【英】《伊索寓言》第33集：The Mischievous Dog

The milkmaid held her head high as she thought proudly of her fine eggs. “I will take my egg money and buy a new dress with fancy lace at the neck and sleeves. And I will buy a bonnet with flowers. The other girls will rush to ask me about my fine new clothes.”

The milkmaid smiled as she thought of her friends’ admiring looks. Then she frowned.

“The baker’s daughter thinks herself very fine. She won’t like my dress a bit. She’ll be so jealous, she won’t even be able to speak. But I won’t mind. I’ll just look right into her eyes and toss my head!”

With that, the milkmaid tossed her head and the milk pail flew off into the road. All the milk spilled out in the dirt. The girl picked up the bucket and ran home in tears.

Her mother patted her hand and said, “Now you will remember, don’t count your chickens before they hatch!”

Once a man bought a little dog for his family only to learn it had the bad habit of sneaking up on people and nipping at their heels. The man tried to break the dog of the habit in every way he knew.

He would have gotten rid of the dog, but his children loved it. Still, the man couldn’t have it biting people and creating enemies for him! Finally the man came up with an answer. He tied a bell around the dog’s neck. That way people would hear it coming and avoid being nipped.

The little dog enjoyed the tinkling sound of the bell. He noticed that none of the other dogs had such lovely little gold bells. The dog grew quite proud of his little bell and held his head high so the bell would tinkle the loudest when he walked.

He wore the bell into the village and made a point to trot by all the other dogs. He hoped they would notice his little golden bell. Finally an old hound rose up and growled at the little dog.

The little dog was shocked at the hound’s growl. “How dare you growl at me?” the little dog said. “Don’t you see that I alone have been given the golden bell?”

“You silly pup,” the old dog said. “Don’t you know that bell isn’t a mark of pride? It’s a disgrace! It is to let everyone know you are an ill-mannered dog who must be watched!”

The little dog was shocked and scurried home with his head hung. The old dog looked after him and shook his head. “Notoriety is often mistaken for fame.”