There was once a guard dog. He would rest in front of his doghouse but once he saw someone he would bark loudly and try to bite the person. The dog’s master thought, “I better put a bell around my dog’s neck warning others to “beware of my dog.” So they will keep a safe distance and not get bitten!” After that, when people heard the bell ring they knew that the ferocious dog was coming. But some people could not run fast enough and they still got bitten. So, the dog’s master found a heavy piece of wood and chained it to the dog’s hind legs. After that, the dog could not run as fast as he used to because of the heavy piece of wood.
The dog felt sad because the bell and the heavy wood slowed him down and he walked everywhere with his head lowered in sadness. Someone heard his bell tinkling and said, “This dog is so funny. He is wearing a bell and dragging a piece of wood!” Another person said, “This dog bites people, be careful of him!” The dog noticed people looking at him and they were talking about him. So, he thought to himself, “I must be famous for wearing a bell and wood!”
From then on, the fierce dog walked around proudly, showing off his bell and wood. One day, the ferocious dog met an old dog. The old dog told him, “You keep showing off your bell and wood, and people notice you. But do you know that the bell and wood tell people that you are a dog that bites that is not something to be proud of, because you are famous for the wrong reason!”
There is a saying: “A bad reputation travels far and wide.” Good deeds seldom get noticed, but bad deeds are known quickly. Therefore, it is wise to act prudently to maintain a good reputation.
