DOG DAYS

 
Baba was at one time in Lonavla for some months. He would call everyone to be with Him, and sometimes after these meetings, someone would find one of their shoes missing. This was reported to Baba and He asked the watchman to be more vigilant and find what was happening to the shoes. Sure enough, the culprit was caught — a very scrawny dog, full of mange and so starving that it would take a shoe and eat it.

The watchman brought the dog to Baba and Mehera happened to learn of the matter and pleaded with Baba, 'Baba, can we not do something for that poor animal?'

To please Mehera, Baba called Eruch and told him to look after the dog, and to apply curd and sulphur to its skin. Eruch did this and over a month or so the mange began to disappear and hair started to grow again. After some time he became a beautiful clean dog with fine brown hair and quite plump. Mehera was delighted. Baba named him Faifoo.

When Baba left Lonavla, He sent the dog to Padri in Meherabad. Faifoo mated with one of the other dogs there and from the first litter, Baba selected a pair of puppies male and female. Baba gave them to Meheru, Eruch's sister, to look after, but they grew up totally unmanageable, and they were then sent to Bindra House where they were renamed Princie and Brownie.

Princie died fairly young from poisoning, picked up in his wanderings from home. Brownie did not wander, was a very good watch dog, and lived until she was sixteen or more years. Whenever Baba came to Bindra House, Brownie would try to jump on His lap, but being quite big, her hind legs would be on the ground with her front paws trying to embrace Him. She would then lick Baba all over.

On one occasion when Baba was leaving the house and Brownie was lying asleep across the threshold, Adi Senior, Baba's secretary and very close disciple, gave the dog a shove with his foot so that she would move and not cause Baba to trip or stumble over her.

Baba stopped immediately, very upset and said to Adi, 'What's wrong with you? Why did you do that — kick the animal?'

Shaken Adi replied: 'Baba, I did not mean any harm. I was afraid you might trip over her.'

'What do you think?! That I am blind?!' And Baba then told Adi, 'Now bow down to the animal and ask her to forgive you.'

Adi did just that and Baba departed.