Aesop's Fables · Chapter
The Ploughman and the Wolf explained
A Ploughman leaves his oxen to drink, and a starving Wolf attempts to chew the leather straps of the plough.
What happens
A Ploughman leaves his oxen to drink, and a starving Wolf attempts to chew the leather straps of the plough. The Wolf becomes entangled in the harness, and when the Ploughman returns, he scolds the Wolf, wishing it would abandon thievery for honest labor.
Themes in this chapter
Justice and Consequence
The Wolf's desperate thieving leads to entrapment and a scolding, illustrating the natural consequences of dishonest actions.
Perseverance and Effort
The Ploughman's wish for the Wolf to take up honest work contrasts the Wolf's futile, destructive gnawing with the virtue of steady labor.
Characters to notice
- The Wolf
A half-starved Wolf that chews the plough's leather straps and becomes entangled in the harness.
- The Farmer
The Ploughman who returns to find the Wolf tangled and admonishes him to give up thieving.
Key passages
“Ah, you old rascal, I wish you would give up thieving for good and take to honest work instead.”
The Ploughman scolds the Wolf, expressing a desire for him to abandon theft and embrace honest labor.
The moral of the fable is directly stated by the Ploughman, emphasizing the value of honest work over thievery.