The Dog and its Reflection (or 'Shadow' in several translations) is one of Aesop's Fables and is numbered 133 in the Perry Index. An indication of how old and well-known this story was is given by a mere allusion to it in the work of the philosopher Democritus from the 5th century BCE. Discussing the foolish desire for more, rather than being content with what one has, he describes it as being 'like the dog in Aesop's fable.'