Remy was not like other dogs.
He only had three legs.
He lost his front left leg in an accident when he was just a puppy.
Some people felt sorry for him when they saw him walk.
He moved in a funny, bouncy way.
But Remy never felt sorry for himself.
He lived with a kind old man named Earl near a wide, fast river.
Earl loved Remy more than anything in the world.
Every morning, they walked along the riverbank together.
Remy would sniff the grass and splash in the shallow water near the edge.
He was happy.
One summer afternoon, a boy named Tom came to the river with his friends.
Tom was nine years old and full of energy.
His friends dared him to walk across a row of wet rocks in the middle of the river.
Tom laughed and said yes.
He stepped onto the first rock.
Then the second.
Then his foot slipped.
Tom fell into the cold, fast water with a loud splash.
The river pulled him fast.
He tried to swim, but the current was too strong.
His friends screamed from the bank.
They were too scared to jump in.
Remy was nearby, sniffing in the long grass.
He heard the screaming and his ears shot up.
He ran to the edge of the river and saw the boy being pulled away.
Without thinking, Remy jumped in.
He swam hard with his three strong legs.
The water was cold and rough.
But Remy kept going.
He reached Tom just as the boy went under the water.
Remy grabbed the back of Tom’s shirt in his big, strong teeth.
He pulled with everything he had.
Tom’s head came back up above the water.
Tom grabbed onto Remy’s back.
Remy kicked and kicked with his three legs.
Slowly, inch by inch, he dragged Tom toward the bank.
It took a long time.
Remy was tired and shaking.
But he did not let go.
Finally, both of them reached the shallow water near the edge.
Tom crawled up onto the muddy bank, coughing and gasping.
Remy climbed out too and shook the water from his fur.
Tom’s friends ran over and hugged him.
Tom was safe.
He looked at Remy with wide, wet eyes.
Remy wagged his tail slowly and licked Tom’s face.
Tom started to cry.
Not from sadness, but from relief.
Earl came running down the path a moment later.
He had heard the screaming from far away.
He saw Remy standing next to the boy, soaking wet and tired.
Earl knelt down and hugged Remy as tight as he could.
“Good boy,” he whispered.
Tom’s parents came to Earl’s house that evening.
His mom could not stop crying.
His dad shook Earl’s hand for a long time.
Then Tom knelt down in front of Remy.
He looked into the dog’s soft brown eyes.
“You saved my life,” Tom said quietly.
Remy licked his nose and wagged his tail again.
The story spread around the small town fast.
Soon people came from other towns to hear about the brave three-legged dog.
A local newspaper put Remy’s photo on the front page.
The headline said: “Three Legs Are More Than Enough.”
Remy didn’t know about any of that, of course.
He just knew he loved his walks by the river.
And he would always keep a close eye on things.
Just in case someone needed him again.