A FABLE A DAY KEEPS BAD THOUGHTS AT BAY – THE DOG IN THE MANGER
What are you holding onto that you don’t need?
This post is all about clutter, and how the physical clutter we have in our lives and homes can represent the clutter we feel in our minds. Sometimes we forget to give away what we no longer need, even though it may greatly help someone else.
THE DOG IN THE MANGER from Aesop’s Fables.
“A little dog found his way into a cow shed, and jumped into a manger that was filled with sweet fragrant hay, all ready for the cow’s supper. There he curled himself up and went to sleep.
By and by the cattle came in. They stood in a row in front of the long manger, and put their cool, wet mouths into the hay. But up jumped the little dog from behind one of the loosened trusses, and ran from end to end of the manger, snapping at every cow’s nose! The cows were so startled that they threw up their horned heads and sprang back; while the naughty dog yapped and snapped, running backwards and forwards, as fast as it could, along the hay.
Whenever a cow put its head near the manger, the dog tried to bite the poor thing. So that all the cattle “moeed” sadly, and said to each other:
“Was there ever the like of this? The little dog cannot possible eat the hay himself, for he lives on biscuits and bones! Yet he will not let us poor cows come near it, though he knows we are longing for our supper. Surely he is the most selfish little dog in the world.”
And he was! That is why he has been called “the dog in the manger” ever since!
There is no better treatment for low self-esteem and depression than doing a kind deed for another. So the moral of this story is SHARE. Share your belongings and possessions, your thoughts and ideas, your time and your ear. Share your heart.
Happy sharing!
Lydia x
To find out more about Aesop’s Fables and to order your copy, click here.