A wolf was following a flock of sheep without doing it any harm. The shepherd at first guarded against him as against an enemy and watched him fearfully. But as the wolf kept following without making the least attempt at carrying one off, he came to think he had in him a guardian rather than an enemy lying in wait; and, as he needed to go into town, he left his sheep near the wolf and set off. The wolf, thinking his chance had come, threw himself on the flock and tore most of it to pieces. When the shepherd came back and saw his flock lost, he cried out, "It serves me right; why did I trust sheep to a wolf?"
So it is among people: when a deposit is entrusted to greedy folk, it is natural that it should be lost.Moral
Nº 178The Invited DogA man was preparing a dinner to entertain one of his friends and intimates. His dog invited another dog. "Friend," it said, "come and dine with me…Read the fable →
Nº 317The Shepherd Who Lets the Wolf into the FoldA shepherd, who was bringing his sheep back inside the fold, was about to shut a wolf in with them, when his dog, who had noticed it, said to him,…Read the fable →
Nº 318The Shepherd Who Played TricksA shepherd who led his flock some way from the village kept playing the following trick: he would call the villagers to his aid, shouting that wolves…Read the fable →One fable, every Sunday, in your inbox.