The Dialogue of the Dogs

[2][3] Exemplary Stories (Novelas ejemplares) is a series of twelve novellas that follow the model established in Italy and written by Miguel de Cervantes between 1590 and 1612.

The collection was printed in Madrid in 1613 by Juan de la Cuesta, and was well received in the wake of the release of the first part of Don Quixote.

One dog, Berganza, tells the other, Cipión (Scipio), about his experiences with his various human masters and opines in a highly refined manner on a slew of social and philosophical themes such as greed, Gypsies, dishonesty, honor, and witchcraft.

The following is a summary of the multitude of jobs, services, and tasks that were asked by different owners of Berganza throughout his life:[6] Alférez Campuzano is a protagonist in the previous short story called "The Deceitful Marriage"[5] in which he gives graduate Peralta an incredible dialogue to read that he had written and of which he claims he was a witness.

It purported events occurred when he was convalescing at the Hospital of the Resurrection (in Valladolid): Scipio and Berganza are Mahudes's dogs and possess human skills, such as speech and reasoning, which allows them to judge and criticize from afar.

But, with Berganza's life story, the dichotomy of preconceived ideas of friendship and loyalty fade away; the readers get the truth within the underpinnings of owner—dog relationships.

Cervantes's own Don Quixote[8] explores and parodies the idea that literature not grounded in empirical reality is dangerous stuff in "The Deceitful Marriage".

He playfully places a quasi-picaresque autobiography, the most 'realist' fiction of its time in its baring of society's vices, in a totally fantastic framework of rational, talking dogs.