Once there was a mischievous dog
That thought it was so fun
To bark at and snap at people--in short,
To torment everyone.

He was such a nuisance that
His master had had enough.
"I am going to fix him," he said.
"If HE doesn't like it, tough!"

And so he fastened a bell around
His dog's neck that morning
So people who were near would hear it,
And it would serve as a warning.

The dog was oh so proud of his bell
And had an odd reaction.
To hear it jingle, he strutted around
With utmost satisfaction.

An old dog approached and said,
"Please don't put on airs.
I see this situation has
Caught you unawares.

"I think you need to know the truth,
And so I'll cut to the chase.
The bell is not a reward, my friend;
It's a badge of disgrace."

The moral: sometimes we wrongly feel
Pride instead of shame
When it's notoriety
That we mistake for fame.

-by Bob B (8-10-21)

°An Aesop fable retold here in verse