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Aesop's Fables · Chapter
The Dog in the Manger explained
A dog selfishly prevents cattle from eating hay in a manger, even though he himself cannot eat it, leading one of the cattle to condemn his behavior.
What happens
A dog selfishly prevents cattle from eating hay in a manger, even though he himself cannot eat it, leading one of the cattle to condemn his behavior.
Themes in this chapter
Human Nature and Vice
The dog's selfishness and spite illustrate the vice of preventing others from enjoying what one cannot use oneself.
Characters to notice
- The Dog
Lies in the manger and growls at the cattle, preventing them from eating the hay.
Key passages
“What a selfish beast, he can't eat himself and yet he won't let those eat who can.”
The dog is selfish because he denies others food he cannot consume himself.
Highlights the moral of the fable about spiteful selfishness.