A Shepherd raised a Wolf to steal from neighbors. The Wolf was grateful but warned the Shepherd to be even more cautious now.
False men cannot be trusted.
A Shepherd found a Wolf’s cub and raised it; teaching it to steal lambs from neighboring flocks. The Wolf warned the Shepherd: “Since you have taught me to steal, you must keep a sharp eye out or you will find your flock diminished.”
Townsend version
A Shepherd once found the whelp of a Wolf and brought it up, and after a while taught it to steal lambs from the neighboring flocks. The Wolf, having shown himself an apt pupil, said to the Shepherd, “Since you have taught me to steal, you must keep a sharp lookout, or you will lose some of your own flock.”
L’Estrange version
A shepherd took a sucking whelp of a wolfe, and train’d it up with his dogs. This whelp fed with ’em; grew up with ’em, and whensoever they went out upon the chace of a wolfe, the whelp would be sure to make one. It fell out sometimes that the wolfe scap’d, and the dogs were forc’d to go home again: but this domestique wolfe would be still hunting on, ’till he came up to his brethren where he took part of the prey with them; and so back again to his master. It happen’d now and then that the wolves abroad were pretty quiet for a fit: so that this whelp of a wolfe was fain to make bold ever and anon with a sheep in private by the by; but in the conclusion, the shepherd came to find out the roguery, and hang’d him up for his pains.
Moral
False men are no more to be reclaim’d then wolves, and the leven of the predecessors sowres the bloud, in the very veins of the whole family.
Lupus Parvulus et Pastor
Pastor, lupum parvulum cum invenisset, eum penes se enutrivit ac, ubi adolevit, pecudes ex vicinis armentis rapere docuit. Quod lupus cum egregie didicisset, “Cave,” olim pastori ait, “ne me rapiendi artem postquam docueris, multas ex tuis gregibus oves desideres.”
Perry #366
