The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

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 a sheep'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 the shepherd 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 (either Clement Atlee or Ramsay 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

*Aggressive mimicry

References


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  • Wolf in Sheep's Clothing (disambiguation) — Wolf in Sheep s Clothing may refer to:* The Wolf in Sheep s Clothing , one of the fables of Aesop * A Wolf in Sheep s Clothing (Black Sheep album), debut album from Native Tongues Posse affiliate Black Sheep, released in 1991 * A Wolf in Sheep s… …   Wikipedia

  • wolf in sheep's clothing — {n. phr.} A person who pretends to be good but really is bad. * /Mrs. Martin trusted the lawyer until she realized that he was a wolf in sheep s clothing./ * /Mr. Black was fooled by the salesman s manners until he showed that he was really a… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • wolf in sheep's clothing — {n. phr.} A person who pretends to be good but really is bad. * /Mrs. Martin trusted the lawyer until she realized that he was a wolf in sheep s clothing./ * /Mr. Black was fooled by the salesman s manners until he showed that he was really a… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • wolf\ in\ sheep's\ clothing — n. phr. A person who pretends to be good but really is bad. Mrs. Martin trusted the lawyer until she realized that he was a wolf in sheep s clothing. Mr. Black was fooled by the salesman s manners until he showed that he was really a wolf in… …   Словарь американских идиом

  • A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing — Album par Black Sheep Sortie 1991 Genre Hip hop Albums de Black Sheep …   Wikipédia en Français

  • a wolf in sheep's clothing — ► a wolf in sheep s clothing a person who appears friendly but is really hostile. [ORIGIN: with biblical allusion to the Book of Matthew, chapter 7.] Main Entry: ↑wolf …   English terms dictionary

  • (a) wolf in sheep's clothing — someone or something that seems to be good but is actually bad. The financial advisor we hired turned out to be a wolf in sheep s clothing who stole from the people he promised to help …   New idioms dictionary

  • a wolf in sheep's clothing — 1) someone who seems friendly but is in fact unpleasant or cruel 2) something that seems good at first but is in fact harmful The French believed that the British proposal was a wolf in sheep s clothing …   English dictionary

  • a wolf in sheep's clothing — an evil person who looks innocent    The priest looked harmless, but he was a wolf in sheep s clothing …   English idioms

  • A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing (Black Sheep album) — Infobox Album | Name = A Wolf In Sheep s Clothing Type = Album Artist = Black Sheep Released = October 22, 1991 Genre = Hip Hop Label = Mercury/PolyGram Records 848 368 Length = 70:59 Producer = Black Sheep Reviews = * Allmusic Rating|5|5… …   Wikipedia

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