Character Index | Proverb Index
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| Character Index | Proverb Index |
A Dog, for its afternoon nap, jumped into the Manger of an ox and lay there on the straw. The ox, returning from its afternoon work, came up to the Manger and wanted to eat some of the straw. The Dog, in a rage being awakened from its slumber, stood and barked at the ox, and whenever it came near attempted to bite it. At last the ox had to give up the hope of getting at the straw, and went away muttering.
Townsend version
A dog lay in a manger, and by his growling and snapping prevented the oxen from eating the hay which had been placed for them. "What a selfish Dog!" said one of them to his companions; "he cannot eat the hay himself, and yet refuses to allow those to eat who can."
L'Estrange version
A churlish envious curr was gotten into a manger and there lay growling and snarling to keep the horses from their provender. The dog eat none himself, and yet rather ventured the starving his own carcase then he would suffer any thing else to be the better for't.
Moral
Envy pretends to no other happiness then what it derives from the misery of other people, and will rather eate nothing it selfe then not starve those that would.
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Tom Simondi, All Rights Reserved