Aesop's Fables, translated by Laura Gibbs (2002)
30. THE WOLVES AND THE DOGS
Perry 342 (Chambry
216 *)
The wolves wanted to make friends with the dogs, so they said, 'Since
we have so much in common, why don't you treat us as your brothers and
friends? It is merely our attitude that divides us. We wolves all live
a life of freedom, while you dogs are the slaves of people who make you
wear collars around your necks and who beat you with sticks whenever it
pleases them. And that is not your only hardship: you even have to guard
their flocks and, what's worse, when they are eating their dinner, they
toss you nothing but the bones as your share. If you will agree to our
bargain, you can turn everything over to us and we'll eat our fill together.'
Right away the dogs agreed, so the wolves attacked the flock and killed
the dogs, so that the flock could not call out for help against the wolves.
The fable shows that these are the wages of people who betray their
country.
Source:
Aesop's Fables. A new translation by Laura
Gibbs.
Oxford University Press (World's Classics): Oxford, 2002.
NOTE: New
cover, with new ISBN, published in 2008; contents of book unchanged.
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