Fabel The Dog and the Shadow

The Dog and the Shadow

It happened that a Dog had got a piece of meat and was car-
rying it home in his mouth to eat it in peace. Now on his way
home he had to cross a plank lying across a running brook.
As he crossed, he looked down and saw his own shadow re-
flected in the water beneath. Thinking it was another dog
with another piece of meat, he made up his mind to have
that also. So he made a snap at the shadow in the water, but
as he opened his mouth the piece of meat fell out, dropped
into the water and was never seen more.
Beware lest you lose the substance by grasping at the
shadow.