A hungry Wolf one day saw a Lamb drinking at a stream, and wished to
frame some plausible excuse for making him his prey.
"What do you mean by muddling the water I am going to drink?" fiercely
said he to the Lamb.
"Pray forgive me," meekly answered the Lamb; "I should be sorry in any
way to displease you, but as the stream runs from you toward me, you
will see that such cannot be the case."
"That's all very well," said the Wolf; "but you know you spoke ill of
me behind my back a year ago."
"Nay, believe me," replied the Lamb, "I was not then born."
"It must have been your brother, then," growled the Wolf.
"It cannot have been, for I never had any," answered the Lamb.
"I know it was one of your lot," rejoined the Wolf, "so make no more
such idle excuses." He then seized the poor Lamb, carried him off to
the woods, and ate him, but before the poor creature died he gasped
out, feebly, "Any excuse will serve a tyrant."