Introduction
The wolf in sheep’s clothing is a metaphor used by Jesus Christ to warn against those who pretend to be Christians so they can prey on them. Nikephoros Basilakes, a twelfth-century teacher of rhetoric at the Patriarchal School in Constantinople, penned this little ‘Aesop’s Fable’ with a twist to the tale.
IT occurred one day to the Wolf to conceal his true nature under a disguise, as it promised a feast; and, swathed in the fleece of a ram, he grazed with the rest of the flock, completely fooling the shepherd with his stratagem.
Night fell. The shepherd herded the predator into the fold, drew the gate across the entrance, and saw to it that the enclosure was tight shut.
But then the shepherd took a fancy to some mutton. So he picked up a knife — and slaughtered the wolf.
And the moral of that is, that he who plays a comedy in borrowed clothes often loses his life, having found the stage painted for a tragedy.
Freely translated
Précis
A wolf dressed himself up as a ram in the hope of spending a night shut in the sheepfold, and preying on the whole flock. His plan was working well until the shepherd, who had been completely taken in, suddenly decided to choose a sheep for his own table, and picked the undercover wolf. (54 / 60 words)
A wolf dressed himself up as a ram in the hope of spending a night shut in the sheepfold, and preying on the whole flock. His plan was working well until the shepherd, who had been completely taken in, suddenly decided to choose a sheep for his own table, and picked the undercover wolf.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 60 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 50 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: although, because, besides, if, just, not, unless, whereas.
Archive
Word Games
Sevens Based on this passage
Suggest answers to this question. See if you can limit one answer to exactly seven words.
Variations: 1.expand your answer to exactly fourteen words. 2.expand your answer further, to exactly twenty-one words. 3.include one of the following words in your answer: if, but, despite, because, (al)though, unless.
Spinners Find in Think and Speak
For each group of words, compose a sentence that uses all three. You can use any form of the word: for example, cat → cats, go → went, or quick → quickly, though neigh → neighbour is stretching it a bit.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Fleece. Nature. Saw.
2 Comedy. He. Lose.
3 Fall. Gate. So.
Variations: 1. include direct and indirect speech 2. include one or more of these words: although, because, despite, either/or, if, unless, until, when, whether, which, who 3. use negatives (not, isn’t, neither/nor, never, nobody etc.)
Homonyms Find in Think and Speak
Each of the words below has more than one possible meaning. Compose your own sentences to show what those different meanings are.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1. Pick. 2. Saw. 3. Entrance. 4. Found. 5. Play. 6. Ram. 7. See. 8. Draw. 9. Fold.
High Tiles Find in Think and Speak
Make words (three letters or more) from the seven letters showing below, using any letter once only. Each letter carries a score. What is the highest-scoring word you can make?
Your Words ()
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