Library / Fantastic Fables

The Wolf and the Babe

A fable by Ambrose Bierce

Satire for older readers

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The Wolf and the Babe

A famished wolf was passing by the door of a cottage in the forest when he overheard a mother speaking to her baby. "Be quiet, or I will throw you out of the window, and the wolves will get you," she warned. Intrigued and growing hungrier by the minute, the wolf decided to wait below the window all day, hoping for an opportunity.

As night fell, the old man returned home from the village club, and to the wolf’s surprise, he threw both the mother and child out of the window. The wolf, seizing the moment, eagerly prepared to pounce on his unexpected feast.

The moral
Threats made in anger can have unintended consequences, leading to harm for both the speaker and the subject of their ire.

Discussion questions

  1. What do you think motivated the mother to threaten her child?
  2. How did the wolf's misunderstanding of the situation affect the outcome of the story?
  3. Can you think of a time when a threat made in anger led to unexpected results?

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Good night.

Tomorrow night: The Fox and the Crane