Phaedrus' fable:
" THE WOLF AND THE HOUSEDOG: FREEDOM AND SLAVERY (SERVITUDE)"
A Wolf, nothing but skin and bone, meets a big well-fed Dog. They
greet and start speaking: -“ Where do you come from so clean and
well-fed? What did you eat to be so fat. I'm stronger than you
but I'm starving.
And the dog: - If you want there's some for you, too. You've
just to do what I do for my master.
-“ Which service do you have to render him?”
- “Guarding his house door and keep all the thieves away at night!”
- “Well! I'm quite ready for it! Now I stand the snows and
the rains in the wood, dragging out a wretched life. I think it should
be very easy to live having got a roof over your head and fill your
stomach quietly (at peace).”
- “So, come with me, dear friend.”
And they go. Along the way the wolf sees a worn patch on the dog's
neck.
- “What's that, my friend?”
- “Oh, only a scratch”
- “But, if you want to tell me…”
- “It sometimes happens that because of my violent nature, they
keep me tied in order to be quiet during the day and on guard at night.
But at dusk I go around wherever I like; they give me the bread without
my asking for it; my master gives me his meals' bones; his servants
sometimes throw me some morsels; all the leftovers are mine. Thus, effortlessly,
I fill my stomach.”
- “May you go out, if you like?”
- “Well, not quite…”
- “Goodbye, my dear friend; enjoy your good luck; I don't
swap my freedom for a kingdom (realm).”