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A Wolf, meeting with a Lamb astray from the fold, resolved not to lay violent hands on him, but to find some plea, which should justify to the Lamb himself his right to eat him. He then addressed him:

"Sirrah, last year you grossly insulted me." "Indeed," bleated the Lamb in a mournful tone of voice, "I was not then born." Then said the Wolf: "You feed in my pasture." "No, good sir," replied the Lamb, "I have not yet tasted grass." Again said the Wolf: "You drink of my well." "No," exclaimed the Lamb, "I never yet drank water, for as yet my mother's milk is both food and drink to me." On which the Wolf seized him, and ate him up, saying: "Well! I won't remain supperless, even though you refute every one of my imputations."

The tyrant will always find a pretext for his tyranny, and it is useless for the innocent to try by reasoning to get justice, when the oppressor intends to be unjust.

Aesop's Fables (1884)

The Wolf and the Lamb

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Discussion

Mike Dilger ☑️ 1y ago

1884 is the date of translation I presume this is George Fyler Townsend's translation. This story is much older, from ancient Greece. There is nothing new under the sun.

pam 1y ago

i don't know, perhaps it was a translated publication by Josephs Jacobs in 1884 but you are right, Aesop fables are from the 4th century BC. This line stuck by 'The tyrant will always find a pretext for his tyranny'

Mike Dilger ☑️ 1y ago

Yeah I looked at my copy and the words weren't an exact match so I missed the translator.

Robertrobert 1y ago

A wolf cannot help doing what wolves do. Nature is a cruel teacher! Learn from it.