The Dogs and the Hides by Esopo
Esopo's "The Dogs and the Hides" is a fable about two dogs who argue over a piece of hide. The first dog, a greyhound, believes he deserves the hide more than the second dog, a mongrel, because of his speed and agility. The mongrel, however, argues that he has a better sense of smell and can find the hide more easily than the greyhound. They continue to argue until they are both exhausted, at which point a fox appears and takes the hide away from them. The moral of the story is that two heads are not always better than one, and that individuals with different abilities and strengths can work together more effectively than those who are similar in ability but lack diversity.
By Esopo · First published 1602 · Genre: Fable, Children Literature, Moral · 74 words
First lines
Once upon a time a number of Dogs, who were famished with hunger, saw some Hides steeping in a river, but couldn't get at them because the water was too deep. So they put their heads together, and decided to drink away at the river till it was shallow enough for them to reach the Hides. But long before that happened they burst themselves with drinking.
What this Textopian page supports
The Dogs and the Hides is listed on Textopian as a fable by Esopo, dated 1602 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Fable
- Author: Esopo
- Date: 1602 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Fable, Children Literature, Moral, Animal Fiction
- Length: 74 words
- Structure: 1 section, 1 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Dogs and the Hides by Esopo
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The Dogs and the Hides?
- How does this fable by Esopo fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Fable first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
- The Hound And The Fox by Esopo
- The Lioness And The Vixen by Esopo
- The Eagle The Cat And The Wild Sow by Esopo
- The Wolf The Fox And The Ape by Esopo
- The Dogs And The Fox by Esopo
- The Ass And The Wolf by Esopo
Genres
- Fable — Since Esopo, also known as Aesop, is a well-known writer of fables and given that 'The Dogs and the Hides' plot structure is closely related to typical Aesop's fables.
- Children Literature — Esopo's work is often classified as Children's Literature due to its pedagogical content and the presence of animals as main characters.
- Moral — Often Aesop's fables contain moral lessons, and presumably 'The Dogs and the Hides' also contains such a lesson.
- Animal Fiction — Given that the title of the book mentions dogs, it is likely that the book falls into the genre of Animal Fiction.
Tags
fable · animals · morality · friendship · betrayal · loyalty · cunning · deception · survival · nature · wisdom · adventure