The Dog and the Reflection

A dog was crossing a stream on a plank when he caught sight of his reflection in the water. "You ugly brute!" he exclaimed, glaring at the image. "How dare you look at me in such an insolent way!"

In a fit of anger, he lunged at the water, believing he had spotted another dog with a piece of meat. As he made the grab, he lifted out what he assumed was the other dog's lip, only to discover that it was a fine piece of meat that a butcher's boy had carelessly dropped into the stream.

In his pursuit of what he thought was a rival, the dog lost sight of the true prize right before his eyes.