Lovely Little Dog

Once a devotee family came from Nellore to Prasanthi Nilayam and waited for Bhagawan's Darshan facing the portico under His room above.  Bhagawan appeared on the balcony and asked them, "Where is the dog that took your son up the hill?"  Then the story came to light explaining Bhagawan's query.

It seemed that the son of the family left the house one night without any notice, a week earlier.
Since he was not in the best of health either physically or mentally, the parents were naturally very worried; they telegraphed to Bhagawan.  They searched all likely and unlikely places. They got some clue from someone that their son might have gone to Tirupati.  They hastened to the hill and arrived at the temple to discover the boy there! 

He had climbed the steps in spite of his ill health because he said a lovely little dog had inspired him and guided his steps.  It seemed that the dog appeared suddenly form nowhere just after he climbed the first few steps; it would climb 7 or 8 steps and sit looking affectionately towards the boy, encouraging him to do likewise, urging him on and showing to him that it was all so easy.  Without knowing how, the boy had followed the dog, talking to it and inspired by it, never doubting its intentions or its capability as a guide.  A few yards from the Gopuram of Sri Venkata Chalapathi temple, the dog melted away.

That was the story the son related to the astounded parents at Tirupati.  Sri N. Kasturi, who was present at Prashanti Nilayam when the parents had come, now understood the import of Bhagawan's question about the dog.

(From the book "Mother Sai's Miracles of Love")