Life's Full Of Chickens

Jack London's classic, White Fang, is about an animal, half dog, half wolf, who learns to live among men. White Fang is very fond of chickens. Once he raided a chicken-roost and killed 50 hens. His master, Weedon Scott, whom White Fang "loved with single heart," scolded him, then took him into the chicken yard. When White Fang saw his favourite food walking around in front of him, he obeyed his natural impulse and lunged for them. Immediately he was checked by his master's voice. He stayed in the chicken yard quite a while, and every time White Fang made a move toward a chicken his master's voice would stop him. In this way he learned what his master wanted - he learned to ignore the chickens. Weedon Scott's father argued "You couldn't cure a chicken killer" but Weedon challenged him and they agreed to lock White Fang in with the chickens all afternoon: "Locked in the yard, White Fang lay down and went to sleep. Once he walked over to the trough for a drink. The chickens he calmly ignored. So far as he was concerned they did not exist. At four o'clock he executed a running jump and leaped to the ground outside, whence he sauntered gravely to the house. He had learned the law." Out of love and a desire to obey his master's will, White Fang overcame his natural, inborn tendencies. He may not have understood the reason, but he chose to bend his will to his master's. Life's full of "chickens." What you have to settle is - who will I serve?