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The Dog and His Reflection

A happy brown dog trotting down a colorful sunny street carrying a large juicy piece of meat in his mouth

A dog got a big, juicy piece of meat from the butcher's shop. Delighted, he carried it home in his mouth, crossing a wooden bridge over a clear stream.

A brown dog on a wooden bridge looking down curiously into a clear blue stream at his own reflection, green riverbank with colorful flowers

As he crossed the bridge, the dog looked down into the clear water below and saw another dog carrying an even bigger piece of meat.

A brown dog barking at his reflection in a clear blue stream, a piece of meat about to fall from his mouth, sunny green riverbank

He didn't realize it was only his own reflection. Overcome with greed for the bigger piece, he opened his mouth and barked at the reflection to snatch it away.

A piece of meat falling and splashing into a clear blue stream as a surprised brown dog watches from a wooden bridge, colorful sunny day

The moment he opened his mouth to bark, his own piece of meat fell straight into the water and floated away with the current, right before his eyes.

A sad brown dog looking down at an empty stream from a wooden bridge, colorful green trees and flowers around, warm sunny afternoon

The dog could only stand there, sorry to have lost his meat because of his own greed. He learned an important lesson: never be so greedy for more that you forget the value of what you already have.

Moral of the story

Being greedy for something that only appears bigger or better can cost us the good thing we already have.

The original plot is in the public domain. Copyright is reserved in the Hoot Tales retelling, translation, illustrations, and presentation.

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About this story

A dog carries a big piece of meat across a bridge, but his greed for what looks like an even bigger piece costs him the one he already had.

⏱ About 2–4 minutes👧 Best for ages 4–8📚 Aesop's Fables

What children can learn

Contentment & Moderation
Written and retold by
Aesop's Fables — retold by the Hoot Tales team
License
Public domain · Source: Aesop's Fables
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