The Dog and the Cook
A rich man once invited a number of his friends and acquaintances to a banquet. His dog thought it would be a good opportunity to invite another dog, a friend of his; so he went to him and said, “My master is giving a feast. There’ll be a fine spread, so come and dine with me tonight.” The dog thus invited came, and when he saw the preparations being made in the kitchen he said to himself, “My word, I’m in luck. I’ll take care to eat enough tonight to last me two or three days.” At the same time he wagged his tail briskly, by way of showing his friend how delighted he was to have been asked.
But just then the cook caught sight of him, and, in his annoyance at seeing a strange dog in the kitchen, caught him up by the hind legs and threw him out of the window. He had a nasty fall, and limped away as quickly as he could, howling dismally. Presently some other dogs met him and said, “Well, what sort of diner did you get?” To which he replied “I had a splendid time. The wine was so good, and I drank so much of it, that I really don’t remember how I got out of the house!”
Be shy of favours bestowed at the expense of others.