The Dog and His Reflection

A Dog, to whom the butcher had thrown a bone, was hurrying home with his prize as fast as he could go. As he crossed a narrow footbridge, he happened to look down and saw himself reflected in the quiet water as if in a mirror.

But the greedy Dog thought he saw a real Dog carrying a bone much bigger than his own.

If he had stopped to think he would have known better.

But instead of thinking, he dropped his bone and sprang at the Dog in the river, only to find himself swimming for dear life to reach the shore.

At last, he managed to scramble out, and as he stood sadly thinking about the good bone he had lost, he realized what a foolish Dog he had been.

Moral of the story

Don’t be greedy: Trying to grab more than you need can lead to losing what you already have.
Think before you act: Acting without thinking can lead to trouble.


Questions for the children

  1. Why did the Dog lose his bone in the river?
  2. How do you think the Dog felt when he realized he had been greedy?

Post Note: This story is based on Aesop’s fable, written around 600 BC. In this retelling, we’ve used simpler words to make the story easier for young readers to understand.

Author

  • Aesop

    Aesop (circa 620–564 BC) was an Ancient Greek fabulist and storyteller credited with a number of fables now collectively known as Aesop’s Fables. Although his existence remains uncertain and (if they ever existed) no writings by him survive, numerous tales credited to him were gathered across the centuries and in many languages.

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