THE BLUE WOLF
by Aesop · from Æsop's fables in words of one syllable
Adapted Version
In a green forest, lived a wolf. One day, he had a big surprise! A wolf walked in the forest. He saw a big pot. He fell into blue paint. The paint was very blue. A Man came. He saw the wolf. The wolf did not move. The Man pulled him out. The Man left.
The Blue Wolf stood up. He looked at his fur. His fur was all blue! He was very surprised. He ran fast to the woods. He was safe there. He was a blue wolf now.
A rabbit saw the Blue Wolf. A squirrel saw him too. They looked and looked. "What is that?" they thought. "He is blue!" they said. They did not know him. They were very confused.
The Blue Wolf felt very clever. He spoke to all the animals. "I am new!" he said loudly. "I am special! Look at me!" "My fur is blue and fine." "I must be your king now." He looked very important. He wanted to rule them.
All the animals looked at him. They were very surprised. They were a little scared too. "Okay, King Blue Wolf!" they said. They bowed their heads down low. He was their new king now. The Blue Wolf felt very happy.
A Smart Wolf watched him. He looked at the Blue Wolf. "He looks like a wolf," he thought. "Is he really special?" he wondered. The Smart Wolf thought hard. He had a good idea.
The Smart Wolf spoke to friends. "I have an idea," he said. "Tonight, we all howl loud." "We will howl very loud." The other wolves agreed.
Night came to the forest. All the wolves howled loudly. "Awoooo!" they cried out. The Blue Wolf heard them. He felt a strong pull inside. He could not stop himself. He howled too. "Awoooo!" His wolf heart made him howl.
The animals heard the howl. They knew it was the king. "He is a wolf!" they said. He was not special at all. All the animals laughed. "Ha ha ha!" they laughed loud. The Blue Wolf felt very silly.
The Blue Wolf was just a wolf. He could not hide his true self. The story tells us this. You cannot hide who you are. It is best to be yourself. Always be true to you.
Original Story
THE BLUE WOLF.
A wolf once fell in a vat of blue dye which is made in the East. A man came by and thought he was dead, so he took him out and laid him on the bank and went his way; and then the wolf, glad to be safe, ran off to the woods. One by one, all the beasts came to gaze on him, and knew not what to make of him. So then the sly wolf said, “My fur is of a fine blue! You see in me a new kind of beast, and so I must, of course, be king of all the rest!” Then the bears, the boars, the apes, the wolves, as well as the ounce, the lynx, the bull, the fox, and all the rest of them, drew near to bow their heads to him as the lord of the wood. But soon the wolves thought they saw in the king some trace of kin, and one of them said, “Be it for me to find out, and let it be done as I say. At night you must all set up a loud yell near him, and if he be one of us—as I think he is—he will send forth a loud howl too.” So all at once the wolves put up their heads to howl, and they soon heard the new king join in the cry, for he could not help it. At this, a loud laugh rang through the wood from all the beasts of the plain. What is bred in the bone will not out of the flesh.
Story DNA
Moral
One's true nature or origins will eventually reveal themselves, no matter how much one tries to disguise them.
Plot Summary
A wolf accidentally falls into a vat of blue dye and, upon escaping, uses his unusual appearance to trick the other forest animals into believing he is a new, superior creature and their rightful king. The animals accept him, but other wolves grow suspicious. They devise a test, prompting all wolves to howl, and the blue wolf instinctively joins in, revealing his true identity. The other animals laugh at his deception, proving that one's true nature cannot be hidden.
Themes
Emotional Arc
pride to humiliation
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Aesop's Fables are a collection of stories credited to a slave and storyteller believed to have lived in ancient Greece between 620 and 564 BCE. They are characterized by anthropomorphic animals and a concise moral lesson.
Plot Beats (10)
- A wolf falls into a vat of blue dye and is pulled out by a man who thinks he's dead.
- The wolf, now blue, escapes to the woods, safe but transformed in appearance.
- Other animals are puzzled by the blue wolf's strange new look.
- The sly blue wolf claims he is a new, superior kind of beast and therefore should be king.
- The other animals, including bears, boars, apes, and even other wolves, accept him as their new ruler.
- Some of the other wolves start to suspect the blue king's true origins.
- One wolf proposes a test: all wolves should howl loudly at night.
- The blue wolf, unable to resist his instinct, joins in the howling.
- His true identity is revealed, and all the animals burst into laughter.
- The story concludes with the moral: what is bred in the bone will not out of the flesh.
Characters
★
The Blue Wolf
A medium-sized, lean wolf with a powerful build. Initially, his fur was likely a typical grey or brown, but after falling into the vat, his entire coat is stained a vibrant, unnatural blue. His eyes are sharp and cunning, typical of a wolf, contrasting with his unusual fur color.
Attire: None, as he is an animal. His 'wardrobe' is his blue fur.
Wants: To gain power and respect by exploiting his unique appearance, to be recognized as superior.
Flaw: His inability to truly change his nature; his inherent wolf instincts betray his disguise.
He rises to power through deception, enjoying a brief reign as 'king', but ultimately falls from grace when his true nature is revealed, returning to his original status.
Sly, cunning, opportunistic, deceptive, arrogant, ultimately unable to suppress his true nature.
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The Man
A common man, likely of the East, with an average build. His specific features are not detailed, suggesting he is an ordinary passerby.
Attire: Simple, practical clothing suitable for travel or work in an Eastern setting, such as a tunic and trousers made of linen or cotton, possibly with a head covering like a simple cloth wrap.
Wants: To remove what he believed to be a dead animal from the vat.
Flaw: His assumption about the wolf's state.
A static character; he performs one action and exits the story.
Observant, helpful (in his own way, by removing the wolf), perhaps a bit naive to assume the wolf was dead.
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The One Wolf
A typical wolf, likely grey or brown fur, lean and observant. He is distinguished by his sharp intellect and skepticism.
Attire: None, as he is an animal.
Wants: To uncover the truth about the 'Blue Wolf' and protect his pack/community from deception.
Flaw: None explicitly shown; he acts as the voice of reason.
He acts as the catalyst for the Blue Wolf's downfall, restoring order by exposing the fraud.
Skeptical, intelligent, observant, courageous (to challenge the 'king'), decisive.
Locations
Dye Vat by the Riverbank
A large vat of blue dye, likely made from indigo, situated near the bank of a river in an Eastern setting. The riverbank is muddy or sandy, with some sparse vegetation.
Mood: accidental, surprising, a place of transformation
The wolf falls into the dye vat and is pulled out, transforming his appearance.
The Forest Clearing
A central clearing within a dense forest, likely in a temperate region, where all the animals gather. The ground is covered with leaves and undergrowth, surrounded by tall trees.
Mood: curious, then tense, then revelatory
The blue wolf declares himself king, and later, the other wolves expose his true nature through a collective howl.