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A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing
A Mexican wolf.
“Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits”, Matthew 7:15-16. Nikephoros Basilakes taught rhetoric in the Patriarchal School of Constantinople in the 12th century (that is, about the time of Henry II of England), and included this and other Aesop-style fables in his textbook for students to practise on.
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“Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits”, Matthew 7:15-16. Nikephoros Basilakes taught rhetoric in the Patriarchal School of Constantinople in the 12th century (that is, about the time of Henry II of England), and included this and other Aesop-style fables in his textbook for students to practise on.
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
1. What is the author aiming to achieve in writing this?
2. Note any words, devices or turns of phrase that strike you. How do they help the author communicate his ideas more effectively?
3. What impression does this passage make on you? How might you put that impression into words?
Based on The English Critic (1939) by NL Clay, drawing on The New Criticism: A Lecture Delivered at Columbia University, March 9, 1910, by J. E. Spingarn, Professor of Comparative Literature in Columbia University, USA.
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: about, if, just, may, must, ought, since, whether.
1Sevens 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.
2Spinners 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 Clothe. Ram. See.
2 Entrance. Feast. Slaughter.
3 Borrow. Life. Night.
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.)
3Subject and Object Find in Think and Speak
Use each word below in two sentences, first as the subject of a verb, and then as the object of a verb. It doesn’t have to be the same verb: some verbs can’t be paired with an object (e.g. arrive, happen), so watch out for these.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1. Rest. 2. Entrance. 3. Paint. 4. Knife. 5. Life. 6. Stage. 7. Clothes. 8. Pick. 9. Fold.
Variations: 1.use your noun in the plural (e.g. cat → cats), if possible. 2.give one of your sentences a future aspect (e.g. will, going to). 3.write sentences using negatives such as not, neither, nobody and never.
4High 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?
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