羊群說：「狼群在亂殺羊，我們就不生小羊了！」
羊說：「狼在亂殺羊，我們就不生小羊。」
人說：「狼本來就吃羊啊！」
羊說：「那我們就不配合牠們，這樣牠們就會被虎豹獅鷹欺負，就知道沒有我們羊就不行。」
人說：「羊多得是，沒有你還有她。」
羊說：「那我們就不給牠們看門了！」
人說：「那牠們就繼續吃羊就好啦！」
羊說：「我說了我們愛狼，跟狼一條心，我只是讓牠們不要亂殺羊，又不是不吃羊。
如果牠們還亂殺羊，我就不愛狼了！」
人說：「……我覺得你可以繼續對狼一心一意，愛他，順從他，討好他，他總有一天會看到你的好，並且浪子回頭金不換的。你覺得呢？」
羊說：「對啊，現在就是有很多羊沒看清這點，整天鬧，被其他人利用了，狼才生氣的。」
羊說：「我們羊吃的又少，幹的又多，任勞任怨，無怨無悔，還能看門，幫狼對付獅子老虎，他們看不到我們的重要，看到了就知道我們多好了。」
人說：「冷臉洗內褲，才是真愛，讚！」
羊很欣慰地笑了。
Today I heard something quite absurd. A sheep was crying, saying:
“If the wolf keeps devouring sheep recklessly, we, the flock, will stop giving birth to lambs.”
Someone replied: “But wolves are meant to eat sheep.”
The sheep cried again: “Then if the wolf keeps killing sheep recklessly, we will stop working for the wolf.”
Another asked: “But if you refuse to work, the wolf will eat you.”
So the sheep wept: “Then we won’t help the wolves fight against the jackals, lions, and tigers anymore. Let them be bullied instead.”
And then that sheep died.
The rest of the sheep simply went back to work.
很久以前，有一個石頭城。
Once upon a time, there was a Stone City.
石頭城裡住著很多很多喜歡互相打鬥的羊，每天的生活就是吃草和打架。
In Stone City lived many sheep who loved to fight each other, spending their days eating grass and quarreling.
有一天，羊群裡混入了幾頭狼，還有幾隻狗。
One day, several wolves and a few dogs sneaked into the flock.
由於沒有見過狼和狗，羊們都相信，牠們和自己一樣是吃草的。
Since they had never seen wolves or dogs before, the sheep believed they were also grass-eaters.
狗給羊們講述狼的力量和計劃，還給羊們描述外面有很肥美的草場，說有一天狼會帶大家，把那些被人奪走的草場都拿回來。
The dogs told the sheep about the wolves’ strength and plans, and described the lush meadows outside, saying that one day the wolves would lead them to reclaim the pastures that had been taken away.
羊們想到有肥美的草，都高興壞了。於是很努力、很認真地聽著狼的話，生了更多的羊，一起為狼建造了很多武器，為狼歌唱。
The sheep, excited at the thought of rich grass, worked hard, obeying the wolves, giving birth to more lambs, building weapons for the wolves, and singing songs in their praise.
雖然建造的武器、種的糧食都給了狗，但是羊自信滿滿，總是 對石頭城外的羊高高在上地說：
Although the weapons they built and the food they grew all went to the dogs, the sheep were full of pride and always spoke condescendingly to the sheep outside Stone City:
「你們不要惹我們，我們可厲害了！」
“Don’t mess with us—we are strong!”
狼很開心。羊很累、但也很開心。狗拿著骨頭也很開心。且在狼和狗的看管下，羊再也不喜歡打架了，而是專心地幹活。
The wolves were pleased. The sheep were tired but happy. The dogs, gnawing on bones, were also happy. Under the watch of the wolves and dogs, the sheep no longer fought each other but focused on labor.
可是有一天，幾隻羊看到狼殘酷、緩慢地殺死了一隻潔白漂亮的小羊。
But one day, a few sheep saw a wolf cruelly and slowly kill a beautiful white lamb.
他們跑回來，告訴了其他的羊。
They ran back and told the others.
狼舔舔爪子，在眾目睽睽下殺了這幾隻羊。
The wolf licked its paws and, in front of everyone, killed those sheep.
狗告訴其他的羊：「造謠造謠！這幾隻羊都是老虎的奸細！最近少的羊，都是外面的老虎吃了。後來老虎看到了狼，才嚇跑了！」
The dogs told the others: “Lies, lies! Those sheep were spies of the tigers! The missing sheep were eaten by the tigers outside. Only when the tiger saw the wolf did it run away!”
於是羊們很氣憤，說一定要團結一致，找老虎報仇。
The sheep grew angry and said they must unite and take revenge on the tiger.
狗帶著羊們一起，給狼沒日沒夜地幹活，為打老虎做準備。
The dogs led the sheep to work day and night for the wolves, preparing to fight the tiger.
