The Dog and His Reflection

Once upon a time, there was a dog who stumbled upon a juicy bone. Proud of his prize, he happily trotted across a narrow bridge. As he walked, he looked down into the water below and saw his reflection. To his surprise, he thought he saw another dog holding an even bigger bone!

Feeling greedy, the dog barked at his reflection, eager to snatch away that larger bone. But as he opened his mouth to bark, his own bone slipped from his grip and fell into the cold water below. The dog watched in dismay as the current carried his precious bone away.

Now sopping wet and with an empty mouth, the dog realized that his greed had cost him everything. He learned a valuable lesson that day: wanting more can sometimes lead to losing what you already have.

Moral:

Greed can lead to loss.

Additional Lessons:

• Greed: The dog’s desire for more, which leads to the loss of his original bone, is a clear example of greed causing harm.
• Wisdom: The dog learns the wisdom of appreciating what he already has, instead of being distracted by the illusion of something better.

Parenting Tip: This story provides a great opportunity to discuss the concept of greed with your child. Explain how sometimes, when we want more than what we already have, we can end up losing everything. Encourage your child to value what they have and avoid being overly focused on what others have.

Fun Questions For Curious Kids:

This story teaches an important lesson about greed and contentment. After reading The Dog and His Reflection, try asking your child these fun questions to spark a conversation:

• Why do you think the dog thought there was another dog with a bigger bone?
• How do you think the dog felt when his bone fell into the water?
• Have you ever wanted something that wasn’t yours? What happened?
• What do you think the dog could have done differently to keep his bone?
• What lesson do you think the dog learned at the end of the story?
• Can you think of a time when being greedy didn’t work out for you?
• What do you think would have happened if the dog had ignored his reflection and kept his bone?

Did You Know? Fun Facts!

• Did you know that dogs have an incredible sense of smell? They can smell up to 100,000 times better than humans! This helps them track scents from far away.
• Dogs also have a “third eyelid” called a nictitating membrane, which helps keep their eyes moist and protected while they’re running around or hunting.
• Water can act like a mirror, showing the world around us, even our own reflections! Dogs might not always recognize their own reflection, which is why they may react to what they see in the water as if it were another dog.
• Many animals, including dogs, may not understand reflections in water or mirrors the way humans do, leading them to act in curious ways.

Download Free Coloring Pages Related To This Story

Bring the story to life with coloring pages designed to spark creativity and make story time even more fun. Coloring helps kids express their creativity, improve focus, and reinforce the story’s themes in a fun, engaging way. After reading together, let them bring the story to life with colors!

Click on any of the free coloring pages below to download or print it!