Why the Dog is the Friend of Man

The Dog and the Tortoise were once great friends in the wild. But a famine came, and they were both starving. They decided to go to the village of Man to seek help. The Dog went first. He went to a man's compound and made himself useful. He barked at strangers, played with the children, and helped the man hunt. In return, the man gave him food from his own plate and a warm place to sleep by the fire. The Tortoise went next. He crawled into the man's yam barn and began to secretly eat the yams. When the man discovered the theft, he was furious. He set a trap and caught the Tortoise. The Dog, seeing his old friend about to be killed, pleaded with the master. "He is my friend, but he does not understand your ways," the Dog said. The man, out of respect for his loyal Dog, let the Tortoise go, but banished him from the compound forever. The Dog chose to stay with Man, having learned that loyalty and service provide a better life than theft and cunning. The Tortoise returned to the wild, forever wary of Man's world.