The Wolf and the Lamb
by Aesop · from Æsop's Fables
Adapted Version
Once, there was a big wolf. He was very hungry.
The Wolf stood by a river. The river water was clear. He drank cool water. He looked down the river. He saw The Lamb. The Lamb was far away. She drank water too. The water flowed to The Lamb. It flowed from The Wolf. The Lamb was small and white.
The Wolf was bad. He was very hungry. He wanted to eat The Lamb. He made a bad plan. He wanted a reason. He wanted to be mean. He thought of a trick. He liked to fight. He liked to be unfair. The Wolf was sly. He did not care about truth. He only wanted his way. He watched the small Lamb. He smiled a bad smile.
The Wolf spoke loudly. His voice was rough. "You make my water dirty!" he said. "You make my water muddy!" "I drink this water." "You are very bad." The Lamb heard him. She was scared. Her heart beat fast. She did not know what to do. The Wolf looked very angry.
The Lamb spoke softly. Her voice was small. "No, sir. I do not make it dirty. The water flows from you. It flows to me. I drink downstream. I cannot muddy your water."
The Wolf grew angrier. He had no good reason. He thought of another lie. "You spoke ill of me!" he growled. "You said bad things. You did it last year! You called me names."
The Lamb was confused. She spoke softly again. "Sir, I was not born then. I am very small. I am very young. I am just a baby lamb. I did not say bad things."
The Wolf had no more excuses. He showed his true self. "Then it was your father!" he roared. "Or your mother! Or some other relative! Someone in your family hates me! I will punish you for it!"
The Wolf did not wait. He jumped at the Lamb. He grabbed her tightly. He carried her away. The Lamb was never seen again.
The Wolf was mean. He just wanted to be bad. He made up reasons. They were not true.
Original Story
The Wolf and the Lamb
As a Wolf was lapping at the head of a running brook, he spied a stray Lamb paddling, at some distance down the stream. Having made up his mind to make his dinner off her, he bethought himself how he might begin the quarrel. "Wretch," said he to her, "how dare you muddle the water that I am drinking?" "Indeed," said the Lamb humbly, "I do not see how I can disturb the water, since it runs from you to me, not from me to you." "Be that as it may," replied the Wolf, "it was but a year ago that you called me many ill names." "Oh, sir," said the Lamb trembling, "a year ago I was not born." "No matter, it was your father then, or some of your relations," and immediately seizing the innocent Lamb, he tore her to pieces.
Story DNA
Moral
A tyrant will always find a pretext for his tyranny.
Plot Summary
A hungry wolf sees a lamb drinking downstream and decides to eat her. He invents a quarrel, first accusing the lamb of muddling his water, which the lamb logically refutes by explaining the water flow. The wolf then falsely accuses her of insulting him a year ago, which the lamb again refutes, stating she wasn't born. Ignoring all reason, the wolf declares it must have been her relatives and immediately seizes and kills the innocent lamb.
Themes
Emotional Arc
innocence to demise
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Aesop's Fables are a collection of fables credited to Aesop, a slave and storyteller believed to have lived in ancient Greece between 620 and 564 BCE. They are characterized by their brevity and clear moral lessons.
Plot Beats (8)
- A wolf is drinking from a brook and spots a lamb downstream.
- The wolf decides to eat the lamb and looks for an excuse to start a fight.
- The wolf accuses the lamb of muddling his water.
- The lamb politely explains that the water flows from the wolf to her, so she cannot be muddling his water.
- The wolf, undeterred, accuses the lamb of speaking ill of him a year prior.
- The lamb replies that she was not yet born a year ago.
- The wolf, out of excuses, declares it must have been the lamb's father or another relative.
- The wolf immediately seizes the lamb and kills her.
Characters
⚔
The Wolf
A large, lean, and powerful wolf, with a muscular build indicative of a predator. His fur is a mottled grey-brown, thick and shaggy, with darker streaks along his spine and lighter fur on his belly. He has strong, sinewy legs and sharp claws, with a long, bushy tail that twitches with his mood.
Attire: None, as he is an animal. His natural fur coat is his only covering.
Wants: To satisfy his hunger by preying on the weak, and to find a flimsy excuse to do so.
Flaw: His insatiable hunger and his need to feel justified, even if the justification is absurd.
He remains unchanged, a static character whose nature is to dominate and consume. He learns nothing and feels no remorse.
Cunning, ruthless, hypocritical, predatory, and self-serving. He seeks to justify his actions through false accusations.
★
The Lamb
A small, delicate lamb, with a soft, fluffy coat of pure white wool. She has slender legs and a gentle, innocent demeanor. Her body is still somewhat gangly, indicating her youth.
Attire: None, as she is an animal. Her natural wool coat is her only covering.
Wants: To survive and to defend herself with logic against false accusations.
Flaw: Her physical vulnerability, her naivety, and her inability to escape the wolf's power.
She remains innocent and logical but ultimately succumbs to the wolf's brute force, highlighting the theme of injustice.
Innocent, humble, logical, and fearful. She attempts to reason with her aggressor despite her terror.
Locations
Running Brook
A natural stream of fresh water flowing over rocks and earth, with clear, moving water.
Mood: Initially peaceful and natural, becoming tense and dangerous.
The Wolf and Lamb encounter each other, leading to the Wolf's false accusations and the Lamb's demise.