The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

In the rolling green hills where the sheep grazed, there was a Wolf who was very hungry. But he had a big problem. The Shepherd who watched over the flock was very attentive, and his three big sheepdogs were sharp and fast. Every time the Wolf tried to sneak near the sheep, the dogs would bark and chase him away.

“I will never catch a dinner like this,” the Wolf grumbled, watching from behind a prickly bush. “I need a disguise. I need to trick them.”

As he skulked around the edge of the farm, he found an old sheepskin that had been left in a barn. A sly idea popped into his head.

“If I look like a sheep, I can walk right into the flock!” he giggled.

He pulled the woolly skin over his head. It was a bit tight, and his bushy tail stuck out a little at the back, but if he kept it tucked down, he looked quite a bit like a large, slightly lumpy sheep.

Determined, he walked out into the pasture. “Baa-aa-aa,” he tried to bleat. It sounded a bit more like a croak, but the sheep were busy eating clover and didn’t notice.

The Wolf mingled with the flock. He thought, “This is perfect! I will wait until the sun goes down, and when they are all sleeping, I will grab a nice fat lamb and run away.”

The sun began to set, and the Shepherd whistled. “Come along, little ones! Time for the barn!”

The sheep moved in a fluffy white river towards the gate. The Wolf moved with them, keeping his head down. He made it inside the pen! He was delighted with his own cleverness.

But as the flock settled down for the night, the Shepherd came back with his lantern. He wanted to check on a young lamb who had a limp. As he walked through the sleeping animals, the light of his lantern swung back and forth.

The light fell upon the Wolf. The Shepherd paused. He knew every single one of his sheep. He knew their faces and their wool. This sheep looked… different. Its ears were too pointy. Its snout was too long. And worst of all, a grey, bushy tail was poking out from under the fleece!

The Wolf, seeing the Shepherd stop, got nervous. He tried to nuzzle the Shepherd’s hand like a tame sheep. But instead of a soft nose, the Shepherd felt sharp teeth!

“Aha!” shouted the Shepherd. “This is no sheep! This is a Wolf!”

The Shepherd blew his whistle loud and sharp. In an instant, the three sheepdogs bounded into the barn, barking furiously.

The Wolf knew the game was up. He threw off the sheepskin and scrambled over the fence as fast as his legs could carry him, with the dogs snapping at his heels. He ran all the way back to the deep woods, panting and terrified.

“I will never try to be something I am not again,” he whimpered. And he stayed far away from the sheepfold forever after.

Moral of the Story: You cannot hide your true nature with a disguise; truth always comes to light.