A Wolf raised as a Dog secretly continued to behave as a Wolf.
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.
Babrius Translation
A wolf’s young cub was by a shepherd caught.
This, with his dogs to nurture, home he brought.
In time it grew up, in the sheepfold rear’d,
Where if so be another wolf appear’d,
Intent to rob of lamb or kid the fold,
First rank among the dogs would this one hold,
Quickest the daring robber to pursue.
But if the dogs of chasing weary grew,
And toward the sheepcot, failing to o’ertake
The spoiler, chanced their backward road to make,
Not, as in chase, the tame wolf onward went,
But for a share fell in by accident.
Or, should no other wolf, to steal a sheep,
Chance from outside into the fold to leap,
Then with the dogs he made a sly repast.
On one. The shepherd caught the rogue at last,
And from a tree, to kill him, let him swing.
Good habits do not from ill natures spring.
How do you think an AI might simplify this fable? Here is one answer, and the illustration above was made from this simplification:
A shepherd once caught a wolf cub and decided to raise it with his dogs. The cub grew up among them and lived in the sheepfold. When wild wolves came to steal sheep, the young wolf ran with the dogs to chase them away. He seemed loyal and brave. But if the dogs gave up the chase and turned back, the wolf would secretly join the wild wolf and take a bite of the stolen sheep. Sometimes, if no other wolf came, he and the dogs would still sneak a meal from the flock. One day, the shepherd caught him in the act. Angry at the betrayal, he hanged the wolf.
Moral
A wicked heart cannot be changed by good company.
Perry. #267