Week 3 Reading Diary: The Fables of Aesop

For my week 3 of reading I decided to read The Fables of Aesop by Joseph Jacob. It was quite a change from last week's reading since it was filled with several short stories. The story that interest me the most were the fables about wolves.

Wolves

There was a collection of short stories that showed the wolf as a deceptive monster that ate sheep or as a foolish, selfish tyrant. One story that caught my attention was the story about the wolf and the dog. A starving wolf in the middle of winter was passing by a dog's house. The dog saw the poor condition of the wolf and asked the wolf why he chose to live in such harsh conditions when he could be living in a warm home with security and food. Since there was no other option, the wolf agreed to cooperate with the dog to find a new home. The dog introduced the wolf to its master, and all seemed well. Then the wolf noticed that the dog's hair was thinning around his neck. Out of curiosity, the wolf asked what was wrong with the dog's neck. The dog explained that at nighttime, his master will put a chain over the dog's neck which pinched the hairs off his collar. "You just have to get used to it," said the dog. Immediately, the wolf turned around and walked away from the dog's offer. The moral of the story was: Better starve free than be a fat slave.

The moral of the story appealed to me because I know of several people who are willing to give up their freedom for security. This idea is still relevant in today's politics. According to Aesop, it appears that freedom is extremely more valuable than any amount of food.

The wolf and the dog. Source.