Far from here, in a land called Alaska, there lived a pack of dogs. It wasn’t an ordinary pack of dogs. These dogs had strong bonds among them; they worked together and had saved one another’s lives many times. These dogs have an extraordinary job. Each of them wears a special harness. Not just a simple leash; it’s a harness which connects all the dogs in the pack. Together, they pull a sleigh behind them, and on that sleigh stands their master and his cargo.
Pulling a sleigh like this, especially in Alaska, is not that easy. This land is very cold, full of snow, and it’s always freezing here. The dog pack has to be very strong and they have to help each other first and foremost, if they want to be able to pull the sleigh with their master and the cargo.
The pack of dogs must be not just strong, but also clever. And they have to obey their master. In return, he has to love his dogs and give them everything they need. That’s how they know that they will always help one another, just like during one recent journey past the mountains.
It was quite early in the morning when the mail man set out for the fateful journey with his dogs. He loaded his parcels on the sleigh, put the harnesses on his dogs, and attached them to the sleigh and also to himself so that they would be comfortable. Then they set out. They passed through a beautiful snow-covered landscape together. It was early morning, with not a person around, the landscape empty. Occasionally, a bird flew past them.
The postman’s dogs were strong and obedient. They ran beautifully next to each other as if they were one. When they passed a small village, they turned onto a path which went past the mountains. What a dangerous stretch! But there was no other road they could take. Everything went well and they had nearly reached the end of the mountains when suddenly snow fell from their tops. A huge pile of snow. Nearly an avalanche. It fell directly onto the sleigh with the mail man and the parcels.
The dogs stopped. They turned around. When they saw what happened, they couldn’t believe their eyes. Their master, and the entire sleigh, had disappeared without a trace. All of it, under a pile of snow. The dogs didn’t hesitate. Right away, like the loyal and clever friends they were, they started digging their master out. Their paws worked fast in the pile of snow. The dogs knew that every second counted. They had to find their master first. After a while, their paws uncovered his clothing. They plunged their mouths into the snow and tried to pull the mail man out. They dragged him to the side of the path. They all lay down right beside him and on top of him to warm him up. They literally covered him with their bodies.
Within a few minutes, the warmth reached their master. Slowly, he stopped shaking and opened his eyes. When he realized that his loyal friends were warming him up, his face brightened with happiness.
“Thank you, friends, I would have stayed buried under the snow without you,” he patted his dog pack gratefully on their backs.
The mail man finished the journey that very day, thanks to his dog friends. He would never forget this, and in return, he took care of them as best he could.
