River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1883-09-27
THE OLD WOLF.
A Story in Seven Fables from the Ger
man of Losing.

4
on friendly footing with the shepherds.
He, therefore, betook himself to the
| shepherd whose fiocks we're nearest to
his den.
shepherd" said he, thou callest
me the bloodthirsty robber, which l
really am not. OF course | must keep
| myself alive with thy sheep. if | am hun
/ CRY. for hunger causes suffering. Pro-
| tect me from hunger, only satisfy me,
| and thou shall be well pleased with me,
for am really the tamest, gentlest ami
NAL when | am satisfied"
"When thou art satisfied? That may
be-" replied the shepherd. but when
art thou satisfied? Thou and covetous-
ness never are. Go thy way!"
The wolf, thus repulsed, came to
| second shepherd.
''Thou knowest, shepherd" said he,
addressing him, that could kill many
sheep of thine during the year. But Ii
| thou wilt give me six sheep every year
| | will be satisfied. Then thou csnst
safely sleep and dismiss Thy 6ogs with
| out hesitation"
"Six Sheep" replied the shepherd.
| "Why, shafts a whole fiockp
"Well, since it is, then, | will content
| myself with FIVE" said the wolf.
Thou art joking; five sheepl l
| scarcely sacrifice more than five sheep
yearly to Pan"
''Nor for?" asked the wolf, further;
| and the shepherd shook his head scorn-
| fully. "Three? Two?'
"Not a single onew was the final re-
| ply. For il would be foolish, indeed,
| for me to put myself under tribute to an
| enemy from whom | can protect myself
| l,xy fI1lnpsG -
| III.
Three is lucky number thought the
wolf, and came to a third shepherd
at touches me very deeply he said,
"that am decried among you shep-
| herds as the most cruel and the most
unconscientious creature. [ will now
| show thee what wrong is done me. Give
| me one sheep year and thy flock may
| pasture free and unframed in that for
| est, which no one but myself makes in
secure One sheepl What a trit1e!
| Could | act more generously, more UNI
| selfishly? Thou art laughing, shepherd,
| What art thou laughing about?
| "Oh about nothing. But how old art
| thou, good friend?" said the shepherd.
"What concern is my age to thee?
am always old enough to kin thy choic-
| est lambs"
"Don't get angry old growler. am
| sorry that thou CONTEST few years too
late with thy proposition. Thy worn
out teeth betray the Thou art playing
| the part of an unselfsh Fellow so as to
be supported more comfortably and
| with less danger"
The wolf was out of humor, but
| Gained down and went on to the fourth
| shepherd, whose faithful dog had just
died, and the wolf profited by the cir
| cumstance.
shepherd" said he, 81 have fallen
| out with my brethren in the forest so
badly indeed that | shall never be rec
onciled with them. Thou knowest now
| much thou hast to fear them! Ii thou
wilt take me into thy service in place OF
| thy dead dog, will guarantee that they
will not even squirt at thy sheep"
''Then thou wilt, replied the shep-
| herd, protect them against thy brethren
| in the forest?"
''Of course! What else could I
mean?"
"That wouldn't be bad. But if took
| thee into my flocks, tell me, who would
| then protect my poor sheep against
| thee? To take thief in our houses
| in order to make us safe against thieves
! outside the house, we men consider"
| 81 hear enough" said the wolf, Hthou
| beginest to moralize. Fare thee WE'LL"
"IfI were not SO oidp said the wolf,
| grinding his teeth. But [ must, I'M
fortunately, adapt myself to the times"
And then he came to the fifth shepherd.
"Dost thou know me, shepherd"
asked the wolf.
cat least 1 know thy kind" replied
| the shepherd.
''My kind? doubt it greatly. I am
so singular wolf that [ am quite worthy
| of thy friendship and of all she pkords'.p
"And how singular art thou?"
81 would not kill and eat q live sheep,
even if it should cost me my life. ou-
| ly feed on dead sheep Is not that
| praise worthy? Permit me, therefore,
| to stop now and then with thy flock and
| to inquire"
| Spare thy words" said the shepherd.
"Thou must not devour any sheep, not
even dead ones, il thou wouldst not
| have me for an enemy. An animal that
| gets far enough to eat my dead sheep
easily learns, when hungry, to consider
| sick sheep as dead ones and healthy
ones as sick. Do not, then, therefore,
count upon my friendship. but go"
81 must now do my very best to acorn
plish my purpose!' thought the wolf,
| duu Cdule W JIlc SiAlLl BIG JilSIQ.
| shepherd, how does my fur suit thee?"
"Thy fur?" asked the shepard. LET
me see! 1t is handsome; the dogs could
| not often have got the better of thee"
| "Well, listen, shepherd; | arnold, and
will not run about much longer. Feed
me until my death and will will thee
my skin"
''Indeed," said the shepherd. Thou
art as cunning as any old miser. No, no,
thy skin would at last cost me seven
times more than it would be worth.
| But if thou art in earnest about making
me present, give it to me right away"
Hereup the shepherd reached.for
| his club and the wolf fled.
| VII.
cob, the pitiless peoplew cried the
wolf, and went into towering passion.
"Then | will die as their enemy, rather
than with hunger, for they will not have
it better.
tie ran and broke into the shepherds
| houses. snatched their children, and was
only killed with great difficulty by the
shepherds.
Then the wisest of them said: eve
probably did wrong when we provoked
the old robber and took from him all
means OF reformation, no matter how
late or compulsory it was!"
Bill Nye's Experience with Horn
cts
From the Detroit Free Press.
have made small collection of wild
western things during the past seven