It happened that a Dog had gotten 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 a running brook.

As he crossed the brook, he looked down and saw his reflection in the water beneath. Thinking it was another dog with another piece of meat, he made up his mind to have that also.

He made a snap at the reflection in the water, but as he opened his mouth the piece of meat fell out, dropped into the water and was never seen again.

Moral: Beware lest you lose the real thing by grasping at it’s reflection.