A hungry Wolf, lapping at a clear mountain stream, caught sight of a Lamb drinking further down the bank. Desiring a reason to seize the creature, the Wolf shouted, 'How dare you muddle the water I am drinking!' The Lamb replied humbly, 'Sir, the water flows from you to me; I cannot be muddying your drink.' Thwarted, the Wolf snarled, 'Last year you insulted my father!' 'I was not even born then,' the Lamb pleaded. 'Then it was your brother!' 'I have no brothers,' the Lamb whispered. 'No matter,' the Wolf cried, 'it was someone of your kind!' Without another word, he fell upon the poor Lamb and devoured him, proving that a predator needs no true reason for his feast.
The tyrant will always find a pretext for his tyranny, and the unjust will not listen to the reasoning of the innocent.
Questions about this story
What is the moral of The Wolf and the Lamb?
The moral is that an evil-doer or a tyrant will always find an excuse for their actions, regardless of the truth. It warns that logic and innocence are often no defense against those who have already decided to be cruel.
Why did the wolf make up excuses before eating the lamb?
The wolf sought a pretext to justify his internal malice with an external cause, hoping to make his act of violence appear as a form of justice. This reflects how those in power often manipulate the truth to maintain a facade of righteousness.
What does the stream symbolize in the story?
The stream symbolizes the flow of logic and truth; because it flows from the wolf to the lamb, it proves the lamb's innocence. However, the wolf ignores the physical reality of the stream to pursue his own selfish agenda.
Is The Wolf and the Lamb a true story?
It is an ancient Greek fable attributed to Aesop, used as a metaphorical lesson rather than a historical account. These stories use anthropomorphized animals to critique human behavior and social hierarchies.
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Good night.
