Long ago, near a small village, there lived a stray dog that wandered from place to place, constantly driven by hunger. Even when it managed to find food, the dog was never satisfied. In its mind, there was only one thought that never faded: having more was always better than having enough.
One day, the dog came across a mysterious bone lying on the ground. This was no ordinary bone. No matter how long the dog gnawed on it, the bone never grew smaller, and its rich, tempting smell never disappeared. The dog was overjoyed and believed it had discovered a rare treasure that could keep it fed forever.
Afraid that other animals might notice and steal the bone, the dog clamped it tightly in its mouth and hurried away. It wanted a quiet place where it could enjoy the bone alone, without fear of competition. On its way, the dog had to cross a narrow wooden bridge that stretched over a clear, gently flowing stream.
As the dog stepped onto the bridge, it lowered its head and glanced into the water below. There, reflected on the surface of the stream, it saw another dog staring back, holding what appeared to be a much larger and more delicious bone. The dog did not realize it was only seeing its own reflection.
At once, greed took control. The dog thought that if it could scare away the other dog, it would be able to claim that bigger bone and have two instead of one. Without stopping to think, it opened its mouth and barked loudly at the dog in the water.
In that very moment, the magic bone slipped from its mouth and fell straight into the stream. The water carried it away, and it disappeared from sight. When the dog looked down again, there was no other dog, no larger bone, and no magic treasure left at all.
The dog stood silently on the bridge, hungry, empty-handed, and filled with regret. Only then did it understand that its own greed and careless desire for more had caused it to lose everything it already had. Slowly and sadly, the dog walked away with nothing but the lesson it had learned.
This story ends with a powerful message that remains meaningful today: greed can destroy even the greatest good fortune, and those who fail to appreciate what they already possess often end up with far less than they began with.