The Dog and the Jackal's Choice

In the beginning, the Dog and the Jackal were brothers. They were both wild hunters. But they grew tired of the uncertainty of the hunt. They saw the fires of the human villages. The Dog said, "I will go to the humans. They have fire and a constant supply of food from their herds. I will offer them my loyalty in exchange for security." The Jackal scoffed. "I will never be a servant to Man. I choose freedom." So the Dog went to the Samburu manyatta, and became a loyal guard and companion, and he never went hungry again. The Jackal remained in the wild, but the herds of game grew thin. He was free, but he was also often hungry, cold, and alone, forced to scavenge the kills of greater predators. The story explains the origin of the domestic dog as a conscious choice. It presents a philosophical argument about the nature of freedom, suggesting that the security and warmth of the community (the Dog's choice) is a wiser path than the lonely and difficult freedom of the wild (the Jackal's choice).