A certain old lady had a very fine flock of sheep. She had fed and
cared for them so well that they became famous for their fatness. In
time a wicked wolf heard of them and determined to eat them.
Night after night he stole up to the old dame’s cottage and killed a
sheep. The poor woman tried her best to save her animals from harm—but
failed.
At last there was only one sheep left of all the flock. Their owner was
very sad. She feared that it, too, would be taken away from her, in
spite of all she could do. While she was grieving over the thought of
this a lion came to her village.
Seeing her sad face, he asked the reason of it. She soon told him all
about it. He thereupon offered to do his best to punish the wicked
wolf. He himself went to the place where the sheep was generally
kept—while the latter was removed to another place.
In the meantime the wolf was on his way to the cottage. As he came he
met a fox. The fox was somewhat afraid of him and prepared to run away.
The wolf, however, told him where he was going, and invited him to go
too. The fox agreed and the two set off together. They arrived at the
cottage and went straight to the place where the sheep generally slept.
The wolf at once rushed upon the animal, while Fox waited a little
behind. Just as Fox was deciding to enter and help Wolf there came a
bright flash of lightning. By the light of it the fox could see that
the wolf was attacking—not a sheep—but a lion. He hastily ran away,
shouting as he went: “Look at his face! Look at his face!”
During the flash Wolf did look at the pretended sheep. To his dismay he
found he had made a great mistake. At once he began to make humble
apologies—but all in vain. Lion refused to listen to any of his
explanations, and speedily put him to death.