可是，羊群裡又消失了很多的羊。
But more and more sheep kept disappearing from the flock.
有一隻羊懇求道：
One sheep pleaded:
「我們與狼是一條心的。可是活太多了，自己家人都被累死了……」
“We are of one heart with the wolves, but the work is too much—our families are dying of exhaustion…”
這只羊被當場殺死。
That sheep was killed on the spot.
狗說：「這只羊也被石頭城外羊騙了，要配合外面的羊，騙我們不幹活，好方便老虎奪取我們的石頭城。」
The dogs said: “This sheep was deceived by the sheep outside Stone City. It wanted to trick us into not working, to help the tiger take our Stone City.”
羊群有的驚恐，有的沉默，大多數因為恐懼，拼命地幹活。
Some sheep were terrified, some fell silent, but most, out of fear, worked even harder.
一隻狗咬著骨頭，對大家說：
One dog, chewing a bone, said to them:
「如果聽狼的，好好幹活，未來就會有越來越大、越來越肥的草場！」
“If you obey the wolves and work hard, you will one day have bigger and richer meadows!”
另一隻狗日復一日，講述外面的財狼虎豹：
Another dog, day after day, described the beasts outside:
「牠們殘忍、兇狠，
牠們會偽裝成羊，混進來，
一口氣把你們全部吃光！」
“They are cruel and vicious.
They disguise themselves as sheep, sneak in,
and devour you all at once!”
羊群顫抖著、面面相覷，發誓要好好聽狼的話，找老虎報仇。
The sheep, trembling and looking at one another, swore to obey the wolves and take revenge on the tiger.
狗們又說：
The dogs added:
「領頭狼曾打敗過無數外敵！只要相信牠，你們就能得到更幸福的生活！再也不會打架，也再也不會被老虎欺負！」
“The leading wolf has defeated countless enemies! If you trust him, you will live happier lives—no more fighting, no more bullying by the tiger!”
羊群愉快地又開始合唱：
The sheep joyfully began to sing again:
「我們與領頭羊同心同德！」
“We are of one heart and mind with the leader!”
可是，羊消失得越來越多，而狼也越生越多。
But more and more sheep disappeared, while the wolves multiplied.
很快，就有羊因為傳播「狼會吃羊」的話，被殺掉了。
Soon, any sheep that spread the idea that “wolves eat sheep” was killed.
有的羊笑道：
Some sheep laughed and said:
「你們害怕承認真相比害怕老虎更可怕，所以寧願選擇相信狗的話！」
“You fear admitting the truth more than you fear the tiger, so you choose to believe the dogs instead!”
這只羊，也被吃掉了。
That sheep, too, was devoured.
羊群們有幹不完的活，恐懼又疲憊。
The flock had endless work, weighed down by fear and exhaustion.
有一隻羊跑去跟狼低聲說：
One sheep went quietly to the wolf and whispered:
「若你再隨意殺掉我們，我們就不再生小羊。」
“If you keep killing us at will, we will no longer give birth to lambs.”
狼沉默不語，只是帶著狗在羊群面前殺了這只羊，然後偷偷吃掉。
The wolf said nothing, but with the dogs at his side, killed that sheep before the flock and ate it in secret.
狗端著吃不完的骨頭，搖著尾巴卻高聲吠叫：
The dogs, carrying their endless bones, wagged their tails and barked loudly:
「這一切都是謠言！是外面的老虎造的謠！」
“All of this is lies! Rumors made up by the tiger outside!”
狗們還日復一日地向羊群描繪——外面的財狼虎豹是如何殘忍地吃羊，甚至會偽裝成羊混進羊群。
Day after day, the dogs described how the beasts outside cruelly devoured sheep and even disguised themselves as sheep to sneak into the flock.
羊群聽了又憤怒、又恐懼，齊聲說：
Hearing this, the sheep grew both angry and afraid, and shouted together:
「我們絕對不相信城外的壞羊！」
“We will never believe the false sheep outside the city!”
羊群一時間鬆了口氣，又開始合唱：
Relieved for the moment, the flock sang again:
「我們與領頭羊同心同德！」
“We are of one heart and mind with the leader!”
但是又過了幾年，羊們又累、又餓、又恐懼，不再生小羊。
But after a few more years, the sheep grew tired, hungry, and fearful again, and stopped giving birth to lambs.
這時，狗一邊吃著骨頭，一邊搖著尾巴卻高聲吠叫：
At this time, a dog, chewing on a bone, wagged its tail and barked loudly:
「如果羊太少了，我們就無法製作更好的武器。等外面的財狼虎豹來的時候，我們所有的羊都會被殘忍地吃掉！」
“If there are too few sheep, we won’t be able to make better weapons. When the beasts outside come, all of you will be cruelly devoured!”
