The Dog and His Reflection

A Dog, having stolen a large piece of meat from a butcher's shop, was trotting home with it in his mouth. On his way, he had to cross a narrow bridge over a clear, calm stream. As he walked, he happened to look down into the water and saw his own reflection. He did not realize it was just a reflection; he thought it was another dog with another piece of meat, and it looked even bigger and juicier than his own. Being a greedy dog, he decided he wanted that piece of meat as well. He opened his mouth to bark at the "other dog" and snatch the bigger piece of meat. But as he opened his mouth, the piece of meat he was carrying fell out, dropped into the stream, and was swept away by the current. And so, by trying to grab the second piece, he ended up with nothing at all.