The Shepherd and his Flock

Name: The Shepherd and his Flock
Author: Jean de La Fontaine

A shepherd mourns Robin Wether, a faithful sheep who followed him through the crowded city and shared his resting places, but has been killed by a wolf. After praising Robin’s devotion, Willy urges the whole flock, from the oldest rams to the smallest lambs, to unite courageously against the wolf and drive him away. The sheep swear that they will not yield, promise to choke the beast that took Robin Mutton, and pledge their lives to the cause; Willy rewards them with a feast. Before night, however, the flock runs in panic at what seems to be a wolf but is only its shadow cast by the setting sun. The tale declares that cowardly soldiers may sound heroic in speeches, yet lose all courage when confronted even with the signs of battle, since neither example nor exhortation can make timid creatures brave.

By Jean de La Fontaine · First published 1678 · Genre: Fable, Didactic Literature, Allegory · 539 words

First lines

'What! shall I lose them one by one, / This stupid coward throng? / And never shall the wolf have done? / They were at least a thousand strong, / But still they've let poor Robin[1] fall a prey! / Ah, woe's the day! / Poor Robin Wether lying dead! / He follow'd for a bit of bread / His master through the crowded city, / And would have follow'd, had he led, / Around the world. O! what a pity! / My pipe, and even step, he knew; / To meet me when I came, he flew; / In hedge-row shade we napp'd together; / Alas, alas, my Robin Wether! ' / When Willy thus had duly said / His eulogy upon the dead / And unto everlasting fame / Consign'd poor Robin Wether's name, / He then harangued the flock at large, / From proud old chieftain rams / Down to the smallest lambs, / Addressing them this weighty charge, -- / Against the wolf, as one, to stand / In firm, united, fearless band, / By which they might expel him from their land. / Upon their faith, they would not flinch, / They promised him, a single inch. / 'We'll choke,' said they, 'the murderous glutton / Who robbed of us of our Robin Mutton. ' / Their lives they pledged against the beast, / And Willy gave them all a feast. / But evil Fate, than Phoebus faster, / Ere night had brought a new disaster: / A wolf there came. By nature's law, / The total flock were prompt to run; / And yet 'twas not the wolf they saw, / But shadow of him from the setting sun.

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Similar titles

Genres

Fable — The work uses a shepherd, sheep, and a wolf in an animal-centered allegorical narrative that concludes with an explicit moral about cowardice and empty promises.
Didactic Literature — Its central purpose is instruction: the tale demonstrates that speeches, pledges, and even personal example cannot make the inherently timid brave in a real crisis.
Allegory — The flock's behavior represents cowardly people or soldiers, while the wolf symbolizes danger and the shepherd's appeal represents leadership and exhortation.
Moral Tale — The plot is structured around a concise ethical lesson: those who loudly profess courage may flee at the mere appearance of danger.

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The Shepherd and his Flock is listed on Textopian as a fable by Jean de La Fontaine, dated 1678 CE.

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Work type: Fable
Author: Jean de La Fontaine
Date: 1678 CE
Language: English
Genres: Fable, Didactic Literature, Allegory, Moral Tale, Satire
Length: 539 words
Structure: 1 section, 4 paragraphs
Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)

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