The Greedy Dog

Once upon a time, in a quiet village nestled between rolling green hills, there lived a dog named Bruno. Bruno was not an ordinary dog. He was known far and wide for his boundless energy, sharp eyes, and unfortunately, his insatiable greed. No matter how much he ate, Bruno always wanted more.

One sunny morning, Bruno woke up particularly hungry. His stomach growled like a thunderstorm. He roamed the village streets sniffing around for something to eat. At the village bakery, the kind baker, Mr. Thomas, threw him a juicy bone with bits of meat still clinging to it.

“Here you go, Bruno,” said Mr. Thomas, smiling. “That should fill you up!”

Bruno wagged his tail furiously. “Thank you!” he barked and clamped the bone tightly in his jaws. His eyes gleamed with excitement. This was the tastiest bone he had seen in weeks.

Determined to enjoy his prize in peace, Bruno trotted off toward the outskirts of the village. He wanted to find a quiet spot where no other dogs or animals would disturb him. His journey led him to a wooden bridge that stretched over a sparkling, clear river.

As Bruno began to cross the bridge, he happened to glance down into the water. To his amazement, he saw another dog staring back at him from the surface. But in the dog’s mouth was a bone—an even bigger, juicier bone than the one he carried.

Bruno stopped in his tracks. His mind raced with thoughts of greed.

"That bone is bigger than mine!" he thought. "If I can get that one too, I’ll have two bones—twice the feast!"

He didn’t realize he was looking at his own reflection.

Without thinking, Bruno growled and barked at the “other dog,” demanding the bone. But the dog in the water only mirrored his actions. Anger and greed clouded Bruno's judgment. He lunged forward and snapped his jaws open to grab the phantom bone.

At that exact moment, his own bone fell from his mouth, tumbled off the bridge, and splashed into the river below. Bruno watched in horror as the bone sank, vanishing in the rippling water.

“No!” he howled, running from one side of the bridge to the other. “My bone! Come back!”

But it was too late. The river had claimed his prize, and the reflection in the water—nothing more than his own foolish image—disappeared along with it.

Heartbroken and hungry, Bruno sat down on the wooden planks, his head hanging low. He thought about what had just happened. In his greed to have more, he had lost what he already had. The wind whispered gently through the trees, as if nature itself was teaching him a silent lesson.

An old crow, perched on a nearby branch, cawed, "Greed blinds even the wisest creatures, young one."

Bruno looked up. "I was foolish," he admitted softly. "I had everything I needed, but I wanted more. And now I have nothing."

The crow nodded. “The river doesn’t give back what it takes. But if you learn from this, perhaps your heart will grow wiser.”

Bruno returned to the village, his stomach still empty, but his mind full of reflection. Mr. Thomas saw him approach, tail down, ears drooping.

“What happened, Bruno? Where’s your bone?” the baker asked kindly.

Bruno sat and barked softly, as if telling the tale of his foolishness. Though the baker didn’t understand every bark, he could sense the dog’s regret. Smiling, Mr. Thomas tossed him another, smaller bone.

“Be content, little one,” the baker said gently. “Sometimes what we have is enough.”

Bruno took the bone, not with the wild excitement of before, but with quiet gratitude. He lay down under a shady tree, slowly chewing on his meal. This time, as he crossed the bridge later that day, he kept his eyes straight ahead, ignoring the tempting reflection in the water.

From that day forward, Bruno became known not just for his energy, but for his wisdom. Whenever another animal grew greedy or restless, Bruno would bark and lead them to the bridge, showing them the river and reminding them of the day he lost everything because of his own greed.

And so, the village animals and even the humans came to understand: greed may promise more, but it often leaves us with less.


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Moral of the Story:
Be content with what you have. Greed can make you lose even the blessings you already possess.