The Sow and the Wolf

Phaedrus
Retold* by Rohini Chowdhury

A Sow about to give birth was lying on the ground and groaning. A Wolf heard her and came running to help, and, offering his assistance, said that he could perform the duties of midwife. But the knew the Wolf’s wicked nature and understood his evil plan, and said, “If you keep away from me, that will be help enough!”

Had she trusted the treacherous Wolf and taken his help, he would have eaten her new-born piglets, and she would have had much more to cry about than the pain of labour, and quite possibly would have been killed herself as well.

We must entrust ourselves only to those who have been tried and proven themselves true before.

*Based on the 1887 translation of Phaedrus’ fables by Henry Thomas Riley: The FABLES of PHÆDRUS. Literally Translated into English Prose with Notes, by HENRY THOMAS RILEY, B.A. Late Scholar Of Clare Hall, Cambridge. This work is in the public domain.