29 The Domesticated Dog and the Wolf

The Domesticated Dog and the Wolf
A lean， hungry wolf happened to meet a plump， well-fed dog one bright moonlit night.After the first compliments were exchanged，the wolf asked， “How is it，my friend，that you look so sleek?Your food certainly agrees with you while I must struggle for my living day and night and can hardly keep myself from starving!”
“Well， ”replied the dog， “if you want to live as well as I do， you only have to act the way I do.”
“And how is that?”countered the wolf.
“You only have to guard the master's house， ”said the dog， ‘and keep the thieves away at night.”
“It will be my pleasure， ”the wolf responded.“I've been going through a bad time.Life in the woods shard work for me because of the frost and rain.To have a warm roof over my head and a bellyful of food always at my disposal will be,I think，worth the change.”
“Well， ”said the dog， ““all you have to do is follow me.”
As they began jogging along together， the wolf noticed a mark on the dog's neck and， since he was curious， he could not keep himself from asking how it got there.
“Pooh!”remarked the dog.‘It's nothing.
“Well， then， tell me， ”insisted the wolf.
“Oh， it's a mere trife， ”said the dog.“It probably got there from the collar that's fastened to my chain.”
“Chain!”the wolf cried in surprise.“Do you mean to say that you can't rove whenever and wherever you want?''
“Not exactly， ”the dog said.“You see， I'm regarded as rather fierce.So， sometimes they tie me up during the day， but I assure you that I'm perfectly free to go where I want at night， and the master feeds me off his own plate， and the servants give me their tidbits.I tell you，I'm such a favorite， and—but what's thematter?Where are you going?”
“Farewell， my friend， ”said the wolf.‘You're welcome to your dainties， but for me， a dry crust with liberty will always be worth more than all the luxury a king with a chain could ever provide.”