羊們又嚇壞了。
The sheep were frightened again.
羊們還是認真地沒日沒夜幹活，天天聽狗們說外面的財狼虎豹多可怕。
They continued to work day and night, listening to the dogs talk daily about the horrors of the beasts outside.
羊們心裡想：其實死幾只羊也沒關係，大部分的羊還是很快樂的。
The sheep thought to themselves: “It doesn’t matter if a few die; most of us are still happy.”
於是，又有羊生了很多小羊。
So once again, sheep gave birth to many lambs.
狗不知道從哪裡又有了很多的骨頭，精力十足地說：
The dogs, with more bones from who knows where, said with renewed energy:
「大家不用擔心，只有我們這個羊群是最努力、最偉大、最能吃苦耐勞的！所以狼最愛大家，一定會帶大家一起種植更多、更好的草場！」
“Don’t worry! Our flock is the hardest-working, the greatest, the most enduring! That is why the wolves love us most, and they will surely lead us to plant more and better meadows!”
羊群又開始歡呼雀躍。
The flock cheered again with joy.
羊群裡又消失了很多的羊。
But more sheep disappeared from the flock.
有人開始懷疑，這些羊是狼吃的。
Some began to suspect that the wolves were the ones eating them.
狗出來作證：
The dogs testified:
「都是外面的老虎進來吃的！還是因為看見了狼，老虎才跑了！」
“It was the tiger from outside that ate them! And only because it saw the wolf did it flee!”
可是，狼越生越多，羊越來越累，羊也悄悄地越來越少。
But the wolves grew more and more numerous, the sheep grew more exhausted, and the flock dwindled quietly.
終於，有一隻羊喊道：
Finally, one sheep cried out:
「若我們都死光了，誰還能和你一起抵禦財狼虎豹？！你們幾只狼，就不怕財狼虎豹欺負你們嗎？」
“If we all die, who will stand with you against the beasts outside? Aren’t you wolves afraid of being bullied by them yourselves?”
狼吃了這頭羊，露出獠牙——原來牠一直就是狼。
The wolf devoured that sheep, baring its fangs—revealing it had always been a wolf.
狼一家一起狼嘯。
The wolves howled together as a pack.
狗們對羊說：
The dogs told the sheep:
「看看狼多麼強壯、多麼有力！沒有牠們的保護，你們早就一只都不剩了！」
“Look how strong and mighty the wolves are! Without their protection, none of you would still be alive!”
狼對羊群冷笑，卻語氣溫柔地說：
The wolf sneered at the flock, but spoke in a gentle tone:
「一直以來，都是我辛苦地在保護你們。外面的財狼虎豹更多、吃得更狠。可是我呢？我只吃一點點羊肉。你們活到今天，全是因為我。難道我保護了你們這麼久，就不應該嘗一口羊肉嗎？
“All along, I have worked hard to protect you. Outside, there are more beasts, fiercer and hungrier. But me? I eat only a little mutton. The fact that you live today is because of me. After protecting you for so long, don’t I deserve a bite of meat?”
那些敢說話的，其實是外來的奸細！他們幫助外面的狼群，一次把你們都吃光。
“Those who dare to speak out are traitors from outside! They would help the others devour you all at once.”
但我不一樣——雖然我和我的孩子們也吃羊，但是我不會把你們都殺光。」
“But I am different—even though my children and I also eat sheep, I will not kill you all.”
羊群聽後，顫抖著、面面相覷。
The flock trembled, looking at one another.
有的哭泣，有的麻木。
Some wept, others were numb.
但大多數羊卻覺得：
But most of the sheep thought:
「幸好不是我被吃了，其實也沒有很多狼。老虎才是最可怕的。」
“Luckily it wasn’t me who got eaten. There aren’t really that many wolves. The tiger is the real terror.”
於是，狗端著骨頭盆，日日夜夜跟羊們繼續講外面的老虎多麼可怕：
So the dogs, with bowls of bones, went on day and night, telling the sheep how terrible the tiger outside was:
「我們不能沒有狼的保護！」
“We cannot live without the wolves’ protection!”
剩下的羊，疲憊地再一次開始合唱—
The remaining sheep, exhausted, began once more to sing together—
讚美、臣服，與沉默。
Praising, submitting, and falling silent.
Copyright Notice (English)
This work, The Sheep and the Wolves in the Stone City, including its text, illustrations, character design, and allegorical structure, is an original creation by Jules Vela.
It forms part of the author’s forthcoming children’s picture book novel.
No part of this work may be used, copied, adapted, translated, published, distributed, or exploited for commercial purposes in any form without the prior written permission of the author.
Any unauthorized use will be considered copyright infringement, and the author reserves the right to pursue legal remedies.
© 2025 Jules Vela. All Rights Reserved.
