An elderly Chinese man, having lost his wife of over fifty years and with no children, felt profoundly lonely. Following his friends' advice, he went to a pet shop and bought a puppy.
It was a miniature poodle with long, thick, frizzy hair. Everyone agreed it was a cute puppy. The old man cherished it dearly and named his dog "Time."
When sitting, he would place the puppy on his lap. When walking outside, he would ask the dog to follow him. The puppy, only a few weeks old, could not walk as fast as its master. The old man kept calling, "Time, go faster!" The little puppy tried its best, but no matter how he called, it could not keep up.
As time passed, the puppy grew stronger. Like a small boy, it seldom stayed in one place and ran around constantly. It no longer obeyed its master as closely as before. Especially during walks, the dog always ran ahead. The man had to keep calling, "Go slower, Time!"
Time went on. The man grew older and weaker, while his dog grew bigger and stronger. One day, during their walk, he lost control of his dog. It ran far ahead. He kept calling, "Time, wait for me!" Yet Time raced ahead and would not listen.
Finally, the man realized he could no longer control Time.