- The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing
The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing is one of the fables of Aesop.
Fable
According to the fable, a hungry
wolf came upon asheep 's fleece lying on the ground in a field. The wolf realized that if it wore the fleece, it would look like a sheep from a distance. That would enable the wolf to sneak up on a flock of sheep and steal a lamb for its supper, before theshepherd noticed his presence.The wolf put on the fleece, and went off in search of a flock of sheep. It spied a flock of sheep just as the sun was setting, and approached the flock. Just as it was about to pounce on a lamb, a shepherd came by, looking for a sheep to slaughter for supper. Thinking the disguised wolf was a sheep, the shepherd quickly grabbed and killed the wolf.
An alternative version is, another wolf is sneaking around looking for a sheep for dinner, and pounces on the wolf in sheep's clothing, killing it and eating it for supper instead of a real sheep.
The intended lesson was, "
Frauds and liars are always discovered, eventually, and pay for their actions accordingly." The moral is sometimes also told as "The evil doer often comes to harm through his own deceit".Usage
In English, "a wolf in sheep's clothing" has become a common metaphor for any hidden danger, or for any enemy putting on a false display of friendship
Winston Churchill once described a political opponent (eitherClement Atlee orRamsay MacDonald depending upon sources) as a wolf in sheep's clothing. [ [http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Winston_Churchill Unsourced quotes attributed to Winston Churchill] ]The image of a wolf in sheep's clothing is common in many cultures, such as it being echoed in , which states, "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves." (KJV) [ [http://www.wordjourney.com/about/2-corinthians-1113-15-they-eat-sheep-dont-they/ "They Eat Sheep, Don't They?" in "Word Journey", May 13, 2008] . Retrieved May 16, 2008.] .
The punk band
NOFX released an album entitled "Wolves in Wolves' Clothing " in 2006.The phrase was also the inspiration behind the
Airwolf series from the 1980s.The Big Bad Wolf used this disguise tactic in Disney's"Three Little Pigs" in an attempt to fool Fifer and Fiddler Pigs.
"Wolf in Sheep's Clothing" by This Providence is another song
ee also
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Aggressive mimicry References
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