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Aesop's Fables: Sir Roger L'Estrange (1692)

31. A WOLF, KID, AND GOAT (Perry 572)

A Goat that was going out on one Morning for a Mouthful of fresh Grass, charg’d her Kid upon her Blessing, not to open the Door, till she came back, to any Creature that had not a Beard. The Goat was no sooner out of sight, but up comes a Wolf to the Door, that had over-heard the Charge, and in a small Pipe calls to the Kid to let her Mother come in. The Kid smelt out the Roguery, and bad the Wolf show his Beard, and the Door should be open to him.
THE MORAL. There never was an Hypocrite so disguis’d but he had some Mark or other yet to be known by.


L'Estrange originally published his version of the fables in 1692. There is a very nice illustrated edition in the Children's Classics series by Knopf: Sir Roger L'Estrange. Aesop - Fables which is available at amazon.com.