31 THE DOG IN THE MANGER

A dog once lay in a manger that was full of hay.

A hungry ox came to the manger and wanted to eat the hay, but the dog barked at him and would not let him have any of it.

“You selfish old dog! ”said the ox, “You ought to be made to starve the rest of your life. For you cannot eat the hay, and you will not let anyone else have any.”

(Retold from a Fable by Æsop)

Word list

manger: an open box of food for farm animals

ought to: should

starve: die from eating no food for a long time

You Practice

Answer the following questions.

1) Why was the ox so angry at the dog?

2) What do you think about the dog's behaviour? Why?

3) What do you think should happen to the dog? Why?

4) What can we learn from this story?

5) Do you agree with the ox's opinion about the dog? Why or why not?