(A summer evening.  A man came home looking tired and a little absent-minded.  His dog came running to the door to greet him.)

His Dog:  Hello, Master!  Welcome home!

Man:  …Hi, Richie.

HD:  Are you alright, Master?  You look…er…not…quite alright.

Have you lost your phone again?  Or had your wallet stolen?

M:  Ha, ha, Richie, no.  They are both here, thank you.  I’m just tired.

HD:  You are tired most of the time, Master.  But you do not look like your “most of the time” this evening.

M:  Ha, ha, ha…Richie.  I’m alright.  Just….  I don’t know about the canine world, but in ours there sometimes are nasty people who make you unhappy, that’s all.

I hate liars, Richie.

HD:  So do I.

M:  Good.  Tell me, why do people lie, do you think, Richie?

HD:  Because they are people.  Simple.

M:  ….

HD:  Dogs never lie.  Humans lie.  You know that, I hope, Master?

M:  Um, that is true.

HD:  Do not worry, Master, I still love you.

M:  What?

HD:  I tried to reassure you.  I said I hate liars, and humans lie, and you are a human.  Incidentally, I really sympathise with you for the last fact, Master.  Anyway, in spite of the logic, I still love you.

M:  Oh…thank you, Richie.

HD:  You are very welcome.

By the way, it is something to do with tails, I believe.

M:  Tales?  Tales about what?

HD:  No, Master, not that tale, but the tail which we have and wag.

M:  Ah, that tail, I see.  What about the tail?

HD:  Well, you asked me why people lied, Master.  In my opinion, that is most likely because you do not have tails.

M:  What are you saying?

HD:  We animals do not lie, Master.  Humans are the only creatures, as far as I know, who lie.  Now, give your attention to tails.  Humans do not have tails.  We, dogs, have tails.  So do sheep, cows, pigs, horses, rabbits, …even cats.  Cats are not particularly trustworthy creatures all the time, but at least they do not lie, purposefully.  Nor do others I have just mentioned.

M:  ???

HD:  Can you see the strong implication given between lying and tails here, Master?  My deduction is, the creatures who have tails do not lie, who have no tails, lie.

M:  Ummmm…that sounds plausible on the surface, but, do all the animals really have tails?  Are humans the only one who have not?

HD:  Look, Master.  I am not talking about the four-legged ones alone.  Birds have tails, fishes have tails, …even snakes.

M:  Oh, do snakes have tails?

HD:  The point at the end is their tail, I believe.

M:  Ummmm.  What about bees?  Do they have tails?

HD:  The one with which they sting is their tail.  Therefore, other insects, who do not sting, similarly have the tails but just do not use them for stinging.

M:  Really?!

HD:  Of course!!  …Probably….

Anyway, I really feel for you, Master.  Creatures large and small, from elephants to snails, all have tails, but you do not.  As I have said, not only the creatures on land but the creatures in the sea and sky both have them, even prawns, except humans.  This has led me to suspect that the tail holds the clue.  If you have tails, you do not lie, if you have not, you lie.  Do I make myself clear, Master?

M:  Well, yes…sort of.

HD:  I am very sorry, Master.  I wish I could give you mine.  But I cannot, unfortunately, for I only have one and it is indispensable.

M:  What?  What are you talking about now?

HD:  My tail.  If I had two of them, like ears, eyes or paws, I should most certainly give you one of them.  But I have only one tail, Master, and if I gave it away, I would start lying I fear.

M:  Oh, Richie!  You are such a sweet creature!

Of course, your tail is important to you.  And there is no need at all to worry about giving it up for me!  I’m fine!  But thank you for your kind thought, Richie.

Let’s have something to eat.  Then a walkie, shall we?

HD:  I should be delighted, Master.

 

(Later that evening, the man and his dog were walking in the park.  The dog noticed another dog coming from the other direction and went to greet it.  They started playing together.  The man met the other dog’s female owner.)

M:  Hello, is that your dog?

Woman:  Hello, yes.  He is Kennet.

M:  Mine is Richie.  They seem to be enjoying themselves.

(The two owners started talking to each other.  Eventually, the dogs came back to their owners.)

M:  Hey, Richie.  Have you had a fun?

HD:  Yes, Master!  We have made friends.

M:  Good.  Are we ready to go?

(The dogs said good-bye to each other and now both started walking to different directions.  The owners looked at each other and lingered.)

HD:  Come on, Master!  Quick!  I am here!

M:  OK, Richie!

(The man exchanged a few more words with the woman and rushed to his dog.  Then the owners both looked back and waved to each other.)

HD:  You seem to have made good friends, too, Master.

M:  Well, …we talked a bit…whilst you played.

HD:  I should be very happy to play with Kennet again, if you like, Master?

M:  What?  Oh, good.  We may bump into each other again…eh, Richie?

HD:  If you try to bump into each other, we quite probably will.

M:  What do you mean, Richie?

HD:  Nothing.  I just thought she was a beautiful lady, and rather pleasant, too.

M:  Was she?  Well, do you think she was?

HD:  Yes, I do.  Kennet loves his mistress.  He talked really good of her.

M:  Good.

HD:  I surmise that she is your type, Master?

M:  What?  No, not particularly, no.

HD:  ….

(The dog looked intensely into his master’s face.)

M:  Ahem, by the way, Richie, do frogs have tails?

HD:  Oh…, …I will check next time I see them, Master.

M:  OK.