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Aesop's Fables, translated by Laura Gibbs (2002)

598. THE BUTCHER AND THE DOG
Perry 254 (Syntipas 33)

A dog went into a butcher's shop and stole the heart of some animal. The butcher turned around and said to him, 'You haven't stolen my heart; indeed, I have taken heart from this lesson! So if you ever come back in here again, I will give you the reward you deserve for this act of robbery!'
This fable shows that someone can be induced by experience to learn his lesson and be on his guard.

Note: In Greek, the 'heart' was considered a seat of intelligence (something like our 'brains'), whereas we commonly associate the heart with feelings and emotions. Instead of losing heart (= losing his wits), the butcher has taken heart (= wised up).


Source: Aesop's Fables. A new translation by Laura Gibbs. Oxford University Press (World's Classics): Oxford, 2002.
NOTE: New cover, with new ISBN, published in 2008; contents of book unchanged.