Townsend 90. The Wolf and the Sheep

Aesop's Fables: Townsend (1867)

90. The Wolf and the Sheep (Perry 160)

A WOLF, sorely wounded and bitten by dogs, lay sick and maimed in his lair. Being in want of food, he called to a Sheep who was passing, and asked him to fetch some water from a stream flowing close beside him. 'For,' he said, 'if you will bring me drink, I will find means to provide myself with meat.' 'Yes,' said the Sheep, 'if I should bring you the draught, you would doubtless make me provide the meat also.'
Hypocritical speeches are easily seen through.

George Fyler Townsend's translation of the fables, first published in 1867, is in the public domain and can be found at many websites, including Project Gutenberg. Illustrations come from: Aesop's Fables, by George Fyler Townsend, with illustrations by Harrison Weir, 1867, at Google Books.