‘Trust me. I’m a wolf.’ Aesop’s fable neatly expresses something we see so often: the bully who complains that if others just gave him what he wanted he wouldn’t have to take it by force. It’s a kind of peace, but not the kind you can enjoy.
Introduction
This little Aesop’s Fable comes from the collection of Babrius, a poet from Syria in the second century AD. It is, sadly, a story as relevant today as it ever was. The cunning wolves manage to persuade the sheep that their true enemies are the sheepdogs.
ONCE upon a time messengers came from the Wolves, promising the Sheep certain peace so long as the Wolves could take away the Sheepdogs to face punishment; for it was the Sheepdogs, they said, that made them fight and kill.
The Sheep, silly bleating lot, were on the point of doing what the Wolves wanted when one old Ram, with a chill shiver that ran right through his shaggy fleece, cried “I never heard a treaty like it! How can you expect me to go on living here with you, unprotected, when even with the Sheepdogs on watch grazing is already fraught with peril?”
[And the moral of that is, that tyrants always blame the misery they cause on those who resist them.*]
Based on Aesop’s Fables as given by 2nd-century AD Syrian poet Babrius.
The original does not offer a moral. A similar Aesop’s fable, which does not include the tremulous Ram, draws this lesson: “If you depend on someone else for help, you will be in trouble when that help is nowhere to be found”. The Reader may like to think up his own.
Archive
Word Games
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 Already. Moral. Want.
2 Chill. His. Point.
3 Live. Sheep. They.
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.)
Confusables Find in Think and Speak
In each group below, you will find words that are similar to one another, but not exactly the same. Compose your own sentences to bring out the similarities and differences between them, whether in meaning, grammar or use.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1.
Already.
So far.
2.
Anticipate.
Expect.
3.
By.
Through.
4.
Certain.
Sure.
5.
Fight.
Brawl.
6.
Hear.
Listen.
7.
Peace.
Calm.
8.
Through.
Thorough.
9.
Truant.
Tyrant.
Statements, Questions and Commands Find in Think and Speak
Use each word below in a sentence. Try to include at least one statement, one question and one command among your sentences. Note that some verbs make awkward or meaningless words of command, e.g. need, happen.
This exercise uses words found in the accompanying passage.
1 Run. 2 Fight. 3 Cry. 4 Blame. 5 Time. 6 Kill. 7 Can. 8 Resist. 9 Cause.
Variations: 1. use a minimum of seven words for each sentence 2. include negatives, e.g. isn’t, don’t, never 3. use the words ‘must’ to make commands 4. compose a short dialogue containing all three kinds of sentence: one statement, one question and one command
Add Vowels Find in Think and Speak
Make words by adding vowels to each group of consonants below. You may add as many vowels as you like before, between or after the consonants, but you may not add any consonants or change the order of those you have been given. See if you can beat our target of common words.
vry (5+1)
every. ivory. ovary. vary. very.
aviary.
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