The Wolf and the Lamb from Aesop for ESL students with a podcast and vocabulary practice in real context
The Wolf and the Lamb is now in the public domain available on Gutenberg Project
Podcast of the Wolf and the Lamb
The Wolf and the Lamb
A wolf came upon a lamb straying from the flock, and felt some compunction about taking the life of so helpless a creature without some plausible excuse; so he cast about for a grievance and said at last: “Last year, sirrah, you grossly insulted me.”
- stray: get lost, wander away
- flock: crowd or horde of sheep
- compunction: feeling of shame and regret about doing something wrong, reluctance
- helpless: powerless, weak, feeble
- plausible: reasonable, believable
- grievance: resentment, complaint, protest
- sirrah: a form of address for a man or boy that was used to express contempt
- grossly: totally, unpleasantly
“That is impossible, sir,” bleated the lamb, “for I wasn’t born then.”
- bleat: to make sheep’s noise, complain, moan
“Well,” retorted the wolf, “you feed in my pastures.”
- retort: to respond sharply
- pasture: land for grazing
“That cannot be,” replied the lamb, “for I have never yet tasted grass.”
“You drink from my spring, then,” continued the wolf.
- spring: a source of water as a small stream or pool
“Indeed, sir,” said the poor lamb, “I have never yet drunk anything but my mother’s milk.”
“Well, anyhow,” said the wolf, “I’m not going without my dinner”: and he sprang upon the lamb and devoured it without more ado.
- devour: to eat something quickly
- ado: bustle, excited activity or bother
The lesson from The wolf and the lamb by Aesop is that those who are stronger, may sometimes use their strength unfairly. In this story, the lamb brings honesty replying to the wolf, but the wolf was angry and didn’t care about the truth. He said, “It doesn’t matter. I’ll eat you anyway!” And he did.
Your interpretation of “The Wolf and the Lamb” perfectly captures the moral of the story. It illustrates how power can often be misused, with the strong imposing their will on the weak, regardless of fairness or truth. The lamb’s honesty and reasoning were no match for the wolf’s arbitrary aggression, emphasizing the harsh reality that might does not equate to right. This fable remains a timeless reminder of the injustices that can arise when strength is wielded without integrity or compassion.