Sayantani Das of Class 4 shares this heartwarming story of kindness and compassion as a school bus driver and attendant save a mother dog and her puppies after a roadside accident. Their selfless act shows the power of empathy and the lasting impact of doing good.
I was overjoyed. To see that the dog had been saved filled me with immense relief. But what exactly had the dog been rescued from? Let me tell you the full story.
It was one of those ordinary afternoons, and I was on the school bus, heading home. The bus had paused briefly as one of the students was dropped off. Right there in the middle of the road stood a dog. As our bus prepared to move again, another school bus zoomed by and, with a sickening thud, it clipped the dog’s tail. The poor creature let out a heart-wrenching whine.
“Uncle! Uncle! We hit a dog’s tail!” Several of us shouted in alarm, trying to get the driver’s attention. But the driver of the other bus brushed it off with a dismissive wave, muttering, “It’s just a stray. Nothing to worry about.”
But our driver wasn’t like that. Nor was our bus attendant, who we fondly called bus didi. Both were kind-hearted people, and instead of ignoring the injured dog, they immediately jumped into action. They stopped the traffic and rushed over to help.
What they found was shocking. The dog’s tail was bleeding badly, but there was something more—nestled beneath her were seven tiny puppies! It was clear now. The mother had been protecting her little ones when the accident happened. Despite her own pain, she had braved the danger for her pups. If that isn’t a testament to a mother’s love, I don’t know what is.
Without a second thought, our driver gently bathed and bandaged the mother dog’s tail right there on the side of the road. Meanwhile, bus didi carefully scooped up each of the trembling puppies and placed them back near their mother, tending to them with a tenderness I’ll never forget.
Of course, this act of compassion meant we got home much later than usual. The school authorities were not pleased and scolded both the driver and bus didi for the delay. But once they heard the story, their stern expressions softened, and instead of being reprimanded, they were praised for their kindness. The heartless driver from the other bus? He was given a stern talking to for his lack of care.
The next day, as we approached the same spot where the incident had taken place, we saw the mother dog trotting towards our bus, her tail wagging enthusiastically, as if to thank us. We couldn’t resist giving her and her pups some biscuits, basking in the warm glow that only comes from doing something good.
And now, after the long summer vacation, we’ve returned to that same spot once again. This time, it wasn’t the tiny puppies greeting us, but a group of grown dogs, tails wagging furiously with recognition. They had grown so much, and at first, we didn’t realise it was them. But then we spotted the familiar bandage on the mother’s tail, and it all clicked.
Though her coat had turned from brown to black, perhaps from the harsh life of a stray, her gratitude remained unchanged. As we fed them once more, we knew deep down that this was the reward for showing a little kindness—the kind that never fades.
