“Beware of overreaching,” said the old Sheep to his comrades; and certainly that morning they had good reason to remember the lesson. An unusual sight met their eyes when they all trooped out of the fold to pasture. In the midst of the flock, lying quiet and still, was what appeared to them a new arrival—a young Lamb of common hue, it is true, but with one worthy of notice: it was moderately sprinkled with white, thus marking it out from the rest of the flock with their perfectly black coats.
Shepherds, as they do this time of the year, had already begun to mark their Lambs for sale in the markets, or for sacrifice in the temples; and they thought that all in front of them was all right and as it should be. Therefore, they were not surprised when the strange one quietly marched or grazed along with the rest.
Suddenly their old adversary appeared in their midst. This was a Wolf; but, instead of the usual lank form and open mouth, he had so contrived by means of the skin of a Lamb just offered for sacrifice to bag his dinner by stealth. With this in front of him, and his hinder parts covered with the skin of a young Goat, which he had a little appropriated while marking, you can understand he presented no bad likeness to a shepherd round whose flock you might happen to pass. All-day long did the cunning Admiral of the Black Fleet accompany the unsuspecting flock over the pasture. At last, nearing the evening hours, he found himself pretty isolated on one side of the flock.
At the same time, a fine young Lamb had wandered a little away from its companions. This was too good an opportunity (as he thought) to lose; and quietly marching up to it, bowed his head a little down, before he fulfilled his design, and said:
“It is the Wolf that attacks you; it is the Wolf who is your enemy.”
But the old Sheep had warned the others to beware of overreaching; therefore, before he knew where the danger would come from a dart was made with the teeth of an antagonist from behind, with the result that both Lamb and Wolf lay stretched upon the ground.