A hungry Wolf lived near a village where the Dogs were always alert and watchful. Because they guarded their homes so well, the Wolf rarely managed to find food. He had become thin and weak, and his constant hunger made him miserable.
One evening, while wandering in search of a meal, the Wolf came across a well-fed House Dog. The Dog was strong, healthy, and glossy-coated, and he looked as though he had never missed a meal in his life.
The Wolf eyed him carefully. He would have liked nothing more than to make a meal of the Dog, but the Dog looked powerful enough to put up a serious fight. Instead, the Wolf greeted him politely.
“You look remarkably healthy,” said the Wolf. “How do you manage it?”
The Dog smiled. “You could live just as comfortably as I do,” he replied. “Why struggle in the woods, always searching for food? Come live as I do, and you’ll never go hungry again.”
“What would I have to do?” asked the Wolf.
“Very little,” said the Dog. “Guard the house, bark at strangers, and be friendly to the family. In return, you’ll be given plenty to eat—meat scraps, bones, treats, and all the food you could want. And you’ll be cared for as well.”
As the Dog spoke, the Wolf imagined a life without hunger. The thought of regular meals sounded wonderful.
But then he noticed a patch of worn fur around the Dog’s neck.
“What happened there?” the Wolf asked.
“Oh, it’s nothing important,” said the Dog.
“It doesn’t look like nothing,” said the Wolf. “Tell me.”
“Well,” the Dog admitted, “it’s where my collar sits.”
“Collar?” asked the Wolf. “Why do you wear a collar?”
“It’s attached to a chain,” the Dog explained. “I’m tied up at certain times.”
“A chain?” cried the Wolf. “You mean you can’t go wherever you want?”
“Not always,” said the Dog. “But that’s a small price to pay for a comfortable life.”
The Wolf stepped back and shook his head.
“To you, perhaps,” he said. “But to me, freedom is worth more than all the food in the world.”
And with that, the Wolf turned and ran back into the forest, choosing a life of hardship over a life without freedom.
Moral: Freedom is often worth more than comfort and security.
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