The Wolf and the Lamb
A wolf accuses a lamb of wrongdoing to justify eating him, despite the lamb's innocence.
Once upon a time, a Wolf was drinking from a stream when he noticed a Lamb downstream also drinking from the same stream. The Wolf desired to eat the Lamb and searched for an excuse to do so. He accused the Lamb of muddying the water and making it difficult for him to drink.
The Wolf stood above the Lamb and said, "How dare you muddy the water that I am drinking from!"
Frightened by the Wolf's angry tone, the Lamb replied, "Sir, I do not intend to offend you in any way. The water is flowing from you to me, so it is impossible for me to muddy it."
The Wolf, unwilling to admit his fault, continued, "Well then, last year you insulted me."
The Lamb, confused, replied, "That is impossible, sir. I was not even born last year."
The Wolf, unsatisfied with the Lamb's response, barked, "Well, if it wasn't you, it must have been one of your family members who insulted me!"
The Lamb, knowing there was no point in arguing further, stammered, "I'm sorry if that's the case, but I haven't done anything wrong."
Despite the Lamb's protestations of innocence and attempts to reason with the Wolf, it was ultimately devoured. The Lamb realized the injustice of its situation and how the stronger and more ruthless wolf was able to impose its will on the weaker animal.
Audio available for B1 version
Once upon a time, a Wolf was drinking from a stream when he saw a Lamb drinking further down the water.
The Wolf wanted to eat the Lamb and looked for a reason to do so.
He blamed the Lamb for making the water dirty.
The Wolf said angrily, "How dare you make the water dirty while I'm drinking!"
The Lamb, scared by the Wolf’s anger, replied, "Sir, I did not make the water dirty.
It flows from you to me, so I cannot have made it dirty."
The Wolf, not wanting to listen, said, "Well, last year you said bad things about me."
The Lamb, surprised, answered, "That’s not possible.
I wasn’t even born last year."
The Wolf then said, "If it wasn’t you, then it was one of your family members!"
The Lamb, realizing there was no point in arguing, said, "I'm sorry if that’s true, but I haven’t done anything wrong."
Even though the Lamb tried to explain, the Wolf didn’t care and ate the Lamb.
The Lamb understood how unfair it was, and how the strong and mean Wolf could do what he wanted to the weaker animal.
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Reflection Questions
- Why do you think the Wolf made up reasons to accuse the Lamb?
- How did the Lamb respond to the Wolf's accusations, and what does that tell us about the Lamb's character?
- Can you think of a situation where you saw someone being blamed unfairly, like the Lamb?
- What do you think this story teaches us about power, fairness, and responsibility?
- Can you think of ways to stand up for yourself or others when you see an unfair situation, just like the one the Lamb faced?
Fable Quotes
Injustice thrives when the powerful disregard the rights of the weak.
The true strength lies not in overpowering the weak, but in protecting and uplifting them.
Beware the cunning words that seek to deceive, for they mask the true intentions.
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