Section 17

The Wolf and the Lamb explained simply

Aesop's Fables by Aesop

Original excerpt

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A Wolf came upon a Lamb straying from the flock, and felt some compunction about taking the life of so helpless a creature without some plausible excuse; so he cast about for a grievance and said at last, "Last year, sirrah, you grossly insulted me." "That is impossible, sir," bleated the Lamb, "for I wasn't born then." "Well,"...
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A Wolf came upon a Lamb straying from the flock, and felt some compunction about taking the life of so helpless a creature without some plausible excuse; so he cast about for a grievance and said at last, "Last year, sirrah, you grossly insulted me." "That is impossible, sir," bleated the Lamb, "for I wasn't born then." "Well," retorted the Wolf, "you feed in my pastures." "That cannot be," replied the Lamb, "for I have never yet tasted grass." "You drink from my spring, then," continued the Wolf. "Indeed, sir," said the poor Lamb, "I have never yet drunk anything but my mother's milk." "Well, anyhow," said the Wolf, "I'm not going without my dinner": and he sprang upon the Lamb and devoured it without more ado.

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What happens here

A wolf invents excuses to attack a lamb that has done nothing wrong.

Why this scene matters

This fable shows how the powerful can use false reasons when they already intend harm.

Characters in this scene

  • Wolf: A central figure in the fable’s conflict and lesson.
  • the Lamb: A central figure in the fable’s conflict and lesson.

Simple story version

A wolf wants to eat a lamb and keeps making accusations. The lamb answers each one, but the wolf attacks anyway.