Advanced reported speech practice
and medium level story summary

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The wolf saw a lamb playing in the grass and he felt odd about attacking that helpless creature without some excuse. He said to the lamb: “You know I have not forgotten that last year you insulted me.”
“That is impossible, sir,” answered the lamb, “for I wasn’t born then.”

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“Well,” retorted the Wolf, “you feed in my pastures.” “That cannot be,” replied the lamb, “for I am not yet allowed to have grass.”
“You drink from my creek, don’t you see?” continued the wolf. “Indeed, sir,” said the lamb, “but downstream from where you are.”

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“Well, anyhow,” concluded the Wolf, “I’m not going without my dinner” and he attacked the lamb and devoured it without any further explanations.

……………………………………. The drawings above are by Raphael Wünsch for Hinternet and the one below is by Gary Olsen for The Cartoon College.

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The story is by Aesop, and there are many translations. It is no good as a children’s story, too cynical,  but it works for advanced students to do reported speech and summary versions. Below is
the link to La Fontaine’s :

La raison du plus fort est toujours la meilleure:
Nous l’allons montrer tout à l’heure.
Un Agneau se désaltérait
Dans le courant d’une onde pure.
Un Loup survient à jeun qui cherchait aventure,
Et que la faim en ces lieux attirait.
Qui te rend si hardi de troubler mon breuvage ?

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