A Tail of Courage

When you drive down to the southern part of Kerala, you will find the village of Ambalur. With the rocky hills of Ambu overlooking this little village, it is filled with vast grasslands and a variety of farms.

- Elizabeth Eldo

When you take a stroll through this village, you see plenty of plantain, tapioca and pineapple farms, some paddy fields, and expansive lands canopied under tall rubber trees. Nestled in the midst of these farms are houses where the farm owners and their families reside. However, as Ambalur is far from the main town, it often witnesses petty crimes, like robbery. So, Mariamma, a farm owner who had recently moved to Ambalur, decided to raise a dog for security.

This is how Pathrose came to live in Mariamma's house. When he first arrived, he was just a puppy living in a small cage. Pathrose grew up playing with Mariamma, the kids and the grandparents.

From the start, Pathrose formed a special bond with Mariamma's son, Unni. Unni adored animals and always treated Pathrose with gentleness. He played with the puppy daily, took him on walks and taught him little tricks. Pathrose loved Unni's company and followed him everywhere.

However, to everyone else, Pathrose was different from the other dogs. Unfortunately, he was what they always described as a 'coward'. He was scared of almost everything rustling leaves, chameleons peeking out of bushes, and even accompanying Mariamma to those farms that were far from home. But Unni never made fun of Pathrose. While the other family members, neighbours, and even Kiko the cat often teased Pathrose, Unni always defended him.

"Pathrose is just special," Unni would say. "He might be scared now, but he'll find his courage someday."