Character Index | Proverb Index
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| Character Index | Proverb Index |
A Dog snuck up on everyone he met and nipped at their heels. His master tired of the complaints and tied a bell around the Dog's neck so he could no longer sneak up on people. Thinking this a mark of distinction, the Dog proudly marched through the market ringing his bell. One day an older hound remarked: "Why do you exhibit yourself so? The bell you ring is a mark of disgrace, not merit; it is a notice to all to avoid you."
Townsend version
A Dog used to run up quietly to the heels of everyone he met, and to bite them without notice. His master suspended a bell about his neck so that the Dog might give notice of his presence wherever he went. Thinking it a mark of distinction, the Dog grew proud of his bell and went tinkling it all over the marketplace. One day an old hound said to him: "Why do you make such an exhibition of yourself? That bell that you carry is not, believe me, any order of merit, but on the contrary a mark of disgrace, a public notice to all men to avoid you as an ill mannered dog."
Moral
Notoriety is often mistaken for fame.
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Tom Simondi, All Rights Reserved