The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing
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The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing is a fable ascribed to Aesop.
[edit] Fable
According to the fable, a hungry wolf came upon a sheep's fleece lying on the ground in a field. The wolf realized that if it wore the fleece, it would look like a sheep from a distance. That would enable the wolf to sneak up on a flock of sheep and steal a lamb for its supper, before the shepherd noticed his presence.
The wolf put on the fleece, and went off in search of a flock of sheep. It spied a flock of sheep just as the sun was setting, and approached the flock. Just as it was about to pounce on a lamb, a shepherd came by, looking for a sheep to slaughter for supper. Thinking the disguised wolf was a sheep, the shepherd quickly grabbed and killed the wolf.
The intended lesson was, "Frauds and liars are always discovered, eventually, and pay for their deceit."
[edit] Usage
In English, "a wolf in sheep's clothing" has become a common metaphor for any hidden danger, or for any enemy putting on a false display of friendship. As a result, the phrase "a sheep in wolf's clothing" has also become used, ironically, for something or someone harmless who blusters or tries to appear menacing.
Winston Churchill once described Clement Atlee, a political opponent, as a sheep in sheep's clothing.
The image of a wolf in sheep's clothing is echoed in Matthew 7:15, which states, "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves." (KJV).
A variant of the phrase is used towards the end of Disney's Robin Hood, where the scrawny lion Prince John, having lost his temper, calls the snake Sir Hiss an "eel in snake's clothing" among other insults while trying to whack Hiss with a wooden plank.
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