Section 115
The Wolf, the Mother, and Her Child explained simply
Aesop's Fables by Aesop
Original excerpt
Excerpt preview
A hungry Wolf was prowling about in search of food. By and by, attracted by the cries of a Child, he came to a cottage. As he crouched beneath the window, he heard the Mother say to the Child, "Stop crying, do! or I'll throw you to the Wolf." Thinking she really meant what she said, he waited...
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Public-domain original
A hungry Wolf was prowling about in search of food. By and by,
attracted by the cries of a Child, he came to a cottage. As he
crouched beneath the window, he heard the Mother say to the Child,
"Stop crying, do! or I'll throw you to the Wolf." Thinking she really
meant what she said, he waited there a long time in the expectation of
satisfying his hunger. In the evening he heard the Mother fondling her
Child and saying, "If the naughty Wolf comes, he shan't get my little
one: Daddy will kill him." The Wolf got up in much disgust and walked
away: "As for the people in that house," said he to himself, "you
can't believe a word they say."
Public-domain original text shown for study context.
What happens here
A wolf waits because a mother threatens to give him her child, but the threat is not real.
Why this scene matters
This fable warns not to rely on angry words as if they were real promises.
Characters in this scene
- Wolf: A central figure in the fable’s conflict and lesson.
- the Mother: A central figure in the fable’s conflict and lesson.
- Her Child: A central figure in the fable’s conflict and lesson.
Simple story version
A mother says she will give her crying child to the wolf. The wolf waits, but she later protects the child instead.