The wolf-crying boy

 

Once upon a time, a youngster felt bored while watching the community sheep graze on the hillside. To amuse himself, he sang, "Wolf! Wolf! "The wolf is after the livestock!"

When the people heard the cries, they raced up the hill to chase the wolf away. When they arrived, however, they found no wolf. When he saw their angry expressions, he laughed.

"Don't shout wolf, boy," the locals admonished, "when there isn't a wolf!" They stormed back down the hill, furious.

Later, the shepherd boy yelled again, "Wolf! Wolf!" "The wolf is after the livestock!" He watched with delight as the locals ran up the hill to scare the wolf away.

When they discovered there was no wolf, they stated sternly, "Save your terrified cries for when there is a wolf!" "Don't cry wolf when there isn't one!" But the youngster laughed at their remarks as they grumbled down the hill again.

Later, the youngster noticed a genuine wolf stalking his sheep. He leapt to his feet, alarmed, and yelled as loudly as he could, "Wolf! Wolf!" The villagers, however, assumed he was playing them again and did not rush to their aid.

The villagers went seeking for the youngster who hadn't returned with their sheep at sunset. When they got to the top of the hill, they discovered him crying.

"There was a wolf right here!" The flock has vanished! "I yelled 'Wolf!' but you didn't come," he lamented.

An elderly guy went to console the kid. "Nobody trusts a liar, even when he is stating the truth!" he added as he wrapped his arm around him.

Moral Lesson

Lying weakens trust – no one trusts a liar even if they are talking the truth.