The Stoic Ninja Puppy

Orphaned at a very young age, Stoic Ninja Puppy learned to survive on the mean streets and in the back alleys of Franklin. Always on the defensive, hungry scared and cold, he searched for a place where he would actually belong.

One day when he was particularly hungry, the puppy met an old man in the alley. The man was taking a shortcut back to his home in West Franklin. He saw the dog and stopped. "Hi there little fella, you look hungry", the man reached into his pocket, pulled out a bag of jerky and offered a piece to the puppy.

The jerky was SOOO good! He'd never had anything like it. The man explained that it was his mother's secret recipe with special properties and those with a clear mind and a stout heart could, with enough hard work and dedication become someone of great strength and wisdom.

Chapter One:

The Adventure begins...

"Thirsty now boy"? The man asked. Puppy sure was. He had been drinking from streams and puddles for as long as he could remember. "Come to my house and we'll get you some clean, cool water". Puppy couldn't talk, but he answered with an enthusiastic "woof" and they headed off.

A little while later, the pair came to a small cottage by the road. It was built of stone with a slate roof and looked very warm and inviting. "This is my home" the man said "and it can be yours too if you like". Puppy gave another thankful "Woof" and ran to the door in excitement.

With a full belly and a warm fire, the puppy fell asleep, dreaming of great adventures and Jerky.

Chapter two:

The Old Man

The cottage the Old Man lived in was built by his grandfather, a rugged old farmer who wanted to make something that would last forever, and though he knew that nothing lasts forever the Old Man felt safe there with the stone walls, warm fire and all of his books. Now he had a friend to share it with and that made him happy.

The Old Man was a retired WMS Analyst. He had done many jobs in his life, Farmer (of course), logger, sawyer, yard worker, musician, roadie, computer guy, and eventually a WMS analyst. What he liked to do the most was learn, and teach what he had learned to others. That, and make the special Jerky of course...

Time seemed to stand still for the pair. The man told the puppy about the ancient Greek philosophers called the Stoics. The Stoics believed that the practice of virtue is enough to achieve eudaimoina, or a happy and well-lived life. The Stoics identified the path to achieving as a life spent practicing the four virtues: wisdom, courage, temperance (or moderation), and justice, while also living in accordance with nature.

The puppy thought for a long time about things like Justice and wisdom. The thought about men like Aristotle, Epictetus and the emperor Marcus Aurelius and thought that he too could have a happy, well-lived life and in doing so he could help others achieve eudaimonia as well. To the puppy, this became the only way to live. One evening, when the world was so quiet that he could hear a butterfly's wings he decided that is what he would do. He would tell the man in the morning that he was going to be a stoic puppy.

Chapter three:

The First Journey

Coming soon: