The animals of the forest agreed to hold a feast, and everyone was invited. Now, Leopard has always been the enemy of Dog, and on this occasion he bitterly objected to the idea of Dog being invited to the feast.
“Dog is an eater of dung,” he said. “A wicked and unclean animal. He has no manners, none at all, and will only shame himself if he dines in company with polite people.”
The other animals did not agree, and Dog was invited to attend the feast. When the food was ready and all the distinguished animals had assembled, Leopard slipped out to the kitchen and told the cooks not to give Dog a bone; for he knew that Dog loved bones.
When the food was served everyone was given a handsome bone packed in tender meat: everyone but Dog, who was given a bowl of soup. Dog supped hungrily at his soup, but every now and then he would pause to admire the bones the other animals had; and Leopard, knowing Dog’s weakness, went to sit beside him with a large and juicy bone.
Leopard made pleasant noises as he ate, and when he found Dog was watching he took the chance of publicly disgracing him. He threw his bone in the air. Dog leapt up to catch it. He stepped in various dishes of food, and when he had the bone he scrambled over Possum and Hare to run away and cat his bone alone. The assembled animals were surprised, but Leopard only shrugged and said:
“I told you so. Dog has no manners and has disgraced himself.”
Dog became a social outcast among the animals; they all avoided him, and his life grew so lonely that one day he left the forest and went to live with Man.