Wolf And The Lamb Sparknotes

La Fontaine’s fable “The Wolf and the Lamb” or “Le Loup et l’Agneau” in French deals with the injustices that befall the innocent thru the use of irony. The tale itself is about a Wolf who has come to the same pond as the Lamb for a drink, when he begins to accuse the Lamb of things he has never done. Enraged at the Lamb’s rebuttal he attacks the Lamb with the excuse of the “debt” owed to himself. To start the Wolf of this story can be seen as a person of his power, most likely politically due to La Fontaine’s history. This could be an aristocracy or the king himself, a predator that is always on the prowl for an easy meal. While the Lamb represents the common or powerless people, because just like the Lamb they hold no power over either predator or their fate
It is ironic that the wolf pauses to give reason for his attack on the lamb. It is also ironic that a creature as strong and cunning as a wolf is not hunting more suitable prey such as swift deer, but rather a lamb less than a year old. He accuses the Lamb of tainting the pond’s water and slandering him, to which the Lamb reasonable replies that he has not, nor capable of doing so (23). This interaction serves to have people to sympathize more with the Lamb when he is eaten by the Wolf, by giving a false sense of hope that the Lamb can escape its death by means of negotiation and reasoning. It becomes clear that the Wolf can not be reasoned with once he states that, “All you sheep are unfair; You, your shepherds, and the dogs they train. I have a debt to myself to discharge.” (23). This line adds another layer to the fable by calling to question the interpretation of justice, which one can relate to. According to the Wolf, he is justified in his actions since the Lamb is a part of the group of individuals and creatures that are against