WOLF, meeting with a Lamb astray from the fold, resolved not to lay violent hands on him, but to find some plea to justify to the Lamb the Wolf's right to eat him. He thus addressed him: "Sirrah, last year you grossly insulted me." "Indeed, "bleated the Lamb in a mournful tone of voice, "I was not then born." Then said the Wolf, "You feed in my pasture." "No, good sir, " replied the Lamb, "I have not yet tasted grass." Again said the Wolf, "You drink of my well." "No, " exclaimed the Lamb, "I never yet drank water, for as yet my mother's milk is both food and drink to me." Upon which the Wolf seized him and ate him up, saying, "Well! I won't remain supperless, even though you refute every one of my imputations."
The tyrant will always find a pretext for his tyranny.
一只狼遇见了一只迷路失群的小绵羊，就想先找一些理由，向小绵羊证明自己有吃掉它的权利。它就说：“小鬼！你去年曾经辱骂过我。”小绵羊可怜兮兮地说：“事实上，我去年还没有出生呢。”狼又说：“你偷吃过我草地上的草。”小羊回答说：“不，好心的先生，我至今还没有尝过草的味道呢。狼又说道：“你喝过我井里的水。”小羊喊道：“不，我从没有喝过水，因为到目前为止，母亲的奶汁就是我全部的食物。”狼一听这话，再也忍耐不住了，便一把抓住它，把它吃下去了，说：“不管你怎样为自己辩解，我终究是要把你吃掉的！”
对于那些下定决心要做坏事的人来说，任何正当的辩解都是没有用的。