The Boy Who Cried Wolf: Liars are not believed, even when they tell the truth.
Once upon a time…
There was a young shepherd boy who lived in a small village, nestled between green hills and wide fields.
His job was simple but important: every day, he was to watch over the sheep and keep them safe from any danger—especially wolves.
Now, watching sheep isn’t the most exciting job. The boy often sat on a hill overlooking the village, with nothing but the gentle bleating of sheep to keep him company.
After a while, he grew bored. “I need to have some fun,” he thought. But what could he do?
That’s when an idea popped into his head. He stood up, cupped his hands around his mouth, and shouted as loud as he could, “Wolf! Wolf! There’s a wolf attacking the sheep!”
The villagers down below heard his cries and immediately sprang into action. Grabbing their tools and rushing up the hill, they were ready to scare off the wolf and protect the flock.
But when they arrived, there was no wolf in sight. The boy sat there laughing. “Gotcha!” he giggled. “There was no wolf. I was just having a little fun!”
The villagers, upset but relieved that the sheep were safe, grumbled as they walked back to the village. “Don’t do that again!” they warned.
A few days later, the boy grew bored again. “Hmm… maybe I can pull the same trick,” he thought mischievously. And so, once more, he shouted, “Wolf! Wolf! There’s a wolf attacking the sheep!”
Again, the villagers came running, ready to defend the sheep. And once again, they found no wolf, just the boy laughing hysterically at his own prank.
“You all fell for it again!” he said, wiping away tears of laughter.
This time, the villagers were angry. “If you keep crying wolf when there’s no danger, no one will believe you when it’s real!” they warned.
But the boy didn’t take their words seriously.
Then, one afternoon, as the boy was watching the sheep, a real wolf appeared from the edge of the forest. Its sharp eyes gleamed, and its teeth bared as it crept toward the flock.
Terrified, the boy jumped to his feet and screamed, “Wolf! Wolf! Please, there’s a real wolf this time!”
But the villagers, remembering how they had been tricked twice before, didn’t believe him. “He’s just trying to fool us again,” they muttered, and no one came to help.
The wolf attacked the sheep, and the boy, helpless and alone, watched as his flock scattered in fear.
He realized, too late, the consequences of his lies.
The Moral
This story teaches two important lessons.
- First, lying—even for fun—can cost you people’s trust.
- Second, when we aren’t truthful, others may not believe us when we really need them to.
💬 What’s your take?
What lesson do you take away from this story? Share your thoughts in the comments below – we’d love to hear your perspective!
Note: This story is based on The Boy Who Cried Wolf, one of Aesop’s classic fables from the 6th century BCE. We’ve refreshed it with a modern twist to make it more exciting and relatable for today’s young readers!
