The Dog and His Reflection – Teaches the danger of greed and wanting more than we have.
Once upon a time…
There was a dog who was very, very happy. Why, you ask?
Well, he had just found the biggest, juiciest bone you could imagine!
He trotted along the forest path with the bone held tight in his mouth, feeling like the luckiest dog in the world. “This is the best day ever!” he thought to himself, his tail wagging like crazy.
As he made his way home, the sun was shining, the birds were singing, and everything seemed perfect. The dog couldn’t stop thinking about all the fun he was going to have chomping on his big, juicy bone.
But then, as he reached a small stream, something caught his eye. He looked down into the water, and what did he see?
Another dog!
And guess what? That dog had an even bigger, juicier bone in its mouth!
“No way!” the dog thought, staring at the reflection in the water. “That bone is huge! If I could just get that bone too… I’d have two bones!”
The thought of having both bones was too much for him to resist. Greed got the better of him, and without thinking, he snapped at the water, trying to snatch the “other dog’s” bone.
But as soon as he opened his mouth—plop!—his own bone fell right into the stream. It disappeared into the water with a splash, sinking to the bottom.
The dog blinked in surprise, staring at the ripples in the water.
He looked around, but the other dog was gone. Then it hit him: “Oh no! That was my reflection all along!”
Now he was left with nothing. His once-happy day had turned into a lesson he’d never forget.
Feeling a little wiser (but much hungrier), the dog slowly walked home, realizing that sometimes, trying to get more means losing what you already have.
The Moral
This story teaches two important lessons.
- First, being greedy can cause you to lose what you already have.
- Second, it reminds us to appreciate what we’ve got instead of always wanting more.
💬 What’s your take?
What lesson do you take away from this story? Share your thoughts in the comments below – we’d love to hear your perspective!
Note: This story is based on The Dog and His Reflection, one of Aesop’s classic fables from ancient Greece, written around the 6th century BCE. We’ve modernized it to make the lesson more fun and engaging for today’s young readers!
