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 a running 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.

From The Dog and the Shadow by Aesop, translated by Joseph Jacobs (1894). Public domain.

Check your understanding

1. What does the word 'substance' most likely refer to in the final sentence?

A chemical mixtureThe actual piece of meatThe water in the brookThe reflection in the water

2. Based on the passage, why did the dog open his mouth?

He wanted to take a drink of water from the brook.He was trying to bark at the dog in the water.He wanted to steal the meat from the dog in the water.He was surprised by his own reflection.

3. How does the dog's situation change from the beginning of the story to the end, and what causes this change?

4. The author ends the story with the warning: 'Beware lest you lose the substance by grasping at the shadow.' Explain how this warning connects to the events in the story.

5. What does the dog's reaction to the reflection reveal about his character? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.