Long ago, in a quiet and peaceful valley surrounded by rolling hills, there lived a clever but wicked wolf. This wolf had a reputation for being sly and cunning, always devising ways to steal food from the shepherds and their flocks. Despite his intelligence, he often failed because the shepherds and sheepdogs guarded the sheep day and night, leaving him no chance to sneak in.
The wolf grew more frustrated every day. He prowled the forests, hungry and annoyed, muttering to himself, “There must be a way to outsmart those humans and their dogs. If only I could trick them!”
One sunny morning, while wandering near the edge of the forest, the wolf stumbled upon something unusual. It was a sheepskin lying on the ground, abandoned after a butcher had discarded it. The wolf’s sharp eyes lit up with an idea.
“This is perfect!” he thought, his tail wagging with excitement. “If I wear this sheepskin, I can sneak into the flock and blend in with the sheep. No one will suspect a thing—not the shepherd, not the dogs, not even the sheep themselves. Tonight, I’ll feast like a king!”
The Disguise
The wolf carefully picked up the sheepskin and draped it over himself. He checked his reflection in the nearby river and admired his clever disguise. He looked exactly like a sheep, except for his sharp teeth and glowing yellow eyes, which he made sure to keep hidden by lowering his head.
“Perfect!” he said with a wicked grin. “Now, let’s put this plan into action.”
He trotted confidently toward the flock of sheep grazing in the wide, open field. The shepherd was sitting under a tree, keeping a watchful eye on the flock, while his loyal sheepdog dozed in the shade. The wolf slowed down as he approached, making sure to walk and act just like a sheep.
To his delight, the shepherd didn’t notice anything suspicious. The sheepdog sniffed the air briefly but, seeing nothing out of the ordinary, went back to sleep. The sheep, too, paid no attention and continued munching on the fresh grass.
The wolf chuckled silently. “They’ve fallen for it!” he thought. “This is going to be easier than I imagined.”
The Waiting Game
As the day wore on, the wolf mingled with the flock, making sure to stay unnoticed. He occasionally let out a gentle “baa” to keep up the act, though it sounded a bit strange coming from him. The sheep didn’t seem to notice. Some even rubbed against him or nibbled at the grass near his feet.
As the sun began to set and the sky turned orange, the shepherd stood up, stretched, and called his flock. “Come on, my little ones,” he said, herding the sheep toward the pen. The sheep obediently followed him, and the wolf, still wearing his disguise, joined the group.
Inside the pen, the shepherd counted his sheep to make sure they were all there. He didn’t suspect a thing. Once the gate was closed and locked, the shepherd left, trusting that his sheep were safe for the night.
The wolf’s heart raced with excitement. “This is perfect!” he thought. “Now I just have to wait for the night to grow darker. Then I’ll grab the fattest sheep and slip away into the forest.”
Also Read: Nobody Believes a Liar
A Twist of Fate
The pen grew quiet as the sheep began to settle down for the night. The wolf waited patiently, licking his lips in anticipation of the feast to come. But just as he was about to choose his prey, he heard footsteps approaching the pen.
“Who could that be?” the wolf wondered, his ears perking up.
It was one of the shepherd’s servants. The man had been sent back to the pen by his master to fetch a fat sheep for supper. The wolf froze, trying to stay as still as possible. “He mustn’t notice me,” he thought. “I just have to act like a sheep.”
The servant opened the gate and stepped inside, holding a lantern in one hand. He scanned the pen, looking for the plumpest sheep. The sheep stirred nervously, but the servant moved calmly among them, patting their woolly backs and inspecting each one.
As luck—or misfortune—would have it, the servant’s hand landed on the wolf disguised in sheepskin. “Ah, this one feels big and heavy!” he said. Without realizing his mistake, he grabbed the wolf by the back of its neck and led him out of the pen.
The wolf couldn’t believe what was happening. “This is even better than I planned!” he thought. “They’re going to serve me dinner, and I didn’t even have to work for it!”
But the wolf’s excitement quickly turned to horror when he realized where he was being taken. The servant didn’t lead him to freedom. Instead, he brought him straight to the kitchen, where the shepherd and his family were waiting to prepare their meal.
The Shocking Discovery
As the servant brought the wolf closer to the firelight, the shepherd noticed something strange. “Wait a minute,” he said, squinting at the supposed sheep. “That doesn’t look right. Let me take a closer look.”
The shepherd reached out and pulled back the sheepskin, revealing the wolf’s sharp teeth and menacing eyes. Everyone gasped.
“A wolf!” the servant cried, dropping the wolf in shock.
The wolf, now exposed, tried to make a run for it, but it was too late. The shepherd grabbed his staff, and the servant quickly tied up the wolf. The entire household worked together to subdue the cunning beast.
That night, instead of the wolf enjoying a feast, the tables were turned. The shepherd and his family had the wolf for supper instead.
Keep Your Eyes Open | A Tale of Wit, Wisdom, and Warnings for Kids
The Lesson
The story of the wolf in sheep’s clothing spread throughout the village and beyond. It became a tale that parents told their children to teach them an important lesson: Those who plan evil deeds often fall victim to their own schemes.
From that day on, the sheep in the valley grazed peacefully, knowing that the cunning wolf would never trouble them again. And the shepherd, wiser from the experience, kept a closer eye on his flock, ensuring that no other tricksters could fool him.
Moral of the Story
An evil design has an evil end.
