The Dog in the Manger | Aesop's Fables

There was a dog asleep in the Manger which was filled with hay. The dog was awakened by the cattle which came from working all day in the field, hungry and tired. But the dog won’t let them come near the Manger, he would growl and snap at them angrily. As if the Manger was filled with bones and meat for him.

The cattle looked at the dog with hatred and disgust. “Why so selfish,” said one. “He cannot eat hay, and yet not letting us eat as well, though we are hungry for it.”

When the farmer came in, he saw the whole scenario and how the dog was behaving. He seized a stick which drives the dog out the stable. The dog received as many as a blow for his selfish and rude behavior.

The cattle then ate the hay at peace and thanked the farmer with a content heart for driving the dog put of their abode.

The Moral of the Story

Do not grudge others what you cannot enjoy yourself.

Eliot/Jacobs Version

A dog jumped into the Manger of an ox filled with hay, to take a nap. When the ox came back from its afternoon work, it was hungry and wanted to eat some straw.

Upon reaching the Manger, the dog was awakened by the ox, for being disturbed from his petty nap, the dog started barking at ox and whenever it tried to eat the straw the dog would attempt to bite it.

At last, the ox got tired from trying so much and went away grumbling. “He cannot eat the hay himself, and he won’t let eat those who are hungry for it. The dog is selfish” said the ox.

Samuel Croxall

A dog was taking an afternoon slumber, lying on the Manger full of hay.

The ox came near the Manger to eat some hay as it was hungry. But instead get barked on from the ill-mannered, envious dog.

He didn’t let the ox eat the hay. He thought why to let an ox eat the hay when I cannot eat it for myself.

Thus proved, Envy is the most unnatural and accountable of all the passions.

JBR Collection

On a sunny afternoon, a dog was laying on the Manger, filled with haystack, having an afternoon nap. The ox came tired and hungry from its afternoon work, and just wanted to eat the straw.

The dog was awakened by the ox, and the dog snarled and snapped at it with great rage and hatred. Whenever the ox tried to get near the Manger, the dog would not let it come near and try to bite it.

The ox said “How selfish is he. He cannot eat the hay himself and won’t let those eat who are hungry.”

Fortunately, the farmer came there and upon seeing the selfish behavior of the dog. He picked up a stick from somewhere and scared the dog away. The dog got as many as a blow. Which he surely deserved.

Townsend Version

A dog was sleeping on the haystack, and when ox came to eat the hay.

The dog barked and growled at him with so much envious.

Ox tried to eat as he was hungry and came from work, but the dog would attempt to bite it whenever it tries to eat the hay.

In the end, ox gave and went away mumbling “The dog is selfish, he cannot eat the hay himself and won’t let others eat as well.”