The Dog and the Shadow
狗與影子
A dog carrying meat mistakes his own reflection for another dog holding a bigger piece, and by barking at the shadow he loses the real meat he already had.
The story
Early one morning, while the market was just beginning to bustle, a dog got a piece of meat from beside a butcher's stall. It was not the largest piece in the world, but it smelled rich and good, and the dog carried it proudly in his mouth, tail swinging, as he trotted past the noisy stalls toward the quiet road out of the village. He planned to find a peaceful spot and enjoy it slowly.
On the way he came to a narrow wooden bridge over a clear stream. By midday the sunlight lay bright upon the water, glittering like scattered silver leaves. As the dog stepped onto the middle of the bridge, he looked down and saw, so he thought, another dog in the water, also holding a piece of meat in his mouth. Because the ripples stretched and shook the image, that meat looked longer and larger than his own.
The dog stopped. Greed rose in him at once. "If I can snatch that dog's meat too," he thought, "I shall have two pieces today." He forgot that his own jaws were already full, and forgot that the water only showed his own shape. Eyes wide, he opened his mouth at the shadow below and barked as fiercely as he could, hoping to frighten the "other dog" away.
But the moment his mouth opened, his own piece of meat fell out. It dropped into the stream with a splash and was swept away by the current, and the larger piece in the water vanished at the very same instant, leaving only rings of ripples spreading slowly outward as startled little fish darted off beneath the bridge.
The dog stood there with an empty mouth, and soon his stomach began to rumble too. With drooping ears and a low tail, he turned and walked slowly home along the road as the sky dimmed and fireflies began to blink near the bridge.
Halfway home, he noticed a small round field mouse by the path, happily nibbling an acorn without a worry in the world. Watching her, the dog finally understood: he had not been robbed by another dog at all — he had only been tricked by his own greed. Had he cherished what was already in his mouth, he could have eaten well long ago; reaching for a shadow in the water had cost him the real meat as well.
Story takeaway
Those who grasp at things that only look bigger often forget the real good they already hold; a shadow, however tempting, can never replace what is truly in hand.
Talk together
Have you ever wanted more so badly that you almost lost sight of what you already had?
For grown-ups
Parent note
A good story for a child who tends to think the grass is always greener elsewhere. The dog isn't foolish — he simply saw something that looked bigger and forgot about the real, good meal already in his own mouth. It's a nice chance to talk about how wanting more is only natural, but if it makes us careless with what we already have, we can end up losing it. You might also point out that the meat in the reflection only looked big — it was never something he could actually eat.
Words to learn
- tempting: making you want something very much. e.g. The meat in the reflection looked large and tempting.
- greed: wanting more than you already have, even when it is enough. e.g. Greed rose in the dog the moment he saw the reflection.
- cherish: to value and take good care of something you have. e.g. If the dog had cherished the meat in his mouth, he would not have gone hungry.
Reading activity
Play a quick "is it real, or just a shadow?" game with your child — read a few lines and see which one they can spot: "There are ten dollars in my piggy bank, enough to buy a candy." → real — something you can actually use. "I heard the toy next door might be more fun, but I haven't even seen it." → more like a shadow — not sure yet if it's really better. "I already have a storybook in my hands that I love reading." → real — a good thing you're already holding. Wrap up by wondering together: would you ever let go of something good you already have, just to chase after something you haven't even seen clearly yet — like the dog did?
Source information
Aesop · Project Gutenberg public-domain fables
Public-domain fables and short tales from Project Gutenberg.
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