Section 154
The Wolf and the Shepherd explained simply
Aesop's Fables by Aesop
Original excerpt
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A Wolf hung about near a flock of sheep for a long time, but made no attempt to molest them. The Shepherd at first kept a sharp eye on him, for he naturally thought he meant mischief: but as time went by and the Wolf showed no inclination to meddle with the flock, he began to look upon...
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Public-domain original
A Wolf hung about near a flock of sheep for a long time, but made no
attempt to molest them. The Shepherd at first kept a sharp eye on him,
for he naturally thought he meant mischief: but as time went by and
the Wolf showed no inclination to meddle with the flock, he began to
look upon him more as a protector than as an enemy: and when one day
some errand took him to the city, he felt no uneasiness at leaving
the Wolf with the sheep. But as soon as his back was turned the
Wolf attacked them and killed the greater number. When the Shepherd
returned and saw the havoc he had wrought, he cried, "It serves me
right for trusting my flock to a Wolf."
Public-domain original text shown for study context.
What happens here
A shepherd gradually trusts a wolf and loses the flock.
Why this scene matters
This fable warns that repeated harmless behavior can still hide danger.
Characters in this scene
- Wolf: A central figure in the fable’s conflict and lesson.
- the Shepherd: A central figure in the fable’s conflict and lesson.
Simple story version
The wolf stays near the flock without attacking until the shepherd trusts him. Then he takes his chance.