Dog in a manger?
<p><span word="Reader">Reader</span> <span word="question">question</span>:</p><p><span word="Does">Does</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="sentence">sentence</span> – <span word="He">He</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="behaving">behaving</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="dog">dog</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="manger">manger</span> – <span word="mean">mean</span> <span word="he">he</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="selfish">selfish</span>? <span word="Please">Please</span> <span word="explain">explain</span>.</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="Yes">Yes</span>, <span word="he">he</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="behaves">behaves</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="a">a</span> “<span word="dog">dog</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="manger">manger</span>” <span word="is">is</span> <span word="selfish">selfish</span>.</p><p><span word="That">That</span> <span word="is">is</span>, <span word="if">if</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="don">don</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="stronger">stronger</span> <span word="word">word</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="it">it</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="manger">manger</span>, <span word="of">of</span> <span word="course">course</span>, <span word="refers">refers</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="long">long</span>, <span word="narrow">narrow</span> <span word="container">container</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="which">which</span> <span word="horses">horses</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="cattle">cattle</span> <span word="eat">eat</span>. <span word="A">A</span> <span word="dog">dog</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="no">no</span> <span word="business">business</span> <span word="there">there</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="yet">yet</span> <span word="apparently">apparently</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="dogs">dogs</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="mess">mess</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="manger">manger</span>. <span word="This">This</span> <span word="idiom">idiom</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="actually">actually</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="ancient">ancient</span> <span word="Greek">Greek</span> <span word="storyteller">storyteller</span> <span word="Aesop">Aesop</span> (<span word="who">who</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="written">written</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="those">those</span> <span word="famous">famous</span> <span word="fables">fables</span> <span word="but">but</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="scarcely">scarcely</span> <span word="matters">matters</span> <span word="now">now</span>). <span word="In">In</span> <span word="Aesop">Aesop</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="Fables">Fables</span>, <span word="you">you</span>’<span word="ll">ll</span> <span word="find">find</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="tale">tale</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="The">The</span> <span word="Dog">Dog</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Manger">Manger</span> (<span word="LiteratureOnline">LiteratureOnline</span>.<span word="com">com</span>):</p><p><span word="A">A</span> <span word="Dog">Dog</span> <span word="looking">looking</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="afternoon">afternoon</span> <span word="nap">nap</span> <span word="jumped">jumped</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Manger">Manger</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="Ox">Ox</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="lay">lay</span> <span word="there">there</span> <span word="cosily">cosily</span> <span word="upon">upon</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="straw">straw</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="soon">soon</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Ox">Ox</span>, <span word="returning">returning</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="afternoon">afternoon</span> <span word="work">work</span>, <span word="came">came</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Manger">Manger</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="wanted">wanted</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="eat">eat</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="straw">straw</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="Dog">Dog</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="rage">rage</span>, <span word="being">being</span> <span word="awakened">awakened</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="slumber">slumber</span>, <span word="stood">stood</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="barked">barked</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Ox">Ox</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="whenever">whenever</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="came">came</span> <span word="near">near</span> <span word="attempted">attempted</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="bite">bite</span> <span word="it">it</span>. <span word="At">At</span> <span word="last">last</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Ox">Ox</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="give">give</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="hope">hope</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="getting">getting</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="straw">straw</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="went">went</span> <span word="away">away</span> <span word="muttering">muttering</span>:</p><p>“<span word="Ah">Ah</span>, <span word="people">people</span> <span word="often">often</span> <span word="grudge">grudge</span> <span word="others">others</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="cannot">cannot</span> <span word="enjoy">enjoy</span> <span word="themselves">themselves</span>.”</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="Wuthering">Wuthering</span> <span word="Heights">Heights</span>, <span word="Emily">Emily</span> <span word="Bronte">Bronte</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="wonderful">wonderful</span> <span word="book">book</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="revenge">revenge</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="redemption">redemption</span>, <span word="Isabella">Isabella</span> <span word="Linton">Linton</span> <span word="once">once</span> <span word="accused">accused</span> <span word="Catherine">Catherine</span> <span word="Linton">Linton</span>, <span word="her">her</span> <span word="sister">sister</span>-<span word="in">in</span>-<span word="law">law</span>, <span word="of">of</span> <span word="being">being</span> <span word="a">a</span> “<span word="dog">dog</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="manger">manger</span>” <span word="when">when</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="latter">latter</span> <span word="became">became</span> <span word="jealous">jealous</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Isabella">Isabella</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="fond">fond</span> <span word="feelings">feelings</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="Heathcliff">Heathcliff</span>, <span word="Catherine">Catherine</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="childhood">childhood</span> <span word="companion">companion</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="lover">lover</span>. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="book">book</span>, <span word="you">you</span>’<span word="ll">ll</span> <span word="find">find</span> <span word="these">these</span> <span word="passages">passages</span>:</p>
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