Long ago, in a small town in the Philippines, a wealthy man owned both a dog and a cat. The dog had been loyal and hardworking for many years, though now it was old and a bit weak. The cat, clever and quick, often helped the dog with important tasks. Together, they were quite the team!
One day, the rich man called for both of them and handed the cat a magical ring. “Take this ring to my daughter at the convent,” he said. “She must have it as soon as possible.” The dog and cat set off on their journey, the cat proudly carrying the ring, while the dog, always protective, walked alongside.
As they traveled, they reached a large, deep river with no bridge in sight. The dog, knowing he was the stronger swimmer, suggested to the cat, “Give me the ring to keep safe. I’ll carry it across since I’m better at swimming than you.”
The cat hesitated. “But the master gave the ring to me! What if something happens?”
However, the dog insisted, and finally, the cat agreed, handing over the precious ring. The dog jumped into the river, but halfway across, disaster struck! Tired and struggling, the dog dropped the ring into the rushing waters. The cat could only watch in horror as the ring disappeared.
Ashamed and afraid, the dog ran away, leaving the cat to return home alone. When the cat explained what happened, the master was furious. “Find the dog who lost the ring!” he demanded. “And every dog must now search for the one responsible.”
From that day forward, whenever two dogs meet, they sniff each other’s tails, checking to see if any one of them is the guilty dog. If a dog wags its tail, it’s saying, “It wasn’t me!” And that’s why dogs wag their tails today.
