Aesop's Fables

the dog and_the shadow

it happened that a dog had got a piece of meat and was carrying it home in_his mouth to eat it in peace . now on_his way home he had to cross a plank lying across arunning brook . as he crossed, he looked down and saw his own shadow reflected 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 .