The Dog and the Wolf
Once upon a time, at the edge of an old forest where cool waters flowed, there lived a scrawny wolf whose ribs could be counted. While the freezing winter winds ravaged the valley, this wretched animal had not swallowed a single morsel for days. While searching desperately for food, he came upon a majestic house dog, well fed, with a coat that shone brightly. The wolf, eyeing the dog's healthy state with envy, secretly admired his prosperity. This clear contrast between them opened the door to a deep conversation that echoed in the silence of the night. The wolf approached in a friendly manner and asked the dog the secret of looking so well kept. The dog puffed out his chest with pride and told how his master gave him delicious meat every day.
"If you come with me to the village," said the dog, "you too will have a comfortable kennel and plenty of food." "It is enough that you serve people and guard the house from strangers," he added cheerfully. The wolf, helpless with hunger, upon hearing this tempting offer decided excitedly to follow the dog. As they walked together toward the village, the moonlight lit up a strange mark on the dog's neck. The fur at the back of the dog's neck had fallen out, and his skin was worn away and covered in sores. The wolf paused with curiosity and asked in astonishment why the fur had fallen out in that spot. The dog, making little of the question, said: "It is nothing important, only the mark of the collar to which I am tied during the day."
Hearing this answer, the wolf's steps suddenly faltered, and a deep shiver fell upon his heart. "So you cannot run and roam freely whenever you wish?" he asked with a trembling voice. The dog replied in a relaxed manner: "Not always, but the delicious meals are worth this small restriction." The wolf, enamored of his freedom, understood at that moment the true price of the kennel and the feasts. Without even looking behind him, he began to flee toward the depths of the dark forest. Rather than a slavery served on a golden tray, he had wholeheartedly preferred to remain free but hungry. Feasts under oppression are worthless beside the poverty that freedom brings. They put the nightingale in a golden cage, and it cried: "Oh, my homeland!"