Long ago, in the highlands of Tigray where the earth is rocky and the rivers run wide, there lived a dog whose ways were known by everyone. Unlike the other animals of the village, this dog never worked, never shared, and never cared for anyone but himself. His belly was his only master, and he would do anything to fill it.
One afternoon, while the sun burned bright and the women of the village roasted goat meat, the greedy dog found his chance. He crept behind a neighbor’s hut, his paws silent on the dust, his nose filled with the rich smell of roasting flesh. With one quick leap, he snatched a large piece of meat from a wooden tray and ran. His heart pounded with triumph. He wagged his tail proudly, thinking himself cleverer than any human.
But to reach the safety of his hiding place, the dog had to cross a wide river. The water shone like glass beneath the sky, carrying the reflections of clouds, trees, and whatever stood above it. As the dog arrived at the riverbank, panting with the heavy meat in his mouth, he stopped to drink.
What he saw in the water made his eyes widen. There in the moving surface was another dog. That dog looked just as strong, with teeth just as sharp, and he too was holding a piece of meat. But to the foolish thief, it seemed the reflection’s meat was even larger than his own.
The dog thought, “If I take his meat as well, I will have two. Then no dog will ever be richer than me.”
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Blinded by greed, he growled at the figure in the water. His own reflection growled back. Anger rose in him. He barked to scare his rival away, but in doing so, he opened his jaws. The meat slipped into the river with a splash and was carried away by the current.
Desperate not to lose everything, the foolish dog leaped straight into the water. The cold stream swallowed him, and he fought against it with all his strength. But no matter how he searched beneath the ripples, the other dog was gone, and so was the meat. At last he understood: he had been chasing his own shadow.
Shivering, wet, and empty-mouthed, the dog dragged himself onto the riverbank. His belly ached with hunger and his pride was crushed. The villagers later saw him wandering about, thin and miserable, and they laughed.
So it was that the thief who wanted more than he deserved lost even the small gift he already held.
Moral Lesson:
The story of the foolish thief dog teaches us that greed and envy blind us to the blessings we already carry. In chasing what belongs to others, we risk losing everything that is already ours. Patience, honesty, and contentment protect us from the ruin that selfish desire brings.
Knowledge Check
What did the dog steal in the Tigray folktale The Foolish Thief Dog?
The dog stole a piece of meat from a neighbor’s tray.Why did the dog stop at the river in The Foolish Thief Dog?
He saw his reflection in the water and mistook it for another dog with meat.What mistake did the foolish dog make in this Ethiopian folktale?
He thought the reflection was a real dog with a larger piece of meat and tried to take it.What happened to the meat when the dog barked at his reflection?
The meat fell into the river and was carried away.What lesson about greed does The Foolish Thief Dog teach?
It warns that greed makes us lose even the blessings we already have.How did the story of The Foolish Thief Dog end?
The dog lost his meat, nearly drowned, and learned too late that his greed had tricked him.
Source: Tigray Folktale, Ethiopia
