Interpretation on The Wolf and the Lamb Story

The Wolf and the Lamb Story- Continued

Author's Note: The original source for this story was from Aesop's Fable, The Wolf and the Lamb. In the original story, the wolf devours the lamb because he is able to come up with an excuse to distract the lamb and buy himself time to attack her. My version picks up where the original version left off, but shows the critical flaw of the wolf, pride, and how the other lamb is able to use this to her advantage. I chose to give the story a different ending because it demonstrates the strengths and weaknesses of the wolf, resulting in a more complete picture.

"Any excuse will serve a tyrant." A lamb peered out from behind the bushes lining the river just in time to hear her friend's last words and watch the grisly execution. Shaken by the scene, she took a couple steps backward and turned to run. In her haste, the lamb stepped on a twig, alerting the wolf of her presence. A devious grin spread across the wolf's face as he left his spoils to pursue a new victim.

"What luck!", he thought, approaching the lamb, now frozen to her spot. He had hoped to save the other lamb to eat throughout the day, but he had certainly not bargained for another one. With this lamb frozen to the spot, he thought she would be an easy meal. The wolf approached the lamb, who was now backing away slowly.

(Wolf approaching second lamb- Wikimedia Commons)

"Were you the one that dirtied my drinking water?", the wolf asked, continuing to approach the lamb.

"It appears that you ruined your own drinking water, wolf. Look at the mess of blood you have spilled into the spring. And what a shame, you left my friend unattended and now the coyotes have come to lay claim to your dinner." Sure enough, the wolf looked back at the spring to see several coyotes devouring the lamb he had just killed. In a fit of rage he barked at the coyotes that they would pay for taking what was his.

The lamb took this opportunity to run from the scene, narrowly avoiding severe injury by running around a large hole to get to the edge of the forest. The wolf came barrelling through the trees, his pride wounded by the loss of his first meal and the idea of losing his second.

"I'm not done with you! You think I didn't hear what you said about me?" The wolf was becoming desperate as he searched for some excuse to distract the lamb.

"What did I say about you? That your own foolish pride was what caused your destruction? Well that doesn't seem right. How could I have said something about you long before this, when it has only just happened?"

And with that, the wolf ran straight into the hole, meeting his untimely end.

Bibliography. "The Wolf and the Lamb" from The Fables of Aesop by Joseph Jacobs. Web Source.