Brian Devlin was twelve years old and was undersized for his age. Gary, his father, didn’t understand his timid, scholarly kid. His son bore no resemblance to him.

He’d been a tall, strapping, exuberant young man who was usually up to his ears in mischief. Gary tried to instill confidence in his son, but the more he tried, the more Brian appeared to distance himself.

Gary couldn’t doubt that Brian was bright, and he had a scholarship to a prominent private institution on the opposite side of town. The youngster was afraid to ride the bus, but because the school was near his workplace, Gary took him up every day.

Gary worked as a desk sergeant at the local police station, and by the time his shift finished at 5:00 p.m., the school day was complete. Brian waited in the library and finished his schoolwork over the winter. During the summer, though, he sat on the school steps, soaking up the sun, while waiting for his father.

When Gary arrived one day, Brian was not on the stairs. He was caressing a puppy outside the school gates. Brian smiled as he gazed up at his father.

Make no assumptions about people until you know who they are.

“Look, Dad,” he said, then instructed the dog to “dance!”

The dog leaped up onto its hind legs and did a little dance, front paws in the air, tongue blissfully lolling out.

“Isn’t that so cool?” the youngster inquired.

Gary agreed, astonished by Brian’s eagerness. “Whose dog is that?”

“It’s Carl’s,” Brain replied, motioning to a man sitting on the sidewalk and leaning against the school gate. The man was in his thirties and obviously destitute.

He was unshaven and had a torn bundle of blankets on the ground next to him. The dog, on the other hand, was properly taken care of. It was a Golden Retriever, and its fur was shiny and well-groomed.

When Gary glanced at him, the father shrank back, so he whispered to his kid, “Come on, now, it’s time to go.”

“Listen, Brian, I want you to stay away from that man and his dog, OK? Gary stated this on the drive home.

“Carl is fine, and I adore Goblin! Brian objected.

“Goblin?” Gary inquired. “Is that the name of the dog? I’m sure Goblins is a fine dog, but I don’t want you befriending homeless people, Brian. “Do you get it?”

“But, Dad…” Brian objected.

“Not another word,” Gary said angrily.

When Gary arrived the next day to pick up Brian, he was studiously seated on the steps reading a book, but that night, his wife reported that half a roast chicken had gone missing.

“I don’t understand!” she said. “I set it aside to make sandwiches for Brian’s lunch, but it’s now gone!”

Gary looked across at Brian, who appeared so innocent that Gary became concerned. Was Brian bringing food to school for the homeless man and his dog?

Gary began watching the cupboard and discovered that tins of sausages were disappearing. He realized his kid was stealing to feed the dog and the homeless guy every day. Gary felt a stab of pain.

His son, who had difficulties establishing human friends, had developed a relationship with the dog. It was a shame it belonged to a wanderer, a potentially dangerous man.

Gary left work early two days later, and when he arrived at school, he saw Brian standing outside the gates. He was holding a bag and said, “Hey guys, I have your favorite pasta, Carl. And your favorite sausages for you, boy!”

“BRIAN!” he yelled. “What exactly are you doing?”

Gary saw terror in his son’s eyes for the first time when he gazed up at him. He immediately felt a burst of rage.

It was this rogue’s fault that his son was terrified of him! He took a step forward, fists clenched. “Get away from that man,” Gary said. “Get into the car!”

Gary and his wife sat down with Brian that night and warned him about the perils of befriending unusual people. Brian shook his head. “Dad, I’m aware of stranger danger and inappropriate contact. Carl is not like that; he is pleasant. He’s a decent person because Goblin adores him, and Goblin is the best, brightest dog.”

“Brian,” Gary softly murmured. “I’m sure Goblin is a wonderful dog, but do you know what? Hitler had a wonderful dog that he adored, and I’m sure the dog reciprocated. This vagabond is not a decent guy because he has a good dog. Brian, please keep away from him!”

“No!” said Brian, pushing back his chair. “Carl is a friend of mine, and I adore Goblin! Why do you have to ruin everything? “I despise you!”

Gary made a choice that night. He planned to address the problem on his own.

Brian awoke early on Saturday to the sound of nervous barking. “That sounds just like Goblin!” he thought sleepily.

Brain sprang out of bed and gazed out the window. It was Goblin, and he was barking nervously and looking extremely uncomfortable on the porch.

“Goblin!” Brian cried as he opened the door, and the dog quickly went to him. Goblin placed his head in Brian’s lap and began whimpering. “What’s the matter, boy? “Where has Carl gone?”

But the puppy merely whimpered and trembled, so Brian decided to do something he’d always been frightened of: go to his father’s workplace and beg for his assistance.

Gary was taken aback when he saw Brian in the police station with the dog at his side. “Brian!” he exclaimed. “What exactly are you doing here? “How did you end up here?”

“Dad!” he exclaimed. “I believe Carl had a misfortune. Goblin has come hunting for me, and he is terrified.” But Goblin wasn’t terrified; instead, he was growling at Brian’s father.

Brian has never before heard a goblin roar. “Dad!” he exclaimed. “What exactly have you done?”

Gary’s face reddened. “Carl was loitering near a school and had already been warned twice, so we arrested him!”

“But, but, Dad! Brain sobbed. “He didn’t do anything wrong! He’s not feeling well, and he requires assistance… You know absolutely nothing about him! He’s a veteran who served on the bomb squad and worked with sniffer dogs to discover bombs. That’s why Goblin is so skilled. He’s a wonderful man who was arrested because he was unwell!”

“He’s not sick!” says the doctor. Gary was furious. “He’s a jerk!”

Brian’s eyes were welling up with tears. “No, Dad,” he said quietly. “He doesn’t drink or do anything, and he spends most of his time talking to people who aren’t there. He requires assistance.”

Gary felt ashamed of himself, mostly because he couldn’t accept that a part of him envied Carl and his easy connection with his kid.

He conducted some research and learned that Carl had a sister in another state who had been seeking him for years. Carl’s sister was pleased when he contacted her.

She brought Carl home and promptly enrolled him in an outpatient mental health facility. Of course, Goblin followed. Brian missed Carl, but he missed Goblin the most.

Then one day, his father returned home with a wide grin and an odd bulge beneath his jacket. He took out a wiggling puppy and handed it to Brian. “There you go,” he concluded. “You have to name him!”

Brian burst into tears of joy. Goblin! he exclaimed. “His name is Goblin Two!” says the narrator.

Make no assumptions about people until you know who they are. Before he knew anything about Carl, Gary believed he was an alcoholic and a risk.
The best values are kindness and compassion. Brian’s sensitivity prompted him to befriend Carl and assist him in finding his way home.