“The House Dog and the Wolf” by Gail Terp, 2015

It had been a long and miserable winter for Wolf. His hunting had not gone well for many weeks and his ribs were nearly sticking through his skin. One night, as Wolf was out seeking something to eat, he met a house dog. “You are looking very well, Cousin,” said Wolf. “Here I am, near starvation, and you are clearly well-fed. What is your secret?” “Oh, there is no secret,” said Dog. “I simply have a wonderful job. I guard my master’s house and keep away any thieves. In return, he treats me very well.” “Lucky for you! If only I had it so easy. For me, life is a constant struggle.” “But you can have this grand life, too,” said Dog. “Just travel with me to my master’s house and help me keep the thieves away.” “Happily,” said Wolf. “I’d love to have a belly full of food for a change.” While they were trotting along together, Wolf spotted a mark on Dog’s neck. Curious, he asked what had caused it. “Oh, that’s nothing much,” replied Dog. “Perhaps my collar was a little tight.” “You wear a collar?” Wolf backed away from Dog. “That’s nothing to worry about," said Dog. "I wear a collar so my master can hook my chain to it." “You are chained?” cried Wolf in surprise. “You mean you are not free to go wherever you please?” “Not exactly,” said the dog, looking embarrassed. “You see, my master thinks I’m a bit wild and so he ties me up in the daytime. But he lets me run free at night.” Wolf backed a few more steps away from Dog. “Wolf, it’s a good deal,” said Dog. “I get plenty of sleep during the day, and then I am free at night. I am my master's favorite and he feeds me very well.” Wolf turned and started to walk toward the forest. “But wait, where are you going?” cried Dog. “Good night to you, poor Cousin,” said Wolf. “You are welcome to your grand life — and your chains. As for me, I will keep my freedom.”

The theme of the story is...

A.)It’s better to have your freedom and have struggles, than to be taken care of but be under someone’s control.

B.)Be willing to try new things.

C.)Losing your independence is worth it if it means living in a safe environment.

D.)Dogs and wolves are very different.

The theme of the story 'The House Dog and the Wolf' is, 'It’s better to have your freedom and have struggles, than to be taken care of but be under someone’s control.'

Answer: Option A.

Explanation:

“The House Dog and the Wolf” is a fable written by Gail Terp which is a story about a Wolf and a Dog. The story illustrates the conditions of Dog and Wolf, on one hand the dog is well fed and taken care of, but on the other hand he is deprived of his freedom, he is a slave of his master. Wolf on the other hand have to struggle hard to fed his stomach, but he is at least enjoying his freedom. Wolf can roam around freely wherever he wants to, he is not a slave of anyone. And this thus develops a theme that, it’s better to have your freedom and have struggles, than to be taken care of but be under someone’s control.