Ranger: Where is Rover? I can’t find him anywhere.
Alys: Ranger, Rover died the day before yesterday.
R: But where is he?
A: We put his body in the pit we dug last summer.
R: His body?
A: Yes, his body.
R: He was in the shed with me. And you and Pete put him the manure sled. I watched you do this.
A: Yes, that is what we did. Ranger, it’s like this. All creatures live and all creatures die. All creatures have bodies. And all creatures have souls. When an animal or human dies, the body ceases to function. Everything, including the heart, blood, pulse, just screeches to a stop.
R: That is what happened to Rover. I was hoping that you and Pete might be able to get him going again. You both talked about taking him back up to the house. I was standing behind you. I heard you.
A: Yes, this was because we weren’t sure he was dead. He was warm, but then he started cooling down. Once an animal dies, you can’t reverse the process.
R: Oh.
A: But Ranger, this is the most important thing. All animals, Rover included, have souls.
R: What’s a soul?

A: The soul, it’s intangible. It is what makes us what we are. In Rover’s case, his soul was what made him such a loving fellow.
R: He wasn’t always loving. He often kicked me out of the shed, where he spent the night. And I had to spend the night in the goat house.
A: Our having souls does not make us all-loving. It just makes us capable of loving. Rover took great joy in being with you.
R: Does the soul remain with the body when we die?
A: No, the soul leaves the body and enters another dimension.
R: I don’t fully understand what you are talking about.
A: What I’m trying to tell you is that Rover’s body is in the pit but that his soul has left his body and is elsewhere.
R: Does he know we miss him?
A: Oh yes. And right now he knows that we are talking about him.
R: Does he want to be with us?
A: Yes and no. He misses us, but he is quite happy where he is. He was in a lot of pain, but he now feels really good. And he knows that someday, we too will be on the other side.
R: Will we all then be together?
A: Not the way we were here, but rather in a differing way. We’ll all be one with the universe.
R: All I know is that right now I really miss Rover.
A: I miss him too. He is an incredible fellow.
R: Yes, he is an incredible fellow.
A: Both Pete and I know you are lonely and confused and we are working on getting you another buddy. We are having your granddaughter, Truffles, tested in order to see if she has any goat diseases.
R: What is with the goat diseases?
A: If Truffles is a carrier of certain diseases, she could get sick, and you could get sick, and her offspring might get sick.
R: Oh my.
A: Oh my is right. We want her to give birth to disease-free offspring because this will increase the likelihood of our finding her babies good homes.
R: I have heard you say that it is hard to find boy babies good homes.
A: Yes, very. And I do not want to see any goat’s offspring be butchered.
R: Because?
A: Because boy goats like you and Rover bring great joy to those who own them.
R: Yes, yes we do!

Next: 39. 2/8/17: Complaint