Mandarin Lesson
A wolf was almost dead with hunger. A house-dog saw him, and asked, "Friend, your irregular life will soon ruin you.
"Why don't you work steadily as I do, and get your food regularly?"
"I would have no objection," said the wolf, "if I could only get a place." "I will help you," said the dog. "Come with me to my master, and you shall share my work."
So the wolf and the dog went to the town together.
On the way the wolf saw that there was no hair around the dog's neck.
He felt quite surprised, and asked him why it was like that?
"Oh, it is nothing," said the dog. "Every night my master puts a collar around my neck and chains me up. You will soon get used to it."
"Is that the only reason?" said the wolf. "Then good-bye to you, my friend. I would rather be free."
一隻狼快要餓死了，一隻狗看見後問他：“你現在的無規律的生活一定會毀掉你，為什麼不像我一樣穩定地干活並有規律地獲得食物呢?”
狼說：“如果我有個地方住，我沒有意見。”狗回答說：“跟我到主人那裡去，我們一起工作。”於是狼和狗一起回到了村子。
在路上，狼注意到狗的脖子上有一圈沒有毛，他很奇怪地問為什麼會那樣。
“噢，沒有什麼，”狗說，“我的主人每天晚上都用一條鐵鍊子拴住我，你很快就會習慣的。”“就是因為這個原因嗎?”狼說道，“那麼，再見了，我的朋友，我寧願選擇自由。”
寓意:自由比安樂更重要。
