SUSI JA KARITSA
by Aesop · from Aisopoksen satuja : $b 56 eläintarinaa
Adapted Version
A big wolf drank water. He was at a stream. He felt thirsty. He saw a small lamb. The lamb drank water too. It was far down the stream. The wolf watched the lamb.
The Wolf wanted to eat The Lamb. He felt very hungry. He got an idea. He felt angry. "Hey, little lamb!" the wolf yelled. "You make my clean water dirty! You are bad. How dare you do this? I drink this water now!"
The Lamb was scared. It spoke very softly. "Oh, kind sir," The Lamb said. "I do not make your water dirty. I am far down the stream. The water flows from you. It flows down to me. My water does not go up. Your water does not come to me."
The Wolf did not like this answer. He got more angry. "No, no!" the wolf said loudly. "You talk too much. You are a bad lamb. Your father said bad things. He said bad things about me. He did it six months ago. You are just like him!"
The Lamb trembled more. It was very scared. "Oh, kind sir," The Lamb cried. "Please believe me. I was not born at that time. I was not in this world. I could not say bad things about you."
The Wolf had no more lies. He got very, very mad. "You are bad!" the wolf shouted loudly. "Your whole family hates my family. All your family is very bad. They always hated us. Now you must pay for this. You must pay for their bad things. You will pay for all of them now!"
The Lamb was helpless. It was very small and weak. It could not run away fast. The Wolf was very strong. The Wolf jumped on The Lamb. He bit The Lamb quickly. The Wolf ate The Lamb. The poor, scared lamb was gone forever.
This story tells us a lesson. A bad person will always find bad reasons. They will find reasons to hurt good people. This is true even if good people do nothing wrong. The Wolf wanted to eat The Lamb. He found many bad reasons. He did not care about truth. He did not care about right.
Original Story
SUSI JA KARITSA
Olipa kerran susi latkimassa vettä puron rannasta ja äkkäsi karitsan, joka samaan aikaan polskutteli purossa hyvän matkan päässä alempana. Mutta heti kun susi oli iskenyt silmänsä tähän saaliiseen, hyökkäsi se sinne suu auki. »Kuuleppas, vintiö», ärjäisi susi, »kuinka sinä uskallat tulla sekoittamaan minun juomavettäni?» »En tosiaankaan», vastasi karitsaparka, »osannut arvata, että teidän vetenne pilaantuisi noin kaukana täältä, kun puro virtaa alaspäin». »No no», sanoi susi, »sinä et kai lakkaa viisastelemasta, ennenkuin turkkisi on kiskottu nurinpäin korviesi yli, niinkuin isällesikin kävi puoli vuotta takaperin, sillä isäsi pärpätti samalla ilkeällä tavalla; tottahan sen muistat, miekkonen». »Uskokaa minua, herra», virkkoi viaton karitsa pelosta vavisten, »minä en silloin vielä ollut tullut maailmaan». »Voi sinua kelvotonta», huusi susi, »eikö sinulla ole häpyä eikä omaatuntoa? Mutta koko sinun rodussasi onkin pelkkää vihaa minun sukuani vastaan, ja kun kohtalo on näin sopivasti toimittanut meidät yhteen, saat sinä maksaa muutamista esi-isiesi synneistä, ennenkuin eroamme.» Ja sitten susi muitta mutkitta karkasi kiinni onnettoman, avuttoman karitsan kurkkuun ja repi uhrinsa kappaleiksi.
Sentähden sanotaan: »Kyllä susi syitä löytää, kun mieli lampaanlihaa tekee.»
Story DNA
Moral
A tyrant will always find an excuse to justify their evil deeds, especially when they desire something from the weak.
Plot Summary
A wolf drinking upstream spots a lamb drinking downstream and, desiring to eat it, falsely accuses the lamb of muddying its water. The lamb logically refutes this, so the wolf invents another accusation about the lamb's father. When the lamb again proves its innocence, the wolf, out of excuses, declares that the lamb's entire lineage is hateful and devours the helpless creature. The story concludes with the moral that a tyrant will always find an excuse to justify their actions.
Themes
Emotional Arc
innocence to despair
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 animal characters and a clear moral lesson.
Plot Beats (8)
- A wolf is drinking water from a stream and sees a lamb drinking downstream.
- The wolf, desiring to eat the lamb, angrily accuses it of muddying its drinking water.
- The lamb logically explains that it is downstream, so it cannot muddy the wolf's water.
- The wolf then changes its accusation, claiming the lamb's father insulted it six months prior.
- The lamb protests that it was not yet born at that time.
- The wolf, out of excuses, declares that the lamb's entire family line is hateful towards its own, and the lamb must pay for ancestral sins.
- The wolf then pounces on the helpless lamb and tears it to pieces.
- The story concludes with the moral: 'A wolf will always find reasons when it desires lamb meat.'
Characters
Susi
A large, powerful wolf with a lean, muscular build. Its coat is thick and shaggy, a mottled grey-brown color, providing excellent camouflage in a forest environment. Its eyes are sharp and predatory, constantly scanning for weakness. It moves with a silent, menacing grace.
Attire: None, as it is an animal.
Wants: To satisfy its hunger and exert dominance. It seeks to rationalize its predatory instincts.
Flaw: Its overwhelming hunger and inherent predatory nature make it incapable of reason or mercy when faced with prey.
No arc; it remains a cruel predator, demonstrating its unchanging nature.
Cruel, deceitful, opportunistic, arrogant, and utterly ruthless. It invents justifications for its actions rather than admitting its true predatory nature.
Karitsa
A small, innocent lamb with a soft, fluffy white wool coat. It is delicate and somewhat clumsy, typical of a young animal. Its legs are slender, and its overall appearance is one of vulnerability.
Attire: None, as it is an animal.
Wants: To drink water and survive. Its primary motivation is self-preservation and to avoid conflict.
Flaw: Its physical weakness, innocence, and inability to defend itself against a predator. Its logical arguments are useless against irrational malice.
No arc; it remains innocent and becomes a victim, highlighting the injustice of the situation.
Innocent, naive, fearful, and logical (initially attempting to reason). It is ultimately helpless against true malice.
Locations
Forest Stream
A clear, flowing stream winding through a dense, cool Nordic forest. The water is fresh and cold, originating from higher ground. The banks are likely muddy or stony, with typical northern European vegetation.
Mood: Initially peaceful and serene, quickly turning tense and predatory.
The wolf and the lamb encounter each other, leading to the wolf's false accusations and the lamb's demise.