The Dog and His Reflection

Scene 1

A Happy Dog in Town

Once upon a time, there lived a happy little dog in a small, friendly town. He had soft brown fur and big warm eyes. He wore a little red collar with a shiny gold tag. And he loved his town very much.

Scene 2

The Butcher's Shop

One sunny morning, the dog trotted past the butcher's shop. The butcher was a kind old man with a big white apron. He smiled when he saw the dog. 'Hello there, little friend!' he said.

Scene 3

A Wonderful Gift

The kind butcher reached behind the counter and pulled out a big, juicy bone. 'Here you go!' he said. 'A treat just for you.' The dog's eyes grew wide. What a wonderful gift!

Scene 4

The Happiest Dog

The dog took the bone very carefully in his mouth. It was the biggest, most beautiful bone he had ever seen! He wagged his little tail so fast it was just a blur. He was the happiest dog in the whole wide world.

Scene 5

Trotting Home

Off he went, trotting down the lane with his prize. His paws went pit-pat, pit-pat on the cobblestones. He held his head up high and proud. That bone was HIS, and he was taking it home.

Scene 6

Past the Cottages

He trotted past the little red cottage. He trotted past the old stone well. He trotted past the garden with the yellow flowers. Everyone he passed could see his beautiful bone.

Scene 7

The Path to the Bridge

Soon the little town was behind him. The path led through a green meadow, down a gentle hill, and toward a quiet stream. A wooden footbridge crossed the water. The dog just needed to cross it to get home.

Scene 8

Stepping onto the Bridge

The dog stepped onto the wooden bridge. His paws made a soft thump, thump, thump on the old boards. The stream below was calm and clear. It sparkled in the afternoon sunlight like a mirror.

Scene 9

Looking Down

Halfway across, the dog stopped. He looked down over the edge of the bridge. The water was so still and so clear. And there, right below him, he saw something very surprising.

Scene 10

Another Dog!

There in the water was ANOTHER DOG! This other dog had brown fur and floppy ears, just like him. And this other dog was carrying a bone too! But wait... that bone looked even BIGGER!

Scene 11

A Bigger Bone?

The dog stared and stared. That other dog's bone looked SO much bigger than his! It looked juicier too. 'How did THAT dog get such a big bone?' he wondered. Can you see what was really in the water?

Scene 12

Wanting More

The dog looked at his own bone. It was a very nice bone. But then he looked at the other dog's bone again. That one was BIGGER. A greedy little thought crept into his mind. 'I want THAT bone too.

Scene 13

The Greedy Plan

What if he could have BOTH bones? His bone AND that bigger bone! Two bones would be even better than one. The dog leaned closer to the water. He was already planning how to grab it.

Scene 14

The Growl

The dog growled at the other dog. GRRRR! But do you know what happened? The other dog growled right back! They stared at each other with angry eyes. Do you think the dog should try to take that bone?

Scene 15

SNAP!

The dog opened his mouth wide to SNAP at the other dog's bone. But the moment he opened his mouth — oh no! His own bone slipped right out! SPLASH!

Scene 16

The Big Splash

The bone hit the water with a great big SPLASH! Water sprayed everywhere. Ripples spread out across the stream, wider and wider. The dog watched in shock as his beautiful bone sank down, down, down.

Scene 17

The Reflection Breaks

And the other dog? He was gone! The ripples broke the reflection into a thousand shimmering pieces. There was no other dog. There never WAS another dog. It was just the water, playing tricks.

Scene 18

Where Did It Go?

The dog looked left. He looked right. He looked down into the water again. But his bone was gone. The stream had carried it far, far away. There was nothing left but ripples.

Scene 19

A Sad Walk Home

The dog walked slowly off the bridge. His tail drooped. His ears hung low. He didn't trot anymore. He just walked, one slow step at a time. He felt very, very sad.

Scene 20

What Really Happened

Do you know what really happened? There was never another dog at all! The dog in the water was just his own reflection. Like when you look in a mirror! He had been looking at himself the whole time.

Scene 21

The Lesson

The dog sat down in the meadow and thought about what happened. He had a perfectly good bone. A wonderful bone! But he wanted MORE. And because he wanted more, he lost the bone he already had.

Scene 22

Being Thankful

From that day on, the little dog always remembered his lesson. When he had something good, he held on tight and said 'thank you.' He learned to be happy with what he had. And that made him the richest dog of all.

Scene 23

The End

Be happy with what you have. Because if you grab for more, you might lose it all. The End.