The Northern Pacific farmer., 1883-09-27
THE OLD WOLF.

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THE OLD WOLF.
A Story in Seven Fables from the Cor
man of Losing.
The bad wolf had grown pretty old
and made the hypocritical resolve to live
on a friendly footing with the shepherds.
He, therefore, betook himself to the
shepherd whose focks were nearest to
his den.
"Shepherd," said he, Chou callest
me the bloodthirsty robber, which
really am not. OF course I must keep
myself alive with thy sheep, if am hum
cry, for hunger causes suffering. Pro-
tect me from hunger, only satisfy 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 a
second shepherd.
"Thou knowest, shepherd" said he,
| addressing him, "that l could kill many
| sheep Of thine during the year. But If
thou wilt give me six sheep every year
I will be satisfied. Then thou csnst
safely sleep and dismiss ;hy 6ogs with
! out hesitation"
"Six Sheep" replied The shepherd.
"Why, that's whole fockw
"Wen, since it is, then, I will content
myself with five," said the wolf.
''Thou art joking; five sheep! I
scarcely sacrifice more than five sheep
! yearly to Pan"
"Nor for:" asked the wolf, further;
and the shepherd shook "2 his head scorn-
fully. "Three? Two?"
"Not 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
by my watchfulness."
Three is lucky number thought the
wolf, and came to a third shepherd.
sit touches me very deeply he said,
'that am decried among you shep-
herds as.the most cruel and the most
| unconscientious creature. l will now
| show thee what wrong is done me. Give
me one sheep year and thy flock may
! pasture free and unharmed in that for
! est, which no one but myself makes in
| secure. One sheep! What a trif1e!
Could act more generously, more un-
| sel6shly? 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? 1
am always old enough to kill thy choic'
est lambs"
"Don't get angry old growler. I am
| sorry that thou comest few years too
late with thy proposition. Thy worn.
out teeth betray the Thou art playing
| the part Of an unselfish Fellow so as to
be supported more comfortably and
with less danger"
The wolf was out of humor, but
calmed 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, "I have fallen
| out with my brethren in the forest SO
badly indeed that sha never be rec
onciled with them. Thou knowest how
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 sQuint at thy Sheep"
AuCA CuOu WAAGS 4OpAACN IAAO oA1Cp~
herd, protect them against thy brethren
| in the forest?"
"Of course! What else could 7
meant"
''That wouldn't be bad. But if took
thee into my focks, tell me, who would
then protect my poor sheep against
thee? To take thief in o our house es
in order to make us safe against thieves
outside the house, we men consider"
II hear enough" said the wolf, "thou
beginest to moralize. Fare thee well!'
eff I were not SO old!' said the wolf,
grinding his teeth. "But I must, un-
fortunately, adapt myself to the times"
And then he came to the fifth shepherd.
''Dost thou know me, shepherd?'
asked the wolf
II" At atanSt1a Least know thy kind" replied
my kind? doubt it greatly. I am
so singular wolf that am quite worthy
of thy friendship and of all she pherds'." )"
"And how singular art thou?"
II would not kill and eat live sheep,
even if it should cost me my life. I on-
ly feed on dead sheep. Is not that
praiseworthy? Permit me, therefore,
to stop now aud then with thy flock and
to inquire"
Spare thy words" said the shepherd.
f'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!"
vi.
II Must now do my very best to acom-
plish my purposew thought the wolf,
and came to the sixth shepherd.
"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 ofthee."
"Well, listen, shepherd; amold, and
will not run about much longer. Feed
me until my death and I 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 a present, give it to me right away"
Hereup.'n the shepherd reached. for
his club and the wolf fed.
VII.
"Oh, the pitiless people" 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.
He 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: "We
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.
I have made small collection of wild
western things during the past seven
years, and have put them together, hop
ing some day when get feeble to travel
with the aggregation and erect large
monument of kopecks for my executors,
administrators, ana assigns forever,
Last fall desired to add to my rare COL
lection large hornets nest. I had an
embalmed tarantula and her porcelain
lined nest and desired to add to these
the gray and airy home of the hornet.
/ procured one of the large size after
cold weather and hung it in the cabin
by a string. forgot about it until this
spring; When. warm weather came
something reminded me of it. I think
it was hornet. He logged my memory
in some way and called my attention to
it. Memory is not located where [
thought it was. It seemed as though
,bo,or ~ bn ko,o1o1 uoe, ho ONO uoLo,,o1