A Year of Stories #15 : Noah's Bark (Parshat Noach)

Thank you to my favorite storyteller for doing this last second recording. Here's Renée telling her version of "How the Dog Got His Wet Nose"

And here's yet another explanation!

While aboard his ark, Noah assigned the two dogs responsibility for patrolling the ark. It was the dogs' job to check on all the other animals, and to report back to Noah and his wife Na’ama. This included using their superior sense of smell to detect anything that was, let us say, kind of fishy.

One day, the dogs were taking their daily stroll when they noticed a coin-sized leak, through which water was rushing in at a rapid rate. They looked at each other and knew instinctively what to do. One dog ran for help, while the other dog gallantly stuck her nose in the hole to plug up the leak. In what seemed like an eternity, Noah and Na'ama came running, to find the poor dog in great pain and gasping for breath. They immediately relieved him of her duties and
quickly filled the hole with pitch, averting what could have been a major disaster.

After the work was completed, Noah and Na'ama pawsed, and realizing what a ruff experience it had been, spoke to the dog saying "Little dog, you kept us all safe - our family, and all the animals -  with your little nose. All future generations will know of your great deed, as your nose will always be cold and wet, just as it is today."

This tail is done, and now you know another story explaining why dog's nose has fur-ever remained cold and wet!
(Origin unknown - retold by R' Mark Novak, silly wabbit)

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My late rebbe, R' Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, zt"l, (זכר צדיק לברכה) was a master storyteller. He taught: "a good story is one where the mind surprises the heart". "A Year of Stories" is dedicated to his memory. I invite you to forward the link to these stories so that they find their way into the hearts of other listeners and tellers.

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Please consider offering a tax deductible donation to support this project and the work of DC's Jewish Renewal community Minyan Oneg Shabbat. A shout out to Judy Young for your generous offering in support of this project.
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