 The fable concerns a dog who has been taught to control its appetite when delivering its master’s dinner while he is at work.It defends its load when attacked by another dog but, when other dogs join the fight, proposes that they share in the spoil and seizes a large piece for itself.La Fontaine’s opening four lines muse on the difficulty humans have in restraining their instincts before he proceeds to an example of an animal who has been so trained and only breaks down when forced by circumstances.