Once upon a time, there was a little dog named Hoji who lived with his grandmother in a house nestled in the middle of a meadow.
One day, grandmother picked up a big juicy bone and gave it to Hoji. Hoji was overjoyed. He snatched the bone in his mouth and trotted off to find a quiet spot where he could chew it all by himself.
Along the way, Hoji passed a crystal-clear pond near the house. He leaned over to take a drink - and froze with surprise.
“There’s another dog in the water!” Hoji thought. “And it’s carrying a big bone too - a bone that looks even tastier than mine!”
Hoji grew furious. He barked down at the water.
“Woof! That’s my bone! Give it back right now!”
But the dog in the water barked right back at him, opening its mouth wide.
In that instant, Hoji’s bone slipped from his jaws, tumbled into the pond, and sank without a trace.
Hoji sat at the water’s edge, staring at the ripples, his stomach growling sadly.
Grandmother came over and saw what had happened. She sat down beside him and said gently, “Hoji, dear - that was your own reflection. There was no other dog. You saw your shadow and thought it had something better than you. So you lost what was already yours.”
Hoji hung his head in shame. Grandmother gave him a soft pat and whispered, “Next time you find something good, be grateful for what you have.”
From that day on, Hoji never acted out of greed again. And every time he walked past the pond, he simply wagged his tail at the dog in the water - and smiled.
Moral: Greed causes us to lose what we already have. Be content with what is yours, and you will always have enough.
