One day, a little street pup found a big, juicy bone! His tail wagged and wagged for joy. Bone clamped in his mouth, he trotted off to find a quiet spot where he could chew it all by himself. "Mmm — what a feast this is going to be!"
On the way home, a narrow bamboo bridge crossed the canal. Gripping his bone tight, the pup stepped out onto it, tip-tap, tip-tap. Down below, the canal water rippled and gleamed.
Halfway across, he happened to glance down. Hey! There was another dog down in the water — and it had a bone in its mouth too! Of course, the little pup had no idea it was only his own reflection.
He peered closer, and his eyes lit up with greed. "Why, that bone is much bigger than mine! If only I had that one instead…" His mouth began to water. And clean forgetting the bone he already had, he began plotting how to snatch the other one away.
He jumped to grab that other bone and opened his mouth wide — "Woof!" — and in that very instant, his own bone tumbled out into the water — sploosh! Down and down it sank. And just like that, the other dog vanished too! Empty mouth, startled eyes — oh no!
Staring down at the rippling water, the pup finally understood — oh my! There had never been another dog at all. It was only ever his own reflection. By getting greedy, he had lost the fine bone he already had.
At dusk, the pup headed home with his spirits low. But his little friend shared a piece of bread with him. It wasn't much at all — yet oh, how good it tasted, the two of them sharing it together!