One night a wolf, who was almost skin and bone, met a fat mastiff.

After the wolf said hello to the big dog,

he praised its good looks.

“If you like,” answered the mastiff, “you can get as fat and strong as I am.”

“What do I need to do?” asked the wolf.

“Almost nothing,” answered the mastiff.

Then they took a walk together.

As they went along, the wolf noticed a spot on the mastiff’s neck.

“What’s that mark?”

“Oh, nothing special, just the collar I wear when I am tied up.”

“Oh, nothing special, just the collar I wear when I am tied up.”

“Tied up!” cried out the wolf, stopping suddenly.

“Do you mean you can’t always run around at will?”

“Well, not always, but does that matter?” said the mastiff.

“It matters a lot to me,” said the wolf,

and he ran once more back into his native forest.

Moral: Better to starve free than to be a fat slave.