a path well worn from the two best pals years of friendship.
"Stupid mother,"thought Bingan. "She thinks she can boss me around!
She never compliments me on how handsome or cunning I am, what a awful
excuse for a mo-"

"ROAARRR!" a fierce voice that made the trees in the forest
groan cut Bingan off.

"Oh, my,my,my! What in the name of the earth was that?!"
trembled Bingan. "Is something threatening our peaceful village?"

"ROOAAAARR" came the growl again and this time a face came with
the noise. What a gruesome face it was. Scales, with the crevices so deep
they formed little trenches. Eyes blacker than night with the center
being a little dot that glowed. It was the most hideous thing Bingan had ever
seen.

"Whoa! I'd better leave quick before this creature sees me!
Wait," a second voice interrupted in his head. "I'm the greatest thing to ever
walk this earth! Why should I let an ugly thing like that threaten me?"
and with that, he ran back to find his sling shot. Back through the
forest, around the familiar clump of grass and up to his hut.
"Binalenable... oh, never mind. Just what do you think you're
doing?" Susu challenged.

"Mother, frankly, it is none of your business! But, being the
fantastic son I am I will tell you. I am off to tease and torture a
great, giant and ugly beast that threatens our village."

"You know that is stupid!" His mother argued. "You are but a
measly pea compared to a giant beast! Besides, anything ugly has a bad
temper!"

"You are sure right about that! Look at you! But I can handle
you and I can handle it. I'm off!" And Bingan took off once again,
scooting down the path, eager to torment the beast.

"ROOAAARR!!" came the voice once more. Then his ugly head
popped up in the trees, "I THE GREAT RAOL HAVE COME TO CONQUER ALL IN THIS LAND!"

"Here's my chance," thought Bingan, and he flicked his wrist,
flinging the stone from his sling shot into the eye of the giant. "Ah,
such perfect aim." Bingan commended himself.
"I SAW THAT, YOU SCRAWNY MIDGET! YOU WILL SUFFER!" and Raol
clomped forward, eager to turn the little brat to mush. Bingan took off on his
strong legs, flicking dust and dirt behind him. The chase was on, with
a path being made by the giant monster's feet.

Soon, Bingan turned a sharp right corner, dove into the stream,
swam across, and disappeared into the brush. "I'LL BE BACK FOR YOU!"
then the monster took off in the other direction, heading for the land of the
Deserts.

"See, I rule! You loser!" yelled Bingan to the monster's tail.

"Whoo Hoo! I'm the best, the best, the best!" Bingan screamed as he
ran to his friend's hut. When Bingan arrived at Alipee's, he bragged and
boasted until the sun began setting in the sky. Then Bingan ran home, eager to
tell his mother of his magnificent feat of escaping Raol. "Mother! I am
the greatest! You should be extremely proud of your son!"

"Oh whatever you've done I'm sure you will pay your price
sooner or later. I'm off to bed." And with that Susu turned her back on her son
and clomped to her room.

Bingan was completely blown away with astonishment."Some mother
I have! She doesn't even appreciate me! I am running away!" Bingan flew
out the door and by habit turned toward Alipee's house. He ran through
the thicket and down the path again. "Oh this is so exciting! I don't
need a mother and I can conquer great monsters one hundred times the size of
me.

"Alipee! Alipee!" called out Bingan. "I am the best dog in all
creation, and just think, you are my best friend!"

"Oh no, my 'friend' is here again to brag. Well I am going to
go insane if I have to listen to that stuff anymore. I guess I will just
have to ignore him!" Whistling and pretending to be tiding up the outside of
his hut, Alipee tried as best he could to block Bingan's voice out of his
head.

"The wonderful Bingan has arrived, eager to tell his stories of
amazing heroic activities." There was a pause. "He-ll-oooo! Alipee, the
world's greatest has arrived, pay your respects! It's the best,
Bingan!" Flustered, Bingan tried once more to get Alipee's attention. "I'm the
best, the greatest and the most wonderful" he said to himself.

"WOOF!" Barked Bingan, and he surprized himself and Alipee. He
tried once again to brag, "WOOF!"

"Oh my!" Thought Alipee. "He can no longer talk! Well, all for
the better, he was such a nuisance," and went inside.
Bingan didn't know what happened, he was utterly confused. He
had bragged too much and had so many boasts to make that he ended up barking
instead.

And so goes the story of how the dogs of the world today got
their bark. They were born from the family of Bingan, the most conceited,
self-centered of them all. He had so much self-praise, that his words
became fumbled and came out as a "WOOF!"